Rosuvastatin: uses, side effects and cautions

The NHS describes rosuvastatin as a cholesterol-lowering statin. It is used to bring down high cholesterol and, in people who already have cardiovascular disease, to help prevent angina, heart attack, stroke and other complications. It is also prescribed in familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Crestor is the brand the NHS names, but most people are given the generic. Prescribers sometimes choose rosuvastatin when someone has tried another statin without a good result or when the interaction profile of a different statin is a problem.

Rosuvastatin is supplied as tablets or capsules. Some tablets are orodispersible, meaning they melt on the tongue, which helps people who have difficulty swallowing.

It is taken once a day, and the NHS suggests keeping to the same time each day. Food makes no difference. Your dose depends on why you are taking it; a doctor may start low and increase after four weeks, but the NHS page gives no fixed figures, so rely on your prescription label.

For a missed dose, skip it and take the next at the usual time. Never take two to compensate.

Tell the prescriber if you have ever had a serious reaction to rosuvastatin or another statin, if you have liver or kidney problems, an underactive thyroid or a muscle condition, or if you regularly drink a lot of alcohol. Any of these may make it unsuitable or need closer monitoring.

Commoner effects listed by the NHS are headache, dizziness, nausea, digestive problems, muscle aches and sleep problems. They are often mild; if they bother you, a pharmacist can advise.

Rare serious problems include hepatitis, pancreatitis, muscle inflammation or damage and anaphylaxis. The NHS says to call NHS 111 if you think you might be having a serious side effect. Signs of a severe allergic reaction need an emergency response.

The NHS lists fibrates and other cholesterol medicines, the antibiotics fusidic acid and erythromycin, HIV and hepatitis C antivirals, the anticoagulants warfarin and clopidogrel, contraceptive pills and ciclosporin. The NHS page for rosuvastatin does not mention grapefruit juice, which is one difference from some other statins.

Because new prescriptions can change the picture, mention rosuvastatin whenever another medicine is started.

Rosuvastatin is not recommended in pregnancy because it can affect how a baby develops, and the NHS says to stop it three months before trying to conceive. While breastfeeding it can usually be continued, though a pharmacist or doctor should be asked first.

Alcohol raises the chance of liver-related side effects, so heavy drinking is best avoided. Rosuvastatin does not normally affect driving, riding a bike or using machinery; if you feel dizzy after a dose, wait for it to pass.

It is usually a long-term treatment, and the NHS notes some people take it for life. Cholesterol may rise again if you stop, so keep taking it unless your doctor says otherwise. Other options in the same family include atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin, and ezetimibe works differently. Suspected side effects can be reported via the Yellow Card scheme.