What is the drug lovastatin used for?
Lovastatin is used together with a proper diet to lower cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood. This medicine may also help prevent medical problems (eg, chest pain, heart attack, stroke) caused by fat clogging the blood vessels.
What is generic for Zocor?
Zocor is available as a generic drug called simvastatin. Lipitor is available as a generic drug called atorvastatin. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication.
What is the generic name of lovastatin?
Lovastatin oral tablet is available as a brand-name drug and a generic drug. Brand name: Altoprev. Lovastatin oral tablet comes in two forms: immediate-release tablet and extended-release tablet. Lovastatin is used to prevent and treat coronary heart disease.
What are the side effects of lovastatin?
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking lovastatin:
- Bladder pain.
- bloody or cloudy urine.
- chest tightness.
- dark urine.
- difficult, burning, or painful urination.
- difficulty with moving.
- frequent urge to urinate.
- joint pain or swelling.
Why do statins have to be taken at night?
Many statins work more effectively when they are taken at night. This is because the enzyme which makes the cholesterol is more active at night. Also, the half-life, or the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body, of some statins is short.
How long does it take for lovastatin to lower cholesterol?
Keep taking this medication even if you feel well. Most people with high cholesterol or triglycerides do not feel sick. It is very important to continue to follow your doctor’s advice about diet and exercise. It may take up to 4 weeks before you get the full benefit of this drug.
What is the best statin for the elderly?
Atorvastatin or fluvastatin are usually recommended because there is no need to adjust the dose according to the glomerular filtration rate [28]. In patients without diagnosed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, it is indicated a moderate dose of statin, such as atorvastatin 20 mg daily [28].
Is Zocor the best statin?
Both Lipitor and Zocor are good for lowering LDL, but Zocor is better at increasing HDL and tends to have fewer gastrointestinal side effects, according to one study.
What happens when you stop taking lovastatin?
Key takeaways: If you stop taking your statin medication, like atorvastatin (Lipitor), you could have a higher risk of heart problems, including heart attack and stroke. Your healthcare provider may recommend stopping your statin if you have serious side effects.
What foods to avoid when taking lovastatin?
Avoid eating foods high in fat or cholesterol, or lovastatin will not be as effective. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can raise triglyceride levels and may increase your risk of liver damage. Grapefruit may interact with lovastatin and lead to unwanted side effects.
What foods to avoid while taking statins?
Grapefruit juice is the only food or drink that has a direct interaction with statins. Statins do not directly interact with any food but people taking statins should moderate their intake of saturated fats to help lower their LDL cholesterol and overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
Can I drink coffee while taking statin?
Caffeine is a nonspecific adenosine receptor blocker, and thus drinking CC may block the myocardial protective effects of statins.
Can you get off statins Once you start?
It’s possible for some people to stop taking statins safely, but it can be especially risky for others. For instance, if you have a history of heart attack or stroke, it’s not recommended that you stop taking these drugs. This is because you’re more likely to have another such problem when you discontinue statins.
What should a 70 year old cholesterol be?
40 – 49 mg/dL for men and 50 – 59 mg/dL for women is better. 60 mg/dL and higher is best.
At what age should statins be stopped?
Do not start a statin in patients ages ≥ 75 years who do not have known vascular disease or type 2 diabetes; start or continue a statin in all patients ages 75 to 84 with type 2 diabetes to prevent cardiovascular events and mortality; and start or continue a statin in patients ages > 75 years who have known vascular …
Which statin is the safest?
In relation to renal function, atorvastatin was the safest statin as it resulted in the least number of patients at the end of 2 years of treatment with the new onset of microalbuminuria (10.9%) followed by rosuvastatin (14.3%) and then pravastatin (26.6%).
What is the best statin to lower LDL?
Rosuvastatin and atorvastatin are the best at lowering LDL cholesterol.
What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?
7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins
- Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis.
- Plant stanols and sterols.
- Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins.
- Niacin.
- Policosanol.
- Red yeast rice extract (RYRE)
- Natural products.
Can I take vitamin D with lovastatin?
Interactions between your drugs
No interactions were found between lovastatin and Vitamin D3. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.
What to avoid while taking a statin?
A: While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol foods as part of your overall treatment. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, avoid excess alcohol use, as this may cause serious liver problems.
Do statins make you urinate more?
The study also found that statins were linked to fewer sleep disturbances, but an increase in reports of needing to urinate at night and urinate more frequently, while there were too few reports of cognitive problems to draw any conclusions.
Do most cardiologists take statins?
What a Cardiologist Wants You to Know. About 35 million people take statins in the United States, but research says only 55% of those who are recommended to take a statin are taking one.
Can drinking water reduce cholesterol?
The bad cholesterol is called LDL and the good cholesterol is called HDL. When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.
What is dangerously high cholesterol?
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
Is it OK to stop and start statins?
Do not suddenly stop taking your prescribed medication without talking with your doctor first. If you have side effects from the medication, your doctor might adjust your dosage or recommend a different statin or other combination of medications.