Mevacor is prescribed primarily to lower cholesterol.
Heart
specialists recognize that coronary artery disease is associated with certain
risk factors, including high serum cholesterol, bad LDL cholesterol, elevated
triglycerides and reduced levels of protective HDL cholesterol.
Diet,
exercise and weight control are usually considered important first-line
preventive approaches. When they are insufficient, drugs like Mevacor may be
important in reducing the risk of heart disease. This medication has been found
to increase good HDL cholesterol while lowering triglycerides and certain other
negative blood fats.
Mevacor has relatively few side effects and
most people tolerate it well. Some adverse reactions that may occur include
headache, skin rash, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and stomach
ache.
Less common complications include muscle pain, blurred vision,
dizziness, insomnia, and numbness or tingling of the hands or feet.
Muscle aches or weakness could be a sign of a serious reaction called
rhabdomyolysis or myopathy, and call for a test of kidney function.
Kidney failure might be the outcome of untreated myopathy. Report any
symptoms to your physician promptly.The danger of rhabdomyolysis or myopathy is
increased when Mevacor is combined with certain other drugs.
Troleandomycin or erythromycin antibiotics such as E.E.S., E-Mycin,
Erythrocin or PCE have been involved in several cases.
The new
antibiotics Biaxin and Zithromax belong to the same class of drugs, but it is
not clear if they have a potential for such an interaction.
When Mevacor
is combined with other cholesterol-lowering medicines such as Lopid or niacin be
alert for muscle pain, weakness, and kidney damage, as rhabdomyolysis is more
common in this situation (affecting perhaps 3 or 4 percent of those on Mevacor
and Lopid).
The transplant drug Sandimmune increases the risk of this
dangerous reaction dramatically, with some reports estimating that around 30
percent of patients on this immunosuppressant together with Mevacor experience
myopathy.
Mevacor may also increase the action of the blood thinner
Coumadin, with prolonged prothrombin time.
It's possible that flavonoids
found in the herb Echinacea affect the enzyme (CYP 3A4) responsible for
metabolizing many common drugs. If so, medications such as Mevacor could reach
higher levels in the body.
The herb St. John's wort might speed
elimination of Mevacor from the body, which could reduce its effectiveness.
There is a remote but untested possibility that peppermint could
increase the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Mevacor. These agents
work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG CoA reductase, and menthol has a similar
action.
The herb gotu kola may raise cholesterol levels and should not be
combined with cholesterol-lowering medications such as Mevacor.
Check
with your physician and pharmacist to make sure Mevacor is safe in combination
with any other drugs or herbs you may take.
Anyone with liver problems should probably not take Mevacor.
Liver enzyme changes have been reported in a small proportion of patients using this medicine, and may indicate serious problems.
Liver function should be tested before anyone starts taking Mevacor and every month or so for the first year. Periodic tests are needed thereafter.
Because cholesterol is essential for the developing fetus, pregnant women should not take Mevacor.
Research on animals has also linked Mevacor to liver tumors, but only at relatively high doses. Whether there is a risk for humans remains to be determined.
It is important to see an ophthalmologist before starting on Mevacor. An eye test should also be performed annually to make there is no damage to the lens.
The manufacturer recommends that Mevacor be taken with supper. If you need more than one dose daily, take them with meals.
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