Possible food and drug interactions with Crestor

Tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with Crestor. Likewise, always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines during treatment with Crestor. There may be an increased risk of side effects on the muscles (myopathy) if Crestor is taken with any of the following medicines: - other statins for lowering cholesterol - fibrates for lowering cholesterol, eg bezafibrate, gemfibrozil (people taking a fibrate medicine must not be prescribed a 40 mg Crestor doses, and Crestor is not recommended for people taking gemfibrozil) - ciclosporin (people taking ciclosporin must not take Crestor) - nicotinic acid (niacin) - azole antifungals, eg ketoconazole - protease inhibitors, eg ritonavir - macrolide antibiotics, eg clarithromycin. The anti-blood-clotting effect of anticoagulants such as warfarin may be increased by Crestor.

For this reason, if you are taking an anticoagulant your doctor may want to check your blood-clotting time (INR) when you start or stop treatment with Crestor, and if your Crestor doses is changed. Antacids for indigestion, such as aluminium and magnesium hydroxide, may decrease the absorption of Crestor from the gut. This can be avoided if antacids are not taken within two hours of taking Crestor.

Erythromycin may decrease the blood level of Crestor. Crestor may increase the blood levels of hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy.