Livalo vs. Lipitor

• Are Lipitor and Livalo the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Livalo?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Lipitor?
• What Is Livalo?
• What Is Lipitor?
• What Drugs Interact with Livalo?
• What Drugs Interact with Lipitor?
• How Should Livalo Be Taken?
• How Should Lipitor Be Taken?

Livalo (pitavastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin) are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (“statins”) used to improve blood cholesterol levels in persons with elevated or abnormal blood cholesterol levels.

Common side effects of Livalo include:

• muscle pain,
• back pain,
• joint pain,
• pain in your arms and legs,
• diarrhea,
• constipation,
• skin rash,
• headache,
• sore throat,
• stuffy or runny nose, and
• flu symptoms.

Common side effects of Lipitor include:

• trouble sleeping (insomnia),
• dry mouth,
• cough,
• decreased appetite,
• upset stomach,
• nausea or vomiting,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• problems urinating,
• irritability,
• constipation,
• skin rash,
• itching,
• increased menstrual cramps, and
• sexual side effects including
  • impotence,
  • loss of interest in sex, or
  • trouble having an orgasm.

Livalo (pitavastatin) is a statin drug used to improve blood cholesterol levels in persons with elevated or abnormal blood cholesterol levels.

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a statin used for the treatment of elevated total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, and to elevate HDL cholesterol.

Livalo may interact with cyclosporine, erythromycin, rifampin, gemfibrozil, other fibrates, niacin, or warfarin.

Erythromycin (E-Mycin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), cyclosporine (Sandimmune), indinavir (Crixivan) and ritonavir (Norvir) decrease elimination of Lipitor. Lipitor increases the effect of warfarin (Coumadin) and cholestyramine (Questran) decreases the absorption of Lipitor.

The dose range for Livalo is 1 to 4 mg orally once daily. The recommended starting dose is 2 mg and the maximum dose is 4 mg.

The recommended dose of Lipitor is 10-80 mg daily.