altocor
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. 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. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems altocor.
• Do not take Altocor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease altocor.
• Alcohol and Altocor can both be damaging to the liver altocor. Alcohol shouldbe used only in moderation altocor. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so thatthe potential for liver problems can be determined altocor.
• Do not take Altocor if you are pregnant, could become pregnant duringtreatment, or if you are breast-feeding a baby altocor.
What is Altocor?
• Altocor is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor altocor. Altocor blocks the productionof cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body altocor.
• Altocor is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol and totalcholesterol in the blood altocor. 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.
• Altocor may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide altocor.
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Altocor is in the FDA pregnancy category X altocor. This means that Altocor isknown to cause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy altocor. Do not take Altocorif you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment altocor.
• It is not known whether Altocor passes into breast milk altocor. Do not takeAltocor without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby altocor.
How should I take Altocor?
• Take Altocor exactly as directed by your doctor altocor. If you do not understandthese directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you altocor.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water altocor.
• Do not crush or chew the extended-release Altocor tablets (Altocor) altocor. Swallow them whole altocor. They are specially formulated to release the medicationslowly in the body altocor.
• For the greatest effect, Altocor is usually taken at bedtime or withan evening meal altocor. If you take Altocor several times daily, take it with meals altocor. Follow your doctor's directions altocor.
• 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. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor candetermine how much monitoring you will require altocor.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Altocor altocor. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects altocor. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor altocor. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor altocor.
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet altocor. To see beneficial effects from Altocor,avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods altocor.
• It is important to take Altocor regularly to get the most benefit altocor.
• Do not stop taking Altocor without first talking to your doctor altocor. Altocormay need to be taken on a long-term basis for the treatment of high cholesterol altocor.
• Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluationsduring treatment with Altocor to monitor progress and side effects altocor.
• Store Altocor at room temperature away from moisture and heat altocor.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember altocor. However, if it is almosttime for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularlyscheduled dose altocor. Do not take a double dose of this medication altocor.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected altocor.
• Symptoms of a Altocor overdose include nausea, diarrhea, stomach distress,and indigestion altocor.
What should I avoid while taking Altocor?
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Altocor altocor. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects altocor. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor altocor. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor altocor.
• Alcohol and Altocor can both be damaging to the liver altocor. Alcohol shouldbe used only in moderation altocor. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so thatthe potential for liver problems can be determined altocor.
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. 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. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems altocor.
• 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.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur altocor. 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.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur altocor. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome altocor.
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.
• 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.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Altocor altocor. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products altocor.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Altocor written forhealth professionals that you may read altocor.
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