05/25/2004 Clinical Experience CRESTOR is now approved in 51 countries, and over 1 million patients have been prescribed CRESTOR. Before the FDA approved CRESTOR in August 2003, followoing the unanimous recommendation of its expert Advisory Committee, this drug's safety had been tested in carefully monitored clinical trials with over 10,000 patients - significantly more than any other drug of its kind before approval. Currently, more than 40,000 patients have taken CRESTOR in clinical statins. Like most medications, all statins have side effects.  For CRESTOR, the side effects have been shown to occur infrequently, are usually mild, and tend to go away. As with all statin drugs, any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness experienced with CRESTOR, particularly if accompanied by sickness or fever, should be reported to your health  care professional immediately. Why CRESTOR has been prescribed for you Your physician has a plan to help you lower your cholesterol to a healthier level - and keep it there.  This includes a cholesterol-loweing diet, regular exercisem and taking CRESTOR. CRESTOR is a statin.  Statin drugs lower cholesterol by preventing the liver (which produces most of your cholesterol) from taking too much cholesterol. CRESTOR can lower "bad" cholesterol abould half (52% at 10 mg versus 7% with placebo; your resulys may vary).  If diet and exercise alone don't lower your cholesterol enough, CRESTOR may help you succeed.  The recommended starting dose of CRESTOR is 10 mg once daily.  CRESTOR comes in 5-, 10-, 20-, and 40-mg tablets. Why long-term cholesterol management is important High cholesterol cannot be cured - but it can be managed successfully.  CRESTOR, together with a healthy diet and regular exercise can be a highly effective combination in cholesterol management.  Remember, if you get good results with CRESTOR, and you stop taking it, your cholesterol may go back up.  To get the most benefit from CRESTOR, you must take it exactly as your physician has prescribed - even after any improvement in your cholesterol levels. For more information... Please talk to your physician and visit www.crestor.com or call the AstraZeneca Patient Information Center toll free at 1-877-782-8461. Important Information: CRESTOR is prescribed along with diet for lowering cholesterol and is not for everyone, including people with liver disease, and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant.  Tell your doctor promptly if you experience unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as they may be a sign of serious side effects.  Be sure to tell your doctor about other medications you are taking.  Simple blood tests are needed to check for liver problems before and 12 weeks after start of therapy or change of dose, and periodically thereafter.  Side effects occur infrequently and include muscle aches, constipation, weakness, abdominal pain and nausea.  They are usually mild and tend to go away.   CRESTOR has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.   Please see full Prescribing Information

 

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