Lipitor.

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is commonly prescribed for patients with high cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels increase the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack and should be treated. Before you start taking Lipitor let your doctor know if you have diabetes, muscle weakness, thyroid disease, kidney disease, or muscle aches, as those may be important factors when deciding which dose of this medicine you are supposed to be taking. Also tell your doctor if you are taking diltiazem, efavirenz, antifungal medications, drugs suppressing the immune system, other cholesterol-lowering medications, oral contraceptives, clarithromycin, rifampin, cimetidine, or erythromycin. Interactions are possible. Your health care provider will probably recommend taking Lipitor once daily with some food or without, although the recommendations may be lightly different depending on every particular case. Mild side effects of Lipitor include gas, diarrhea, joint pain, headache, and constipation, while more serious ones can be any of the following: fever, hives, muscle pain, itching, unusual bleeding or bruising, chest pain, rash, loss of appetite, nausea, flu-like symptoms, jaundice, difficulty breathing or swallowing, and extreme tiredness.