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Why Should Lipitor Be Taken at Night?

There are a number of things to consider when deciding what time of day is the best time to take a medication. Some doctors recommend taking Lipitor at bedtime, and that may or may not be the right time for you to take it.

  1. More Effective

    • The purpose of Lipitor is to lower the amount of cholesterol the body produces. Since your body tends to produce more cholesterol at night, doctors and pharmacists recommend that you take Lipitor and other similar drugs before bedtime, so they can work during the night.

    Comparison to Other Statins

    • Lipitor is a longer-acting medication than some other statin medications. Therefore, it is not as important to take Lipitor at bedtime as it is with some of the other statin class drugs. It will be effective at whatever time of day you take it.

    Even Dosage

    • It is more important to take it at the same time of day each day than to take it at night. This is because you want Lipitor to keep an even level of medication in your blood throughout the day.

    With or Without Food

    • Lipitor will be absorbed into your system whether you take it on an empty stomach or after a meal. Therefore, it doesn't matter if you take it before or after you eat.

    Don't Foget to Take It

    • Just as it's important to take it at the same time of day each day, it's important not to forget a dose. Since it take a couple of weeks to start to work, missing a dose decreases its effectiveness. Find a time of day when you will remember to take it. If this is at bedtime, that is probably best, but if you find you often fall asleep and forget to take it, try to find a time you are more likely to remember each day.

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