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Risks of Crestor

Crestor is the brand name for an oral prescription medication known as rosuvastatin calcium. Despite its effectiveness in lowering high cholesterol levels, Crestor poses a risk for side effects in some patients.

  1. Types of Side Effects

    • The most common side effects of Crestor include headache, muscle or abdominal pains, weakness and nausea. Each of these occur in 2 percent of patients or more, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

    Features

    • Though unpleasant, the most common side effects of Crestor typically cause no risk for long-term health complications. The side effects can start when Crestor treatment begins and may diminish as your body becomes accustomed to the medication, explains the Mayo Clinic.

    Drug Interactions

    • A number of drugs increase your risk of side effects when taken with Crestor, including the immunosuppressant cyclosporine, fibrate medications like gemfibrozil, antivirals like ritonavir and niacin. In addition, taking Crestor with anticoagulants like warfarin may increase the amount of time it takes your blood to clot following an injury or surgery, explains the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

    Risks

    • Infrequently, the use of Crestor results in rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition where your muscle tissue breaks down and decreases kidney function. Other risks associated with Crestor include decreased liver function or failure and memory loss.

    Considerations

    • Because cholesterol is necessary for a fetus to develop properly, doctors avoid prescribing Crestor for use in pregnant women. If you have a history of alcohol abuse, kidney or liver disease, hypothyroidism, blood in your urine, seizures, electrolyte imbalances or low blood pressure, it may not be safe for you to take Crestor, warns the Mayo Clinic.

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