Introduction
Advast is a combination medicine used in the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) with high cholesterol levels. It also helps to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
You can take Advast at any time of day, with or without food, but it is best to take it at the same time each day. Keep taking it for as long as advised by your doctor. Even if you feel well, do not stop this medicine on your own because high blood pressure often has no symptoms. If you stop taking it, your condition may get worse. Keeping active with regular exercise, reducing your weight and eating a healthy diet will also help control your blood pressure. Follow your doctor's advice while taking this medicine.
It may cause side effects like headache, nausea, stomach pain, flushing (sense of warmth in the face, ears, neck and trunk), ankle swelling, and increased liver enzyme. Let your doctor know if you experience yellowing of skin or eyes, unusually dark urine or stomach pains as it may be sign of liver damage. It may also cause dizziness, so do not drive or do anything that requires mental focus until you know how this medicine affects you. You may be asked for regular monitoring of blood pressure, kidney function, blood sugar level, and electrolytes level while on the treatment.
Before taking it, let your doctor know if you have any liver or kidney problems. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also consult their doctor for advice before taking this medicine. You also need to tell your doctor what other medicines you are taking especially those used to treat high blood pressure or heart conditions.
How to use Advast
Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Advast may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.
How Advast works
Advast is a combination of two medicines: Amlodipine and atorvastatin which treat high blood pressure associated with high cholesterol levels. Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker (CCB). It works by relaxing blood vessels which makes the heart more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body. Atorvastatin is a lipid-lowering medication which works by blocking an enzyme (HMG-CoA-reductase) that is required in the body to make cholesterol. It thus lowers "bad" cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides and raises "good" cholesterol (HDL). Together they reduce the risk of heart diseases.