altocor warning
lovastatin (LOE va stah tin)
Altocor, Mevacor
What is the most important information I should know about Altocor?
• Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been associatedwith the use of Altocor and other similar medicines altocor warning. Contact your doctor immediatelyif you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especiallyif accompanied by a fever or flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes,abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools altocor warning. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems altocor warning.
• Do not take Altocor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease altocor warning.
• Alcohol and Altocor can both be damaging to the liver altocor warning. Alcohol shouldbe used only in moderation altocor warning. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so thatthe potential for liver problems can be determined altocor warning.
• Do not take Altocor if you are pregnant, could become pregnant duringtreatment, or if you are breast-feeding a baby altocor warning.
What is Altocor?
• Altocor is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor altocor warning. Altocor blocks the productionof cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body altocor warning.
• Altocor is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol and totalcholesterol in the blood altocor warning. These actions are important in the prevention of heartdisease and hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack, stroke,and peripheral vascular disease altocor warning.
• Altocor may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide altocor warning.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Altocor?
• Do not take Altocor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease altocor warning.
• Before taking Altocor, tell your doctor if you
· have kidney disease,
· drink alcoholic beverages,
· have a chronic muscular disease, or
· have a blood disorder altocor warning.
• You may not be able to take Altocor, or you may require a dosage adjustmentor special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listedabove altocor warning.
• Altocor is in the FDA pregnancy category X altocor warning. This means that Altocor isknown to cause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy altocor warning. Do not take Altocorif you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment altocor warning.
• It is not known whether Altocor passes into breast milk altocor warning. Do not takeAltocor without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby altocor warning.
How should I take Altocor?
• Take Altocor exactly as directed by your doctor altocor warning. If you do not understandthese directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you altocor warning.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water altocor warning.
• Do not crush or chew the extended-release Altocor tablets (Altocor) altocor warning. Swallow them whole altocor warning. They are specially formulated to release the medicationslowly in the body altocor warning.
• For the greatest effect, Altocor is usually taken at bedtime or withan evening meal altocor warning. If you take Altocor several times daily, take it with meals altocor warning. Follow your doctor's directions altocor warning.
• Your doctor may want to monitor your liver function with blood testsbefore starting treatment with Altocor, at six and twelve weeks after both thestart of your treatment and any increase in dose, and periodically (every 6months) thereafter altocor warning. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor candetermine how much monitoring you will require altocor warning.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Altocor altocor warning. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects altocor warning. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor altocor warning. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor altocor warning.
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet altocor warning. To see beneficial effects from Altocor,avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods altocor warning.
• It is important to take Altocor regularly to get the most benefit altocor warning.
• Do not stop taking Altocor without first talking to your doctor altocor warning. Altocormay need to be taken on a long-term basis for the treatment of high cholesterol altocor warning.
• Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluationsduring treatment with Altocor to monitor progress and side effects altocor warning.
• Store Altocor at room temperature away from moisture and heat altocor warning.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember altocor warning. However, if it is almosttime for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularlyscheduled dose altocor warning. Do not take a double dose of this medication altocor warning.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected altocor warning.
• Symptoms of a Altocor overdose include nausea, diarrhea, stomach distress,and indigestion altocor warning.
What should I avoid while taking Altocor?
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Altocor altocor warning. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects altocor warning. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor altocor warning. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor altocor warning.
• Alcohol and Altocor can both be damaging to the liver altocor warning. Alcohol shouldbe used only in moderation altocor warning. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so thatthe potential for liver problems can be determined altocor warning.
What are the possible side effects of Altocor?
• Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been associatedwith the use of Altocor and other similar medicines altocor warning. Contact your doctor immediatelyif you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especiallyif accompanied by a fever or flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes,abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools altocor warning. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems altocor warning.
• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop takingAltocor and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
· decreased urine or rust-colored urine; or
· blurred vision altocor warning.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur altocor warning. Continueto take Altocor and talk to your doctor if you experience
· gas, bloating, nausea, stomach upset, heartburn, abdominal pain, constipation,or diarrhea;
· cough;
· headache; or
· insomnia altocor warning.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur altocor warning. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome altocor warning.
What other drugs will affect Altocor?
• Do not take Altocor without first talking to your doctor if you are takingany of the following medicines:
· cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
· gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), or fenofibrate (Tricor);
· niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others);
· erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin);
· cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);
· an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole(Diflucan), or ketoconazole (Nizoral);
· nefazodone (Serzone);
· warfarin (Coumadin); or
· a protease inhibitor such as amprenavir (Agenerase), indinavir (Crixivan),nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), lopinavir-ritonavir (Kaletra), orsaquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase) altocor warning.
• You may not be able to take Altocor, or you may require a dosage adjustmentor special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicineslisted above altocor warning.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Altocor altocor warning. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products altocor warning.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Altocor written forhealth professionals that you may read altocor warning.
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