Mevacor: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
Prior to taking
Mevacor® (
lovastatin), you should tell your healthcare provider if you have:
- Liver disease or liver failure
- Kidney disease or kidney failure
- A genetic condition known as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
- Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Let your healthcare provider know if you:
- Are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Will be undergoing a procedure or surgery
- Drink alcohol frequently.
Also, tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you may be taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Finally, make sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, especially if you also have body aches or a fever.
Specific Mevacor Precautions and Warnings
Some precautions and warnings to be aware of with Mevacor include:
- Mevacor may potentially interact with a number of other medications (see Mevacor Drug Interactions).
- If you are an alcoholic or drink alcohol frequently, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to starting Mevacor. Alcohol can affect the way the liver works, indirectly affecting the Mevacor.
- Statins have been known to cause an increase in liver enzymes, which can occasionally be a sign of liver damage. Therefore, it is recommended that you have a blood test that looks at your liver function before starting Mevacor and several months after treatment has started. These tests may also be recommended if the Mevacor dosage is changed (see Mevacor and Liver Problems).
- Rhabdomyolysis (the severe breakdown of muscles) and other serious muscle problems have rarely been reported with Mevacor and other statins. Make sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, especially if you also have a fever or feel ill (see Mevacor and Muscle Pain for more information).
- Studies suggest that Mevacor may be less effective (and more likely to cause side effects) in people with a genetic condition known as homozygous familiar hypercholesterolemia.
- Mevacor is a pregnancy Category X medicine, meaning that it could potentially cause harm to your unborn child. The safety of Mevacor in pregnant women has not been established. If you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider immediately (see Mevacor and Pregnancy).
- If you are nursing, it is not known whether or not Mevacor passes through your milk. Therefore, if you are taking Mevacor, talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should stop nursing or discontinue Mevacor use.
