General Information and Indications:
Lovastatin is used with diet changes
(restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of
cholesterol and certain fatty substances in the blood. Lovastatin is in a
class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works
by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body. Buildup of cholesterol
and fats along the walls of the blood vessels (a process known as
atherosclerosis) decreases blood flow and, therefore, the oxygen supply to
the heart, brain, and other parts of the body. Lowering blood levels of
cholesterol and fats may help to prevent heart disease, angina (chest pain),
strokes, and heart attacks.
Information For Users:
Lovastatin comes as a tablet and an extended-release
(long-acting) tablet to take by mouth. The regular tablet is usually taken
once or twice a day with meals. The extended-release tablet is usually taken
once a day in the evening at bedtime. To help you remember to take
lovastatin, take it around the same time every day. Follow the directions on
your prescription label, ask your doctor or pharmacist If you have any
questions. Take lovastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of
it or take it more often than prescribed by your health care provider.
Swallow the extended-release tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush
them.
Your doctor might start you on a low dose of lovastatin and slowly increase
your dose, not more than once every 4 weeks.
Continue taking lovastatin even if you feel well. Do not discontinue taking
lovastatin without informing your doctor.
Other uses for this medicine
special precautions:
o Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have
allergy to lovastatin or any other medications.
o Inform your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription
medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are
taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: anticoagulants ('blood
thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); antifungal medications such as
itraconazole (Sporanox) and ketoconazole (Nizoral); cimetidine (Tagamet);
clarithromycin (Biaxin); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); HIV
protease inhibitors such as indinavir (Crixivan) and ritonavir (Norvir);
medications that suppress the immune system such as cyclosporine (Neoral,
Sandimmune); nefazodone (Serzone); other cholesterol-lowering medications
such as fenofibrate (Tricor), gemfibrozil (Lopid), and niacin (nicotinic
acid, Niacor, Niaspan); spironolactone (Aldactone); and verapamil (Calan,
Covera, Isoptin, Verelan). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your
medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
o Inform your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol and if you have
or have ever had liver or kidney disease.
o Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are
breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking lovastatin, stop taking
lovastatin and call your doctor without delay. Lovastatin may harm the
fetus.
o if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, Inform your doctor or
dentist that you are taking lovastatin.
o if you have a severe infection, surgery, an injury, low blood pressure, or
seizures while taking lovastatin, talk to your doctor about stopping the
medication for a while.
Avoid drinking large amounts of grapefruit juice (more than 1 quart every
day) while taking lovastatin.
Eat a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. This kind of diet includes cottage
cheese, fat-free milk, fish (not canned in oil), vegetables, poultry, egg
whites, and polyunsaturated oils and margarines (corn, safflower, canola,
and soybean oils). Avoid foods with excess fat in them such as meat
(especially liver and fatty meat), egg yolks, whole milk, cream, butter,
shortening, lard, pastries, cakes, cookies, gravy, peanut butter, chocolate,
olives, potato chips, coconut, cheese (other than cottage cheese), coconut
oil, palm oil, and fried foods.
Possible Adverse
Effects:
Lovastatin may cause adverse effects. Inform
your doctor if this symptom is severe or does not go away:
o constipation
Some adverse effects could be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon,
but if you experience any of them, call your doctor without delay:
o muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness
o lack of energy or fever
o yellowing of the skin or eyes, jaundice
Brand Name(s):
o Advicor®
o Altoprev®
o Mevacor® |
