CRESTOR^® (rosuvastatin calcium) is a type of cholesterol-lowering medicine known as a “statin.” When diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to get cholesterol levels to goal, CRESTOR is used for lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and increasing “good” HDL cholesterol.

CRESTOR is one of several cholesterol-lowering medications known as a “statin.” Statins are used to lower cholesterol when diet and exercise alone are not enough to help people get to goal.

Some people should NOT take CRESTOR. Do not take CRESTOR if you:

• Are allergic to rosuvastatin calcium or any of the ingredients in CRESTOR
• 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 doctor right away. If you are not planning to become pregnant you should use effective birth control (contraception) while you are taking CRESTOR
• Are breastfeeding. Medicines like CRESTOR can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby

CRESTOR is a cholesterol-lowering medicine prescribed to lower cholesterol when diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to get cholesterol to goal. Adding CRESTOR may help by:

• Lowering LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and raising HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)
• Slowing plaque buildup in the arteries as part of a treatment plan to lower cholesterol to goal

CRESTOR is a cholesterol-lowering medicine that works to help lower cholesterol in 2 ways:

• Blocks an enzyme in the liver, causing the liver to make less cholesterol
• Increases the uptake and breakdown in the liver of cholesterol already in the blood

CRESTOR is a cholesterol-lowering medicine that has been proven in clinical studies to help people get their cholesterol levels to healthy goals:

• Compared to another cholesterol-lowering medicine, Lipitor^® (atorvastatin calcium), CRESTOR got more high-risk patients’* LDL cholesterol to a goal of under 100 mg/dL^†
• Along with diet, CRESTOR has been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol by up to 55% (at 20-mg dose versus 7% with placebo)
• CRESTOR is also FDA approved to slow the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries, as part of a treatment plan to lower cholesterol to goal

*Definition of high-risk patients: Patients aged 18 years or older with high cholesterol and a history of narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries (coronary heart disease) or evidence of plaque buildup in their arteries that can narrow the arteries over time or a high risk of developing coronary heart disease over the next 10 years.

^†In high-risk patients, per National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) Treatment Guidelines, bad LDL cholesterol goal is <100 mg/dL.

CRESTOR may cause serious side effects, including:

• Muscle pain, tenderness and weakness (myopathy). Muscle problems, including muscle breakdown, can be serious in some people and rarely cause kidney damage that can lead to death. Tell your doctor right away if:
  • You have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel more tired than usual, while you take CRESTOR
  • You have muscle problems that do not go away even after your doctor told you to stop taking CRESTOR. Your doctor may do further tests to diagnose the cause of your muscle problems

Liver problems. Your health care professional should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking CRESTOR and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you take CRESTOR. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems:

• feel unusually tired or weak
• loss of appetite
• upper belly pain
• dark urine
• yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes

If your doctor has selected the cholesterol-lowering medicine CRESTOR to help manage your high cholesterol, you should take CRESTOR exactly as your doctor tells you to take it. Take CRESTOR, by mouth, one time each day. You can take CRESTOR any time of day, with or without food. The CRESTOR tablet should be swallowed whole. Do not take 2 doses of CRESTOR within 12 hours of each other.

You may see results for lowering LDL cholesterol as soon as 2–4 weeks after starting the cholesterol-lowering medicine CRESTOR. Your results may vary. On follow-up visits, your doctor may choose to adjust your dosage to help you reach your cholesterol goal.

The most common side effects with CRESTOR may include:

• Headache, muscle aches and pains, abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea
• Additional side effects that have been reported with CRESTOR include memory loss and confusion

If you miss a dose of CRESTOR, take it as soon as you remember. However, do not take 2 doses of CRESTOR within 12 hours of each other. If you take too much CRESTOR or overdose, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

It is important to know that no two drugs in one class are exactly the same. In fact, not all medications work the same for all patients, including the generic equivalents. When your doctor prescribes a medication, it is because he/she has decided it is the right one for you.

If you prefer to keep taking brand-name CRESTOR, talk with your doctor. He or she can request brand-name CRESTOR on your prescription.*

If it’s not CRESTOR, let the pharmacist know. At the pharmacy, your brand-name prescription for CRESTOR may be switched automatically to a generic.^‡ That’s why you need to remember to specifically ask your pharmacist for CRESTOR, as your doctor prescribed.

Keep in mind that the savings card can only be used with brand-name CRESTOR.

^‡Pharmacy rules and local laws may apply.