How long does it take ?

[Paul02]

Hello
Can you tell me how long it takes for statins to leave the bloodstream or body once you stop taking them. I don't mean how long some people think they are still being affected by statin use , but medically how long before it is no longer in the system.
Thanks Paul

[sos_group_owner]

Hello Paul,

Lipitor plasma half-life 14 hrs, Cmax @1-2 hrs, but "the half-life of inhibitory activity for HMG-CoA reductase is 20-30 hours due to the contribution of active metabolites."
[http://www.pfizer.com/download/uspi_lipitor.pdf]

From a second source...
Lipitor Excretion:

Atorvastatin is primarily eliminated via hepatic biliary excretion with less than 2% of atorvastatin recovered in the urine. Bile elimination follows hepatic and/or extra-hepatic metabolism. There does not appear to be any entero-hepatic recirculation. Atorvastatin has an approximate elimination half-life (t1/2) of 14 hours. Noteworthy, the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity appears to have a half-life of 20-30 hours, which is thought to be due to the active metabolites.[2] Atorvastatin is also a substrate of intestinal P-glycoprotein efflux transporter, which pumps the drug back into the intestinal lumen during drug absorption.[3]

*http://www.smbrower.com/mediawiki/index.php/Atorvastatin

Fran

[Paul02]

Thanks Fran