For some people, eating healthy and staying active are all that’s needed to
manage high cholesterol. But, for many others, diet and exercise are simply not enough.
That’s when your doctor may recommend a prescription medication such as
CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium). Along with diet, CRESTOR helps
lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. It is also proven to slow
the gradual buildup of plaque in the arteries, a disease called
atherosclerosis, as part of a treatment plan to lower cholesterol levels to goal.
Do not take CRESTOR if you
- Have had an allergic reaction to CRESTOR or are allergic to any of its ingredients. The active ingredient is rosuvastatin calcium. The inactive ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, tribasic calcium phosphate, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, triacetin, titanium dioxide, yellow ferric oxide, and red ferric oxide
- Have liver problems
- Are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. CRESTOR may harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant, stop taking CRESTOR and call your health care professional right away
- Are breast-feeding. CRESTOR can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby
If you are also taking other medications, there is a chance of having a drug interaction while taking CRESTOR. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any prescription medications, including
- Cyclosporine (Sandimmune®, Neoral®), a medicine with multiple uses, including use after organ transplants or for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis
- A blood thinner called warfarin (Coumadin®)
- A protease inhibitor used to treat HIV-1 infection, called lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra®)
- Certain types of other medicines that lower cholesterol, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid®), fenofibrate (Tricor®), and niacin (Niaspan®, Niacor®)
- Antacids containing aluminum and magnesium HCl, such as Mylanta®
- Birth control pills
Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking or plan on taking. This includes prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines may interact with CRESTOR, causing side effects.
Sandimmune® and Neoral® are registered trademarks of Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Coumadin® is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Lopid® is a registered trademark of Pfizer. Tricor®, Niaspan®, and Kaletra® are registered trademarks of Abbott Laboratories. Niacor® is a registered trademark of Upsher-Smith. Mylanta® is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson and Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co.