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Rosuvastatin

Generic name: rosuvastatin
Brand names: Crestor, Ezallor Sprinkle
Dosage form: oral capsule, oral tablet
Drug class: Statins

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Apr 4, 2023.

What is rosuvastatin?

Rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor Sprinkle) is a prescription medication used to treat high cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Rosuvastatin belongs to a class of drugs called statins. It works in two ways. Rosuvastatin works by blocking an enzyme in the liver called HMG-CoA reductase, which leads to the liver making less cholesterol. It also works by increasing the liver's uptake of cholesterol from your blood and its breakdown.

Rosuvastatin comes as a tablet and a capsule. The tablet formulation for rosuvastatin was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 under the brand name Crestor. Many generic versions of rosuvastatin tablets have since been approved.

Rosuvastatin is also available as a capsule, which was approved in 2018 under the brand name Ezallor Sprinkle. Adults who can't easily swallow a tablet or capsule can open the capsules and sprinkle the granules onto soft food and eat it. A generic version of the capsules has not been approved.

What is rosuvastatin used for?

Rosuvastatin tablets are used along with diet to:

Rosuvastatin tablets are used:

Only Crestor tablets are approved for use in children. Generic versions of rosuvastatin tablets and rosuvastatin capsules are not approved for use in children due to the marketer of Crestor tablets currently having exclusive marketing rights for use of rosuvastatin in this age group.

Rosuvastatin capsules are used in adults along with diet to:

It is not known if rosuvastatin is safe and effective in people who have Fredrickson Type I and V dyslipidemias.

Who should not take rosuvastatin?

Do not take rosuvastatin if you:

What should I tell my doctor before taking rosuvastatin?

Before taking rosuvastatin, tell your healthcare provider about all or your medical conditions, including if you:

Also tell your healthcare provider if you are 65 years of age or older or are of Asian descent.

How should I take rosuvastatin?

How should I take rosuvastatin tablets:

How should I take rosuvastatin capsules:

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose of rosuvastatin, take it as soon as you remember. However, do not take 2 doses within 12 hours of each other.

What happens if I overdose?

If you take too much rosuvastain or overdose, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

Dosing information

Rosuvastatin tablets:

Rosuvastatin capsules:

What are the side effects of rosuvastatin?

Serious side effects of rosuvastatin include:

The most common side effects of rosuvastain may include:

Additional side effects that have been reported with rosuvastatin include memory loss and confusion.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Interactions

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Talk to your doctor before you start taking any new medicines.

Taking rosuvastatin with certain other medicines may affect each other causing side effects.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.

Know all of the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get new medicine.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Rosuvastatin may harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant, stop taking rosuvastatin and call your doctor right away. If you are not planning to become pregnant you should use effective birth control (contraception) while you are taking this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Medicines like rosuvastatin can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take this medication.

Storage

Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.

What are the ingredients in rosuvastatin?

Active ingredient: rosuvastatin calcium

Inactive ingredients:

Crestor tablets: microcrystalline cellulose NF, lactose monohydrate NF, tribasic calcium phosphate NF, crospovidone NF, magnesium stearate NF, hypromellose NF, triacetin NF, titanium dioxide USP, yellow ferric oxide, and red ferric oxide NF.

Generic versions of rosuvastain tablets may contain different inactive ingredients to those listed above. Check the product label for your particular formulation for a complete list of ingredients.

Ezallor Sprinkle capsules: microcrystalline cellulose, crospovidone, mannitol, magnesium oxide, ferric oxide, sodium citrate, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol 4000, and silicon dioxide.

Capsule shell: gelatin, titanium dioxide, water, sodium lauryl sulfate and the following colorants: FD & C Red 40 (5 mg), FD & C Blue 1 (5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg), D & C Red 28 (5 mg, 10 mg), FD & C Red 3 (20 mg), and FD & C Green 3 (40 mg).The imprinting black ink contains shellac, dehydrated alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, strong ammonia solution, black iron oxide, purified water, and potassium hydroxide.

The Crestor brand of rosuvastatin tablets are distributed by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Wilmington, DE 19850 under license from Shionogi & Co., LTD., Oska, Japan. Generic versions are also manufactured by a number of other companies.

Ezallor Sprinkle, the only available form of rosuvastatin capsules, is manufactured by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Halol-Baroda Highway, Halol-389 350, Gujarat, India and distributed by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc, Cranbury, NJ 08512.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.