Lipitor Dosage/Direction for Use

General: Before instituting therapy with atorvastatin, an attempt should be made to control hypercholesterolemia with appropriate diet, exercise and weight reduction in obese patients, and to treat the underlying medical problems. The patient should continue on a standard cholesterol-lowering diet during treatment with atorvastatin. The dosage range is 10 mg to 80 mg once daily. Doses may be given any time of the day, with or without food. Starting and maintenance dosage should be individualized according to baseline LDL-C levels, the goal of therapy, and patient response. After initiation and/or upon titration of atorvastatin, lipid levels should be analyzed within 2 to 4 weeks, and dosage adjusted accordingly.
Primary Hypercholesterolemia and Combined (Mixed) Hyperlipidemia: The majority of patients are controlled with 10 mg atorvastatin once daily. A therapeutic response is evident within 2 weeks, and the maximum response is usually achieved within 4 weeks. The response is maintained during chronic therapy.
Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: In a compassionate-use study of patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, most patients responded to 80 mg atorvastatin with a greater than 15% reduction in LDL-C (18%-45%).
Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Pediatric Patients (10-17 years of age): The recommended starting dose of atorvastatin is 10 mg/day; the usual dose range is 10 to 20 mg orally once daily (see Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions). Doses should be individualized according to the recommended goal of therapy (see Indications/Uses and Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions). Adjustments should be made at intervals of 4 weeks or more.
Severe Dyslipidemias in Pediatric Patients: For patients aged 10 years and above, the recommended starting dose is 10 mg atorvastatin once daily. The dose may be increased to 80 mg daily, according to the response and tolerability. Doses should be individualized according to the recommended goal of therapy (see Indications/Uses and Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics under Actions). Adjustments should be made at intervals of 4 weeks or more.
Experience in pediatric patients younger than 10 years of age is derived from open-label studies (see Adverse Reactions, Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics: Special Populations under Actions).
Use in Patients with Hepatic Insufficiency: (see Contraindications and Precautions).
Use in Patients with Renal Insufficiency: Renal disease has no influence on plasma concentrations or on LDL-C reduction with atorvastatin. Thus, no dose adjustment is required (see Precautions).
Use in the Elderly: No differences in safety, efficacy or lipid treatment goal attainment were observed between elderly patients and the overall population (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics: Special Populations under Actions).
Dosage in Patients Taking Cyclosporine, Clarithromycin, Itraconazole, or Certain Protease Inhibitors: In patients taking cyclosporine or the HIV protease inhibitors (tipranavir plus ritonavir) or the hepatitis C protease inhibitor (telaprevir), therapy with atorvastatin should be avoided.
In patients with HIV taking lopinavir plus ritonavir, caution should be used when prescribing atorvastatin and the lowest dose necessary is employed.
In patients taking clarithromycin, itraconazole, or in patients with HIV taking a combination of saquinavir plus ritonavir, darunavir plus ritonavir, fosamprenavir, or fosamprenavir plus ritonavir, therapy with atorvastatin should be limited to 20 mg, and appropriate clinical assessment is recommended to ensure that the lowest dose necessary of atorvastatin is employed.
In patients taking the HIV protease inhibitor nelfinavir or the hepatitis C protease inhibitor boceprevir, therapy with atorvastatin should be limited to 40 mg, and appropriate clinical assessment is recommended to ensure that the lowest dose necessary of atorvastatin is employed (see Skeletal Muscle Effects under Precautions and Interactions).
Use in Children (Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia): Treatment experience in a pediatric population is limited to doses of atorvastatin up to 80 mg/day for one year in 8 patients with homozygous FH. No clinical or biochemical abnormalities were reported in these patients.