Lovastatin

When should one not use Lovastatin

• If you are allergic to lovastatin or any other ingredients of Lovastatin.
• If you have liver disease and your liver tests are abnormal.
• If you are being treated with medicines for fungal infections (itraconazole, ketoconazole), HIV/AIDS (atazanavir, delavirdine), bacterial infections (erythromycin), or depression (nefazodone). If you are not sure what these medicines are, please confirm with your doctor.
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• If you have a condition called myopathy.

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Rashes

Other General Warnings

• You are taking any other medicines for treating any health condition.
• You are elderly (above 70 years of age).
• You have kidney or liver disease.
• You have a thyroid disorder called uncontrolled hypothyroidism.
• You have a personal or familial history of hereditary muscular disorders.
• You have a previous history of muscular toxicity with a statin or fibrate.
• You are known to abuse alcohol.
• You experience muscle pain, weakness, or cramps during treatment with this medicine.
• You experience symptoms like difficulty breathing, dry cough, and deterioration in general health (tiredness, weight loss, and fever).
• You have high blood pressure or diabetes.

How Does It Work?

Interactions with other medicines

• Some medicines can affect the way Lovastatin works, or this medicine itself can reduce the effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time.
• Inform your doctor about all the medicines, supplements, or herbals you are currently taking or might take to avoid any possible interaction.
• The risk of myopathy may be increased when Lovastatin is used together with medicines for treating fungal infections (itraconazole, ketoconazole), bacterial infections (erythromycin), HIV/AIDS (indinavir, delavirdine), and depression (nefazodone), and hence, concomitant use should be avoided.
• Particular care should be taken if you are taking medicines like cyclosporine (used to stop the rejection of organs after a transplant), verapamil (used to treat high blood pressure and control heart-related chest pain), gemfibrozil (used to reduce the amount of cholesterol and other fatty substances), and niacin (used to treat vitamin B deficiency).
• The risk of myopathy and breakdown of muscle tissue is increased by concomitant administration of danazol (used to treat endometriosis), and fusidic acid (used to treat bacterial infections) with Lovastatin.
• When this medicine and coumarin anticoagulants (warfarin) are given concomitantly, blood clotting time may be increased.

Interactions with food items

Overdose

Missed a Dose