Atorvastatin Krka

Leaflet attached to the packaging: information for the user

Atorvastatin Krka, 30 mg, film-coated tablets

Atorvastatin Krka, 60 mg, film-coated tablets

Atorvastatin Krka, 80 mg, film-coated tablets

Atorvastatin
This medicine is absolutely contraindicated in pregnancy.

You should carefully read the contents of the leaflet before taking the medicine, as it contains important information for the patient.

• You should keep this leaflet, so that you can read it again if you need to.
• If you have any further questions, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed to you specifically. Do not pass it on to others. The medicine may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. See section 4.

Table of contents of the leaflet

• 1. What is Atorvastatin Krka and what is it used for
• 2. Important information before taking Atorvastatin Krka
• 3. How to take Atorvastatin Krka
• 4. Possible side effects
• 5. How to store Atorvastatin Krka
• 6. Contents of the packaging and other information

1. What is Atorvastatin Krka and what is it used for

Atorvastatin Krka belongs to a group of medicines called statins, which regulate lipid levels (fats).
Atorvastatin Krka is used to lower lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood when a low-fat diet and lifestyle changes have not worked. In patients with increased risk of heart disease, Atorvastatin Krka may also be used to reduce this risk, even if cholesterol levels are normal. During treatment with Atorvastatin Krka, you should continue to follow a cholesterol-lowering diet.

2. Important information before taking Atorvastatin Krka

When not to take Atorvastatin Krka

• in women who are able to become pregnant and are not using effective contraception,
• in pregnant or breastfeeding women,

Warnings and precautions

Before taking Atorvastatin Krka, you should discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist.
The following situations may require special attention:

• kidney problems,
• hypothyroidism,
• repeated or unexplained muscle pain or muscle problems in the past or similar problems in relatives,
• muscle problems during previous treatment with other lipid-lowering medicines (e.g. other statins or fibrates),
• regular consumption of large amounts of alcohol,
• history of liver disease,
• age over 70 years,

If any of the above situations apply to you, your doctor will order a blood test before starting treatment with Atorvastatin Krka and, if necessary, during treatment to detect the risk of muscle-related side effects. The risk of muscle-related side effects, such as rhabdomyolysis, increases when taking certain medicines (see section 2 "Atorvastatin Krka and other medicines").
You should also inform your doctor or pharmacist if muscle weakness persists. Additional tests and medications may be necessary to diagnose and treat this condition.
During treatment with Atorvastatin Krka, your doctor will closely monitor you for the development of diabetes or the risk of developing diabetes. Patients with high blood sugar and fat levels, patients who are overweight, and patients with high blood pressure may be at risk of developing diabetes.

Atorvastatin Krka and other medicines

You should tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you are taking or have recently taken, as well as any medicines you plan to take.
Certain medicines may change the effect of Atorvastatin Krka or their effect may be changed by Atorvastatin Krka. This type of interaction can reduce the effectiveness of one or both medicines. It can also increase the risk or severity of side effects, including serious muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis, described in section 4:

• medicines that affect the immune system, such as cyclosporine,
• certain antibiotics or antifungal medicines, such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, telithromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, fluconazole, posaconazole, rifampicin, fusidic acid,
• other lipid-lowering medicines, such as gemfibrozil, other fibrates, cholestyramine,
• certain calcium channel blockers used to treat angina or high blood pressure, such as amlodipine, diltiazem,
• medicines that regulate heart rhythm, such as digoxin, verapamil, amiodarone,
• letermovir, a medicine used to prevent cytomegalovirus disease,
• medicines used to treat HIV infection, such as ritonavir, lopinavir, atazanavir, indinavir, darunavir, tipranavir in combination with ritonavir, etc.,
• certain medicines used to treat hepatitis C, such as telaprevir, boceprevir, and a combination product containing elbasvir with grazoprevir, ledipasvir with sofosbuvir,
• other medicines known to interact with Atorvastatin Krka, including ezetimibe (which lowers cholesterol), warfarin (which reduces blood clotting), oral contraceptives, stiripentol (an antiepileptic medicine), cimetidine (used to treat heartburn and stomach ulcers), phenazon (a pain reliever), colchicine (used to treat gout), and antacids (medicines used to treat indigestion, containing aluminum or magnesium),
• over-the-counter medicines: medicines containing St. John's Wort,
• daptomycin (a medicine used to treat complicated skin and soft tissue infections and bloodstream infections caused by bacteria).

Atorvastatin Krka with food, drink, and alcohol

Recommendations for taking Atorvastatin Krka are presented in section 3.
Note:
Grapefruit juice
You should not drink more than one or two small glasses of grapefruit juice per day,
as large amounts may change the effect of Atorvastatin Krka.
Alcohol
You should avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol while taking Atorvastatin Krka.
See section 2 "Warnings and precautions" for more information.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

You should not take Atorvastatin Krka during pregnancy or if you are planning to become pregnant.
Taking Atorvastatin Krka is contraindicated in women of childbearing age who do not use effective contraception.
You should not take Atorvastatin Krka while breastfeeding. The safety of taking Atorvastatin Krka during breastfeeding has not been established yet.
You should consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines

Atorvastatin Krka usually does not affect the ability to drive or use machines. However, if this medicine affects your ability to drive, you should not drive. You should not use tools or machines if your ability to use them is impaired by Atorvastatin Krka.

Atorvastatin Krka contains lactose and sodium

If you have been diagnosed with an intolerance to some sugars, you should contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
The medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) of sodium per dose, which means the medicine is considered "sodium-free".

3. How to take Atorvastatin Krka

This medicine should always be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist. If you are unsure, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Before starting treatment with Atorvastatin Krka, your doctor will recommend a low-cholesterol diet, which you should also follow during treatment with Atorvastatin Krka.
The usual starting dose in adults and children over 10 years of age is 10 mg once a day. If necessary, your doctor may increase the dose to the one that is suitable for you. Your doctor will adjust the dose every 4 weeks or less often. The maximum dose of Atorvastatin Krka in adults is 80 mg once a day, in children 20 mg once a day.
Tablets should be swallowed whole with water. Tablets can be taken at any time of the day, with or without food. However, it is recommended to take the tablets at the same time every day.

Your doctor will determine the duration of treatment with Atorvastatin Krka.

If you feel that the effect of Atorvastatin Krka is too strong or too weak, you should contact your doctor.

Taking a higher dose of Atorvastatin Krka than recommended

If you have accidentally taken more tablets of Atorvastatin Krka than recommended (more than the usual daily dose), you should contact your doctor or go to the nearest hospital.

Missing a dose of Atorvastatin Krka

If you have forgotten to take a dose of Atorvastatin Krka, you should take the next dose at the usual time. You should not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.

Stopping treatment with Atorvastatin Krka

If you have any further questions about taking this medicine, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, Atorvastatin Krka can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

If you experience any of the following side effects or symptoms, you should stop taking Atorvastatin Krka and contact your doctor or go to the nearest hospital immediately.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people):

• Severe allergic reaction with swelling of the face, tongue, and throat, which can cause difficulty breathing.
• Severe condition characterized by intense skin peeling and swelling, blisters on the skin, in the mouth, on the eyes, genitals, and fever. Skin rash with pink-red spots, especially on the inside of the hands or on the soles of the feet, sometimes with blisters.
• Muscle weakness, hypersensitivity, muscle pain, muscle rupture, or reddish-brown urine, especially if they occur together with malaise or high fever. These symptoms may be caused by muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis). Muscle breakdown may not always resolve, even if the patient stops taking atorvastatin, and may also be life-threatening and cause kidney problems.

Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

• If you experience unexpected or unusual bleeding or bruising, this may indicate abnormal liver function. In this case, you should contact your doctor immediately.
• Lupus-like syndrome (including rash, joint disorders, and effects on blood cells).

Other possible side effects of Atorvastatin Krka:

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• nasal congestion, sore throat, nosebleeds
• allergic reactions
• increased blood sugar levels (patients with diabetes should carefully monitor their blood sugar levels), increased creatine kinase activity in the blood
• headache
• nausea, constipation, gas, indigestion, diarrhea
• joint pain, muscle pain, and back pain
• abnormal liver function test results

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• loss of appetite (loss of appetite), weight gain, decreased blood sugar levels (patients with diabetes should carefully monitor their blood sugar levels)
• nightmares, insomnia
• dizziness, numbness or tingling in the fingers of the hands and feet, reduced sensation of pain and touch, changes in taste, memory loss
• blurred vision
• ringing in the ears and (or) in the head
• vomiting, belching, abdominal pain, pancreatitis (causing abdominal pain)
• liver inflammation
• skin rash, skin rash with itching, hives, hair loss
• neck pain, muscle fatigue
• fatigue, malaise, weakness, chest pain, swelling, especially of the ankles, increased body temperature
• presence of white blood cells in the urine

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people):

• vision disorders
• unexpected bleeding or bruising
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
• tendon damage
• skin rash, which may occur on the skin, or ulcers in the mouth (lichenoid drug reaction)
• purple skin changes (signs of vasculitis)

Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

• allergic reaction, which may include sudden, wheezing breathing and pain or pressure in the chest, swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing, fainting
• hearing loss
• gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men)

Unknown frequency (cannot be estimated from the available data):

• persistent muscle weakness
• myasthenia (a disease that causes general muscle weakness, including in some cases muscles involved in breathing)
• myasthenic syndrome (a disease that causes muscle weakness in the eyes) You should talk to your doctor if you experience muscle weakness in your arms or legs, worsening after periods of activity, double vision, or drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, or shortness of breath.

Possible side effects reported for some statins (medicines of the same type):

• sexual function disorders
• depression
• breathing problems, including persistent cough and (or) shortness of breath or fever
• diabetes. The development of diabetes is more likely in patients with high fasting blood sugar levels, overweight patients, and patients with high blood pressure. Your doctor will closely monitor you while you are taking this medicine.

Reporting side effects

If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Drug Safety Monitoring of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products
Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw
Phone: +48 22 49 21 301
Fax: +48 22 49 21 309
Website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl
Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store Atorvastatin Krka

The medicine should be stored out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the packaging after the abbreviation EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month stated.
The batch number is stated on the packaging after the abbreviation "Lot".
Store in the original packaging to protect from moisture.
There are no special precautions for storing the medicine at a certain temperature.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. You should ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the packaging and other information

What Atorvastatin Krka contains

• The active substance of the medicine is atorvastatin. 30 mg, film-coated tabletsEach film-coated tablet contains 30 mg of atorvastatin in the form of atorvastatin calcium. 60 mg, film-coated tabletsEach film-coated tablet contains 60 mg of atorvastatin in the form of atorvastatin calcium.

80 mg, film-coated tablets
Each film-coated tablet contains 80 mg of atorvastatin in the form of atorvastatin calcium.

• The other ingredients (excipients) are: sodium hydroxide, hydroxypropyl cellulose (E 463), lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose (E 460), sodium croscarmellose, crospovidone (type A), magnesium stearate (E 572), and polysorbate 80 in the tablet core, and Opadry II White 85F28751: polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide (E 171), macrogol 3000, and talc (E 553b) in the tablet coating. See section 2 "Atorvastatin Krka contains lactose and sodium".

What Atorvastatin Krka looks like and contents of the pack

30 mg film-coated tablets: white to almost white, round, slightly convex film-coated tablets with beveled edges, 9 mm in diameter
60 mg film-coated tablets: white to almost white, oval, biconvex film-coated tablets, 16 mm x 8.5 mm in size
80 mg film-coated tablets: white to almost white, biconvex film-coated tablets in the shape of a capsule, 18 mm x 9 mm in size
Packaging:14, 30, 60, or 90 film-coated tablets in blisters in a cardboard box

Marketing authorization holder and manufacturer

KRKA, d.d., Novo mesto, Šmarješka cesta 6, 8501 Novo mesto, Slovenia
To obtain more detailed information about the names of the medicines in other European Economic Area member states, you should contact the representative of the marketing authorization holder:
KRKA-POLSKA Sp. z o.o.
ul. Równoległa 5
02-235 Warsaw
Phone: 22 57 37 500.

Date of last revision of the leaflet: 15.01.2025