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Had Heart Attack And Prescribed With Crestor Rosuvastatin. Will It Be Safe To Take Generic Rosuvastatin Each Day?
Question: Hopefully you can answer this. I am an American who had a heart attack about a month ago in Macau. I was prescribed 20 mg of Crestor rosuvastatin once a day. I ran out of the Crestor pills. Now I am far away in mainland China and a doctor here told me to take 10 mg of a generic rosuvastatin each day. (I am not an Asian.) Do you recommend that I still take 20 mg of the generic rosuvastatin or the 10 mg a day as prescribed in mainland China?. It is difficult to chase down the Chinese doctor for clarification. Thanks, XXXX
Brief Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX please continue the 20 mg. Yours, Dr B
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for your question. Rosuvastatin is the most potent statin available, and in the setting of a recent myocardial infarction, it is best to have your bases covered. We usually start patients on high dose statin after a heart attack not only to drop cholesterol levels but also to reduce inflammation at the level of the arteries. You should continue to take 20 mg; you should have a recheck of your cholesterol panel in 12 weeks; for you to know your goal LDL (bad cholesterol) will be 70 or less, your physician should adjust the medication accordingly.
Truly yours,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN
Dear XXXXXXX please continue the 20 mg. Yours, Dr B
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for your question. Rosuvastatin is the most potent statin available, and in the setting of a recent myocardial infarction, it is best to have your bases covered. We usually start patients on high dose statin after a heart attack not only to drop cholesterol levels but also to reduce inflammation at the level of the arteries. You should continue to take 20 mg; you should have a recheck of your cholesterol panel in 12 weeks; for you to know your goal LDL (bad cholesterol) will be 70 or less, your physician should adjust the medication accordingly.
Truly yours,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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