💊 Atorvastatin Tablet 20 mg
🔹 1. Prescription / Indication:
Atorvastatin 20 mg is prescribed for:
- Moderate to severe hypercholesterolemia (high LDL)
- Mixed dyslipidemia (LDL + triglycerides)
- Cardiovascular disease prevention (primary or secondary)
- Familial hypercholesterolemia (inherited)
- Post-heart attack or stroke recovery
- Type 2 diabetes patients with risk of heart disease
🔹 2. Description:
- Form: Oral tablet
- Strength: 20 mg of atorvastatin calcium
- Appearance: White to light yellow oval or round tablet (depends on brand)
- Route: Oral
- Usual Dose: Once daily, preferably in the evening
- Onset: LDL levels drop within 1–2 weeks; full effect in 4–6 weeks
🔹 3. Advantages:
- Significantly reduces:
- LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- Total cholesterol
- Increases HDL (good) cholesterol
- Reduces risk of:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Angina
- Need for heart procedures (stents, bypass)
- Also has anti-inflammatory and plaque-stabilizing benefits
🔹 4. Nature / Pharmacological Class:
- Class: Statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor)
- Mechanism:
- Blocks cholesterol synthesis in liver
- Increases LDL receptor activity
- Enhances LDL clearance from blood
- Half-life: ~14 hours (but effect lasts 24 hours)
🔹 5. Common Packaging:
- Strips: 10 tablets per strip
- Box: 1 to 10 strips (hospital or pharmacy use)
- May be packed in blister cards or HDPE bottles (bulk)
- Commonly available in 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg
🔹 6. Storage:
- Store at room temperature (below 25°C)
- Keep away from moisture, sunlight, and heat
- Store in original blister or container
- Keep out of reach of children
🔹 7. Patient Advice / Counseling:
- Take once daily, with or without food
- Evening dosing is preferred for better efficacy
- Avoid:
- Grapefruit or grapefruit juice (inhibits metabolism, ↑ side effects)
- Alcohol (may affect liver function)
- Notify doctor if you experience:
- Muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness
- Dark urine
- Fatigue
- Periodic monitoring:
- Liver function tests (LFTs)
- Lipid profile
- Continue diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes
- Safe for long-term use if monitored properly
🔹 8. Purpose / Clinical Use:
- Treat dyslipidemia and prevent cardiovascular disease
- Lower:
- LDL-C (bad cholesterol)
- Triglycerides
- Raise:
- HDL-C (good cholesterol)
- Prevent:
- Heart attack
- Ischemic stroke
- Atherosclerosis
- Used in diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and post-cardiac events