More than 800,000 people each year witness a heart attack – often, for the very first time – in the US. Cardiac failure is largely attributed to excessive accumulation of fats in your blood vessels. Build-up of these lipids or fats – over a period of time – starts shrinking your blood vessels and makes it difficult for blood to flow through your arteries. Signs of a possible heart failure include weariness, panting for breath, dizziness or feeling extremely dizzy. A heart condition is also likely to show up in the form of a pain in your chest (clinically known as angina), stroke or a cardiac arrest. Statins are drugs widely used to bring down cholesterol levels. Of the various types of statins, crestor (rosuvastatin) has an important role. But, if you are a male, you may need to fully understand the likely side effects this drug can trigger in your system.
Statins are often prescribed for reducing the level of bad cholesterol (also called as low density lipoproteins – LDL, in short) as well as triglycerides, and also to enhance the levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL – or good cholesterol). Crestor – whose generic name is rosuvastatin – is taken to minimize or avoid risks of stroke as well as heart attacks. This drug is always administered as part of a comprehensive treatment plan; the pan often includes shedding excessive flab or kilos of bodyweight through regular work outs, intake of a fat-free or low-fat diet, discontinuing a few habits like drinking, smoking of tobacco products, etc.
How to use crestor?
In general, this statin is taken orally. It can be consumed either before or after a meal. Its standard / maintenance dose is one dose within a 24-hour timeline. It is usually available in a capsule form; you are advised not to crush the capsules. Instead, you need to swallow them with a glass of water. No two individuals with cholesterol may be prescribed with the same dosage levels of crestor. Your medication plan depends on your gender, age, prior medical conditions as well as how well your body responds to the first few doses of this statin. People belonging to a few races – for example, Asians –are advised to take lesser dosages of this drug.
You may need to take this drug for a few weeks for the results to show up. Your medical team may recommend its intake for one month / 30 days for the drug to start working. Your caregiver may advise you to take this drug regularly, and also at the same timeslot each day. If you have acidic problems, intake of antacids does not go well with statins such as crestor. Especially, antacid formulations made with magnesium and / or aluminum may deter the active ingredients from getting absorbed to your system. Always talk to your treating doctor about the drugs you are currently taking to avoid risks of adverse interactions. In case of antacids, you are advised to provide an interval of a minimum of 100 minutes (i.e., more than 1.5 hours).
Side effects of crestor in men
Side effects triggered by this statin are – at times – gender-sensitive. A few men may tend to be hypersensitive to this drug and to its active ingredients. If you are living with blood-sugar related problems or if you are diabetic, this drug may trigger a severe imbalance of blood sugars. Also, men may witness a few muscular conditions – these can include softening of muscles, excessive level of muscular weakness and pains. Muscular problems may also include autoimmune conditions like myopathy or rhabdomyolysis; the latter is a condition wherein some of your muscular fibers are dead; not stopping with it, the dead cells may blend into your bloodstream. This is considered as a serious condition; if left unchecked, this muscular impairment can soon lead to kidney problems – such as failure of renal function, etc. Elderly males may more likely to develop memory lapses as well as a few severe renal conditions. Memory lapses may occur along with mood shifts including depression or being in an anxious state of mind. Renal problems can be sensed with any changes in the output of urine, foam-like constitution of urine, etc.
Impact on hepatic wellbeing of men
In some men, this statin is likely to trigger a few hepatic problems. So, men who are already having liver conditions such as inflammation of liver, cirrhosis, etc., are advised to tell their caregiver about such disorders. If you are unaware of pre-existing liver conditions, you may observe yellowish color in your eyes or skin, darkening of urine, incessant spells of vomiting and / or nausea, pain (often, showing up as an acute discomfort) in your upper abdomen, etc. So, as soon as you witness one or more of these signs, you are advised to consult with your treating physician on an emergency basis.
Allergic reactions in men
Men who have prior / known allergies to statins need to inform their caregivers about such conditions. In some men, a few not-so-active / passive ingredients of drugs like crestor can trigger a few allergies. Typical allergies in men can include severe levels of dizziness, respiratory problems such as gasping, and wheezing, inflammation of facial organs like nose, lips and swelling of oral parts like throat, tongue, etc.
Precautions men need to follow if they are taking crestor
Foremost of all, tell your doctor about pre-existing illnesses or allergies prior to starting to take crestor. It is important to make a note of your medical history as well as your family’s clinical history; if you are living with problems such as substance abuse, renal dysfunction or hepatic problems – your doctor needs to know more details about such disorders.
Men are advised not to consume excessive level of alcohol. In general, your physician may advise limiting the daily intake of alcohol or better still, stop taking alcohol while using crestor. Elderly men are recommended to pay added care to their muscular wellbeing; this is mainly because older men are more likely to develop muscular conditions like myalgia.
Adverse interactions crestor may trigger when taken with other drugs
As a precautionary measure, you need to tell your doctor about all the drugs you are currently taking. It is also a safe practice to disclose details about treatment plans that you are presently pursuing. Make a list of the meds you are taking; while compiling the list, care to add over the counter meds, herbal supplements, enriched foods, vitamins or proteins.
Men who are taking blood thinning drugs like warfarin may need to stay careful while taking crestor. You need to know that blood thinning drugs help prevent likely clotting of blood. Such meds play a vital role in controlling the risks associated with the incidence of strokes or cardiac failure.
Other drugs that can adversely interact with crestor include gemfibrozil, daptomycin, etc. Of these drugs, gemfibrozil is used to treat build-up of lipids / fats. This drug stops excessive absorption of lipids and fats. It also discourages your liver from secreting very low density lipoproteins (known as VLDL).In essence, this drug is taken for its lipid lowering properties; owing to this, it can work adversely with statins such as crestor. On the other hand, men who are taking drugs like daptomycin must be aware of the possible impact it can cause on your liver.
Foods men need to be watchful of
Among foods, you are advised not to take red yeast-based rice or food products made from such rice. This is because – this category of rice contains a statin known as lovastatin. Owing to this, men who take crestor along with such rice can develop conditions similar to an overdose of statins. For example – you may develop hepatic problems as well as a few acute muscular conditions.
Men who take an overdose of this statin
In general, men are advised to follow the instructions of their treating physician while taking crestor. A few men have however taken larger (than prescribed) doses of this drug. Such men experienced acute discomforts including respiratory problems (which show up as wheezing, gasping or short cycles of breathing) as well as loss of coordination, dizziness, acute spells of drowsiness and / or passing out.
In sum, crestor is a statin taken for the reduction of cholesterol levels i.e., bad cholesterol (LDL) as well as triglycerides. It is also known to boost the level of high density lipoproteins (good cholesterol). The generic name of crestor is rosuvastatin. It is often prescribed as a part of a treatment plan which includes regular work outs, changes made to daily diet as well as stopping to use of tobacco products. Likely side effects of crestor in men are muscular weakness, imbalance of blood-sugar levels and a few mood-related problems or mental disorders including depression in some people. In order to avoid such side effects and to ensure safer intake of crestor, men are advised to talk to their caregiving team prior to the start of your treatment plan.
Education: Bachelor’s in Journalism with a minor in Nutrition from Northwestern University. Experience: 15 years as a health journalist, writing for major publications like The New York Times and TIME, with a focus on diet, exercise, and chronic disease management.
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