Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - PMS-Rosuvastatin
What is pms-ROSUVASTATIN used for:
pms-ROSUVASTATIN is used along with a change in diet to lower the level of cholesterol and other fats (such as triglycerides) in the blood in:
- adults with high blood cholesterol. In these adults, changes in diet and exercise alone were not effective in lowering their blood cholesterol.
- boys and girls (who have had their period for at least a year) who are 10 to less than 18 years of age with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. This is a genetic condition where high blood cholesterol is inherited from one of the parents. In these children, a change in diet alone was not effective in lowering their blood cholesterol.
pms-ROSUVASTATIN is also used in adults who have no history of heart attack or stroke but who have two or more risk factors as determined by their healthcare professional to reduce the risk of:
- heart attack
- stroke
- undergoing a procedure called coronary artery revascularization. This is a medical procedure used to treat severely blocked arteries due to plaque buildup caused by high blood cholesterol levels.
How pms-ROSUVASTATIN works:
pms-ROSUVASTATIN belongs to a class of medicines known as "statins", more specifically called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Statins block an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase in your liver, which is involved in the production of cholesterol in your body. Statins are used along with changes to diet and exercise to help control the amount of cholesterol produced by the body.
pms-ROSUVASTATIN can help your body:
- decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
- decrease the Total Cholesterol/HDL-Cholesterol Ratio (TC:HDL-C Ratio). The ratio represents the balance between good and bad cholesterol.
If levels of bad cholesterol are too high, they can cause the gradual build-up of cholesterol called plaque on the walls of the blood vessels. Over time, this plaque can build up so much that it narrows the arteries. Narrow arteries can slow or block blood flow to vital organs like the heart and brain. Blocked blood flow can result in a heart attack or stroke. By reducing bad cholesterol levels, pms-ROSUVASTATIN reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke in adults who have risk factors, and reduces their risk of undergoing a serious medical procedure to treat severely blocked arteries due to plaque buildup.
The ingredients in pms-ROSUVASTATIN are:
Medicinal ingredient(s): Rosuvastatin calcium
Non-medicinal ingredients: Colloidal Silicone Dioxide, Crospovidone, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Iron Oxide Red (in 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg), Iron Oxide Yellow (in 5 mg), Lactose, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Titanium Dioxide, and Triacetin.
pms-ROSUVASTATIN comes in the following dosage form:
Tablets: 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg rosuvastatin.
Do not use pms-ROSUVASTATIN if:
- you are allergic to rosuvastatin or any other ingredients in pms-ROSUVASTATIN or its packaging.
- you currently have liver disease or unexplained increases in liver enzymes.
- you are taking cyclosporine (used to suppress your immune system).
- you are taking sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (used to treat hepatitis C infection).
- you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.
Do not use the 40 mg tablet if you:
- are of Asian descent.
have risk factors for muscle problems. This includes if you:
- have had or have a family history of muscular disorders.
- had any past problems with muscles (pain, tenderness) after using statins such as atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin or simvastatin.
- currently take fibrates (such as gemfibrozil, fenofibrate and bezafibrate) or niacin (nicotinic acid) (used to lower fat levels in the blood).
- have thyroid problems.
regularly drink three or more alcoholic drinks daily.
- do excessive physical exercise.
- are above 70 years of age.
- have liver or kidney problems.
- have diabetes accompanied with excess fat build-up in your liver.
- had surgery or other tissue injury.
- have a condition that causes weakness or frailty.
- have any conditions or take any medicines that may increase the level of pms-ROSUVASTATIN in the blood. Talk to your healthcare professional if you are unsure.
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take pms-ROSUVASTATIN. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:
- have taken pms-ROSUVASTATIN or any other cholesterol-lowering medicines in the past.
- have heart problems.
- have high blood sugar or diabetes or are at risk for diabetes.
- have been told that you have genetic variations for the SLCO1B1 and/or ABCG2 genes. This may increase the level of pms-ROSUVASTATIN in the blood.
- have a history of liver problems.
- are of Asian descent.
- have risk factors for muscle problems (see section “Do not use pms-ROSUVASTATIN if” for details). Your healthcare professional will evaluate your medical condition and decide if you should take pms-ROSUVASTATIN 40 mg.
- have or have had myasthenia (a disease with general muscle weakness including the eye muscles and in some cases, muscles used when breathing) as statins may aggravate the condition.
- are pregnant, think you might be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.
Other warnings you should know about:
pms-ROSUVASTATIN can cause serious side effects, including:
- Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar): This may lead to the development of diabetes. Your healthcare professional will monitor your blood sugar level regularly. If you have diabetes, closely monitor your blood sugar while taking pms-ROSUVASTATIN and report any unusual results to your healthcare professional.
Muscle disorders such as:
- Myalgia (muscle pain)
- Rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of damaged muscle)
- Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy (IMNM) (a type of autoimmune disease that causes muscle cell death)
Tell your healthcare professional right away if you have any muscle pain, tenderness, soreness or weakness while taking pms-ROSUVASTATIN.
See the Serious side effects and what to do about them table for more information on these and other serious side effects.
Pregnancy: The use of pms-ROSUVASTATIN during pregnancy is not recommended because it could harm your unborn baby. If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your healthcare professional for advice before taking this medicine.
Breastfeeding: pms-ROSUVASTATIN can pass into breast milk and harm a breastfed baby. Do not breastfeed while taking pms-ROSUVASTATIN. Talk to your healthcare professional about the best way to feed your baby while you are taking pms-ROSUVASTATIN.
Check-ups and testing: Your healthcare professional may do blood tests before you start pms-ROSUVASTATIN and during your treatment. These tests will check:
- the level of CoQ10 (an antioxidant) in your blood.
- the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood.
- that your liver or muscles are working properly.
- the amount of cholesterol and other fats in your blood.
Depending on your test results, your healthcare professional may adjust your dose, temporarily stop or discontinue your treatment with pms-ROSUVASTATIN.
Your healthcare professional may ask you to do a genetic test if you experience side effects while taking pms-ROSUVASTATIN. This test will determine if the side effects you are experiencing are due to your genes. These may affect the way your body processes pms-ROSUVASTATIN.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
Serious drug interactions:
Serious drug interactions with pms-ROSUVASTATIN include:
Do not take pms-ROSUVASTATIN with any of these medicines. Ask your healthcare professional if you are unsure you are taking them. |
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The following may also interact with pms-ROSUVASTATIN:
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How to take pms-ROSUVASTATIN:
Your healthcare professional prescribed this medicine only for you. Do not give your medicine to anyone else because it may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
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Remember to get a new prescription from your healthcare professional or a refill from your pharmacy a few days before all your tablets are taken.
pms-ROSUVASTATIN is just part of the treatment the healthcare professional will plan with you to help keep you healthy. Depending on your health and lifestyle, the healthcare professional may recommend:
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Follow your healthcare professional’s instructions carefully.
Usual dose:
The dose of pms-ROSUVASTATIN prescribed to you will depend on your medical condition and your blood cholesterol level.
To lower blood cholesterol Adults:
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Children and adolescents (10 to less than 18 years of age):
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To lower the risk of heart attack, stroke or undergoing coronary artery vascularization
Adults: The recommended dose is 20 mg once daily.
Overdose:
| If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much pms-ROSUVASTATIN, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, regional poison control centre or Health Canada’s toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) immediately, even if there are no signs or symptoms. |
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Missed dose:
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. But if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your next scheduled dose. Do not take two doses at the same time.
Possible side effects from using pms-ROSUVASTATIN:
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking pms-ROSUVASTATIN. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.
All medicines can cause unwanted side effects. These effects are usually mild and disappear after a short time.
Side effects with pms-ROSUVASTATIN may include:
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pms-ROSUVASTATIN can cause abnormal blood test results. Your healthcare professional will decide when to perform blood tests and will interpret the results.
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking this drug and get immediate medical help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking this drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking this drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking this drug and get immediate medical help | |
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Rare | |||
Allergic reactions: difficulty swallowing or breathing, wheezing; drop in blood pressure; feeling sick to your stomach and throwing up; hives or rash; severe itching; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, blistering of | ✓ | ||
the skin and mucous membranes of the lips, eyes, mouth, nasal passages or genitals, high body temperature and enlarged lymph nodes. | |||
| Liver failure (serious disturbance of liver function): yellow colour to skin, whites of the eyes (jaundice), bleeding easily, swollen abdomen, mental disorientation or confusion, sleepiness, coma. | ✓ | ||
Muscle disorders:
| ✓ | ||
| ✓ | ||
These muscle disorders can be accompanied with fever or feeling unwell. | ✓ | ||
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): upper abdominal pain, fever, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, tenderness when touching the abdomen. | ✓ | ||
| Very rare | |||
| Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver): abdominal pain, fatigue, fever, itchiness, | ✓ | ||
| light-coloured stool, trouble thinking clearly, yellowing of the skin. | |||
| Interstitial lung disease (disease that inflames or scars lung tissue): shortness of breath when at rest that gets worse with exertion, dry cough. | ✓ | ||
| Unknown | |||
Depression (sad mood that won’t go away): trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, changes in appetite or weight, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, regret, helplessness or hopelessness, withdrawal from social situations, family, gatherings and activities with friends, reduced sex drive and thoughts of death or suicide. If you have a history of depression, your depression may become worse. | ✓ | ||
Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar): increased thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, headache, blurred vision and fatigue. | ✓ | ||
Myasthenia gravis (muscle weakness):
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Serious skin reactions: fever, severe rash, swollen lymph glands, blisters and peeling skin that may start in and around the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals and spread to other areas of the body, yellow skin or eyes. | ✓ | ||
| Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets): bruising or bleeding for | ✓ | ||
| longer than usual if you hurt yourself, fatigue and weakness. | |||
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.
Reporting side effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
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NOTE: Contact your healthcare professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.
Storage:
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If you want more information about pms-ROSUVASTATIN:
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Date of Authorization: 2026-10-01
