Can 70mg lipitor cause muscle pain?

Can 70mg Lipitor cause muscle pain?

Lipitor 70 mg is not an approved dose. The highest strength available is 80 mg, and standard doses range from 10 mg to 80 mg. Muscle pain remains a possible side effect at any approved strength.

How common is muscle pain with Lipitor?
Muscle aches or weakness occur in roughly 1–5% of patients on atorvastatin. The risk rises slightly with higher doses and with certain risk factors such as age over 65, kidney problems, or concurrent use of other cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Does the dose matter?
Higher doses increase the chance of myalgia. Patients switched from 40 mg to 80 mg report more complaints of soreness or cramps, though many still tolerate the increase without symptoms.

What should you do if pain starts?
Stop the medication and contact your prescriber. Blood tests for CK (creatine kinase) can show whether the pain is linked to actual muscle damage. Most cases resolve after the drug is stopped or the dose lowered.

Are there alternatives if Lipitor causes pain?
Switching to a different statin, taking the dose every other day, or adding coenzyme Q10 are common strategies doctors try. Some patients tolerate rosuvastatin or pravastatin better than atorvastatin.

When does the patent on Lipitor expire?
The original patent expired in 2011, and generic atorvastatin has been widely available since then. DrugPatentWatch.com lists current U.S. patent and exclusivity data for all atorvastatin products.