Crestor Side Effects

Crestor side effects are similar to those of the other statins. If you have high cholesterol (which is a known risk factor for heart attacks and strokes) and/or triglycerides or certain other cholesterol problems, then you're probably taking Crestor to lower your cholesterol and also to prevent certain types of heart diseases. In fact, the FDA just added a new use/indication for Crestor on February 8th 2010. It can now be used for the primary prevention of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease to reduce the risk of:

• stroke
• heart attack
• arterial revascularization procedures, including - coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), bypass grafting of a peripheral or carotid artery, angioplasty, or stent placement

This new use is for people who, though they have no clinical evidence of heart disease, are at an increased risk of heart disease due to the combination of the following risk factors:

• age - men over 50 years old; women over 60 years old, and
• increased level of C-reactive protein - your doctor will be able to tell you this after a blood test is done, and
• one additional cardiovascular risk factor e.g. high blood pressure, smoking, low HDL (that's the good cholesterol), or a family history of premature heart disease

Most Common Crestor Side Effects

• Abdominal pain
• Arthralgia - joint pain
• Asthenia - general weakness/loss of strength
• Constipation
• Headache
• Myalgia - muscle pain
• Nausea

Other Less Common Crestor Side Effects

• Abnormal thyroid function
• Dizziness
• Hypersensitivity (including rash, pruritus i.e. itching, urticaria i.e. hives, and angioedema)
• Lab abnormalities (including proteinuria i.e.protein in the urine and hematuria i.e. blood in the urine, elevated creatine phosphokinase, transaminases, glucose, glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin
• Pancreatitis

Post-Marketing Crestor Side Effects

The following Crestor side effects were reported AFTER Crestor was approved and being used by the general population. You should note though that they were reported voluntarily by folks in the general population so there is therefore no way to determine how often they occur or if there is even really a true connection between them and Crestor.

• Arthralgia - joint pain
• Hepatitis
• Jaundice
• Liver failure
• Memory loss

Common sense is in medicine
the master workman.
- Peter Latham

Drug Manufacturer Information

AstraZeneca
P.O. Box 15437
Wilmington, DE 19850
302-886-3000

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February 20th, 2010