Get Informed: Crestor
Active Ingredient(s)
Rosuvastatin
What does it do?
This product is primarily used to reduce cholesterol. It works by blocking an important enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) used by the body to produce cholesterol.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-07 1:21 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-07 8:28 AM
Other Names
- Creston
- Crestor
- Rosuvastatin
- Rosuvastatin Calcium
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- X
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 12 Aug 2003
- Est US Patients*
- 3,617,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Crestor or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Crestor Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Crestor interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Crestor used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 20,900 patients that use Crestor (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | 93% | 
|
| Other | 7% |
|
How well does Crestor work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 20,900 users taking Crestor (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 80%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Crestor outweigh the bad things.
- 17%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Crestor.
Common Side Effects of Crestor
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 20,900 users taking Crestor (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
26% of patients experience side-effects on Crestor
3% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Crestor
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Muscle Pain/Stiffness
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdominal Pain, Bone/Joint Pain, Constipation, Drowsiness, Dry Mouth, Fatigue, Liver Problems, Memory/Speech Problems, Sexual Problems, Weakness
Global Patient Feedback for Crestor (Rosuvastatin) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
Was taking Crestor 10 mg per day and had pain in legs and hips so bad, that I could barely walk. Switched to Pravastatin 2 months ago and within a week the pain was much less.
55 year old Female
Posted: 2009-11-06 12:04:49
Question/Comment:
I've been taking Crestor 10mg at bedtime for 2 months. I haven't seen any side effects but I also have Fibromyalgia which causes muscle pain and weakness so I wouldn't know. I just hope it brings my #'s down . I'm a Type 2 diabetic and I've been eating right, losing weight, sugar #'s good, A1c 5-1.So we know it's not my diet. I was on Zocor. I hope everyone out there finds a med that will work for you. Wish me Luck
Take Care Luella
52 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-19 16:11:13
Question/Comment:
My experience with Crestor has been positive except I started having significant short term memory loss about a year ago, within a few months after starting the standard prescribed dose. When I had a routine, follow up visit with my prescribing physician and questioned him about the possible cause of my STML he denied it could be from the Crestor because " it doesn't cross the brain barrier like many of the other 'statins' do", and he added he doesn't put Crestor in the 'statin' category of drugs.On that visit he decreased my dose of Crestor by half because my numbers were so low. About six weeks later all of my previous memory problems had disappeared! I was able to focus better on new information, recall things more easily, etc. He has no explanation for the change (no other changes had been made in medications). I remain on 5mg/day of Crestor and am tolerating it well. I understand memory loss is one of the less common SE of Crestor. What can you tell me about this that can help me discuss this intelligently with my prescribing physician? I am willing to continue to take the current dose being prescribed; I am not willing to go back on a higher dose if he thinks I eventually need to because of my previous experience with STML.
66 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-18 14:04:42
Answer/Reply:
I'm taking 5mg I've been taking it for many years. When I firsrt started I was taking 10mg every other day but I start to forget to take it, so I was told to ct it in half. I was taken off once. Due to muscle pain but was told I had other medcle problems that was causeing muscle pain. I was put back on crestor now I have a constant problem with my leg muscles.
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-18 14:30:44
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
A small percent of iGuard patients, less than 1%, report memory problems. It is not a common side effect, but it has been experienced by iGuard members taking Crestor. It sounds like your side effects may be dose related in your case - the higher dose produced the side effect.
Posted: 2009-09-23 11:15:19
Answer/Reply:
I can understand why you wouldn't want the higher dose if it induces short term memory loss. Nobody wants that. In discussing this with your physician, keep in mind that the human brain uses roughly 25% of your body's cholesterol. Cholesterol plays a vital role in nerve synapses in the brain. Researching the vital roles cholesterol plays in human physiology will help you gain insight to why these side effects occur.
52 year old Male
Posted: 2009-10-16 10:07:14
Answer/Reply:
Roughly 25% of your body's cholesterol is used by the brain. About 50% of the dry weight of the cerebral cortex is cholesterol. Cholesterol plays a vital role in nerve synapses in the brain.
52 year old Male
Posted: 2009-10-16 10:13:38
Question/Comment:
I was put on 40mg of crestor and within a two months i had muscle pain. my doctor cut it in half for this reason but also because the dose I was taking was more than I needed according to test. It also appeared since I have been on medicine for this it has caused my hair to fall out slowly. I was on lipitor and could not use it due to pain and that is why i was switched to crestor.
65 year old Male
Posted: 2009-09-18 10:07:00
Question/Comment:
I was on Crestor for 6 days and had to stop taking it because of severe muscle paing and weakness. I'm now taking Zetia and I don't have any problems still after 3 months.
50 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-18 07:24:48
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Patient Comments about
Crestor