Livercol (Rosuvastatin 40mg) Tablets

Livercol general information

What is Livercol used for?

Our body needs cholesterol, a type of fat that is used for many purposes, but too much cholesterol can cause health problems and heart disease.  You may not even know that you have high cholesterol unless you have regular checks, as there are usually no symptoms.  Livercol tablets 40mg are a cholesterol-lowering medication used to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood as well as other fats, to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke that can be caused by high cholesterol.  Livercol also helps reduce the amount of triglycerides in the blood.  These are produced from excess calories taken is as carbohydrates and sugary foods in the diet, which are stored in fat cells and can be used as an energy source when needed.

Why is high cholesterol bad?

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance, and most of the cholesterol we need is produced by the liver, while more comes from our diet in fat-containing foods.  Eating too much of these food types can increase your cholesterol above healthy levels.  Cholesterol is not soluble in water and circulates in the blood attached to proteins called lipoproteins so that it can reach all parts of the body where it is used to make cell membranes, produce some hormones, transport fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D around the body, and build the sheath that protects nerves.  You have most probably heard cholesterol described in terms of good and bad.  This is because if you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can be dumped in your arteries by low-density lipoproteins (LDL) that carries cholesterol around the body (bad cholesterol), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) picks up excess cholesterol returns it to the liver to be processed (good cholesterol).  Gradually the deposited cholesterol can clog-up in your arteries making them hard and narrow and restricting blood flow, a condition known as atherosclerosis that can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD), which includes heart attack and angina.  If a piece of the fatty deposit known as plaque breaks off, it can cause a blood clot, which may travel to the heart (heart attack), lungs (pulmonary embolism) or brain (stroke).  

What causes high cholesterol?

High cholesterol in the blood or hypercholesterolaemia can have several causes and is often a combination of factors that include:

• High-fat diet
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Increasing age
• Some conditions like diabetes, hypothyroidism and liver disease
• Inherited familial hypercholesterolaemia

It is important to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle while you are taking Livercol, starting with an improved diet, more exercise and quitting smoking.  However, you may not be able to bring your cholesterol down to healthy levels just by making lifestyle changes.  If you still have high cholesterol levels even if you do not have symptoms of heart disease, Livercol will help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart and artery disease.

How does Livercol work?

Livercol tablets 40mg contain rosuvastatin which belongs to a group of cholesterol-lowing medications called statins.  These medications reduce the production of cholesterol in the liver and work by inhibiting the action of HMG-CoA reductase, an important enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis.  Rosuvastatin in Livercol only blocks cholesterol that is produced in the liver but has no effect on cholesterol that comes from fat in food, which is why a low-fat diet is important even when you are taking Livercol. 

Rosuvastatin reduces the amount of “bad” cholesterol LDL in your blood and also helps increase the amount of “good” cholesterol HDL.  This balance between these two forms of cholesterol is as important as the overall amount.  It may also be possible to slow down the build-up of plaque in the arteries that causes atherosclerosis and prevent it from worsening and even help it to heal using Livercol.

What does Livercol contain?

Livercol tablets 40mg contains the active ingredient rosuvastatin, which is a cholesterol-lowing medication that belongs to a group of drugs called statins used to treat hypercholesterolaemia

What are the side effects of Livercol?

Most medications have some side effects, but they are not experienced by everyone.  Some side effects are commonly experienced when taking Livercol, but others are not so common, and you should discuss any problems or concerns with your primary care physician. 

Common side effects when taking Livercol include constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, headache and dizziness, unusual tiredness, skin rash, itching or hives.  More serious side effects are less common and may include: muscle ache, tenderness or weakness, not caused by exercise (myopathy), rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of skeletal muscle).

When should Livercol not be used?

Have a talk with your primary healthcare physician before taking Livercol tablets 40mg so that you have a full understanding of what this medicine is for and how to use it.  There are some reasons for not taking a medication; these are called contraindications, and for Livercol you should consider the following before taking Livercol:

• Have you ever had an unusual reaction or an allergy when taking Livercol?
• Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
• Do you have any problems with your kidneys or your liver?
• Do you have or have you ever had a muscular disorder?
• Do you have hypothyroid disease?
• Do you drink excessive amounts of alcohol?

What medications interact with Livercol?

Some medicines interact with Livercol tablets 40mg and may affect the way it works, or are affected by Livercol or increase side effects; you should discuss possible interactions with your primary care physician.  These may include other lipid-lowering medications like gemfibrozil, the immunosuppressant cyclosporine, anticoagulants like warfarin, ritonavir and lopinavir for HIV, antacids for indigestion (within 2 hours). 

If other medications may interact with Livercol, your doctor will discuss these with you. 

How should Livercol be taken and for how long?

You should take your Livercol tablets 40mg swallowed whole with a glass of water once a day, with or without food.  It is important to take at the same time each day, morning or evening, although it is most effective at night when your body is resting, and your liver is producing the most cholesterol.  Your doctor may increase your dose, as required.  Your cholesterol levels should fall to within normal limits within 4 weeks, but you should continue to take your Livercol tablets 40mg for as long as recommended by your doctor, which may be for the rest of your life as it helps keep your cholesterol levels from being too high.  If you stop taking Livercol tablets 40mg, your cholesterol levels may rise again. 

If you drink large quantities of alcohol, you may increase the risk of liver problems when taking Livercol tablets 40mg.  Grapefruit juice in large quantities (more than one litre a day) can also increase the risk of side effects as it increases the amount of Livercol that gets into your blood.

Missed dose of Livercol

If you miss a dose of Livercol tablets 40mg take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose.  Do not take a double dose.

How should Livercol be stored?

You should store your Livercol tablets 40mg below 25°C in a cool dry place.