Overview
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.
Side Effects and Interactions
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.
Special Precautions
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.
Taking the Medicine
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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