In persons who have heart disease or are at risk of developing heart disease, lovastatin is used along with diet, weight loss, and exercise to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke and to lower the likelihood that heart surgery may be required. Additionally, lovastatin is used to lower blood levels of fatty compounds including cholesterol and other lipids. A class of drugs known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors includes lovastatin (statins). It functions by reducing the amount of cholesterol that may accumulate on the artery walls and obstruct blood flow to the heart, brain, and other organs of the body. This is done by delaying the body’s creation of cholesterol.

Your heart, brain, and other organs of your body receive less oxygen as a result of the buildup of cholesterol and fats along the artery walls (a condition known as atherosclerosis). Using lovastatin to lower your blood’s cholesterol and fat levels may help you avoid developing heart disease, angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks.

Lovastatin is available as oral tablets and extended-release (long-acting) tablets. The typical dosage of the standard tablet is once or twice day with meals. Typically, one extended-release tablet is given at bedtime each day. Take lovastatin every day at about the same time(s). Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the lovastatin directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not split, chew, or crush the extended-release pills; instead, swallow them whole.

Your physician might begin treating you with a modest dose of lovastatin and gradually raise it, but not more than once every 4 weeks.

Even if you feel good, keep taking lovastatin. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking lovastatin.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking lovastatin,

• If you have an allergy to lovastatin, any other drugs, or any of the substances in lovastatin tablets or extended-release tablets, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your physician if you are using any of the following drugs: drugs that treat fungal infections such itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), posaconazole (Noxafil), and voriconazole (Vfend); boceprevir (Victrelis); clarithromycin (Biaxin); drugs that contain cobicistat (Stribild); erythromycin (E.E.S.,EryC); nefazodone; and some HIV protea (Prezista), telaprevir (Incivek), nelfinavir (Viracept), lopinavir (in Kaletra), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), saquinavir (Invirase), and tipranavir (Aptivus); and telithromycin (Ketek). If you take one or more of these drugs, your doctor will probably advise you not to take lovastatin.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbal items, and prescription and over-the-counter medicines you are now taking or intend to take. Any of the following should be mentioned: Amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), as well as anticoagulants (also known as “blood thinners”) such warfarin (Coumadin), cimetidine (Tagamet), colchicine (Colcrys), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), danazol (Danocrine), and diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, and Tiazac); dronedarone (Multaq), fenofibrate (Tricor), gemfibrozil (Lopid), niacin (nicotinic acid, Niacor, Niaspan), spironolactone (Aldactone), ranolazine (Ranexa), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan) are examples of other cholesterol-lowering drugs. Tell your doctor about all of the medications you are taking, including any that may not appear on this list, as many other drugs may also interact with lovastatin. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• In case you have liver problems, let your doctor know. Even if you do not believe you have liver disease, your doctor will still conduct tests to see how well your liver is functioning. If you have liver illness or if testing indicate that you may be developing liver disease, your doctor will likely advise you not to take lovastatin.
• Inform your doctor if you consume more than two alcoholic beverages per day, are 65 years of age or older, have ever experienced liver disease, have seizures now or in the past, experience low blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or have more than two alcoholic beverages per day.
• If you are pregnant or want to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Pregnancy should not occur when taking lovastatin. Consult your physician about birth control options you can take while undergoing therapy. If you become pregnant while taking lovastatin, notify your doctor right once and stop taking lovastatin. The foetus could suffer from lovastatin.
• While using this medicine, avoid breastfeeding.
• Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking lovastatin if you are having surgery, including dental surgery. Inform the medical professional caring for you that you are taking lovastatin if you are admitted to the hospital due to a major injury or infection.
• Inquire with your doctor if drinking alcohol is okay for you to do so while taking lovastatin. Drinking alcohol can make major side effects more likely.

Consume a diet low in fat and cholesterol. Make sure to abide by all dietary and exercise advice given to you by your physician or nutritionist. For more dietary advice, you can also refer to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) website.

While lovastatin is being used, grapefruit juice should be avoided.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Lovastatin could have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, consult your doctor:

• Constipation
• Loss of memory or forgetting
• Confusion

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Although the following signs are uncommon, if you notice any of them, call your doctor right once or seek emergency assistance:

• Weakness, tenderness, or discomfort in the muscles
• Not enough energy
• Weakness
• Fever
• Urine with a dark colour
• The skin or eyes turning yellow
• Extreme fatigue
• Pain in the upper right portion of the stomach
• Nausea
• Uncommon bruising or bleeding
• Reduced appetite
• Flu-like signs
• Rash
• Hives
• Itching
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Swelling of the lower legs, hands, feet, ankles, or face, neck, tongue, lips, eyes, or mouth
• Hoarseness

Other side effects of lovastatin are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. During your therapy, your doctor could request laboratory tests, particularly if you start to experience symptoms of liver damage.

Inform the lab staff and your doctor that you are taking lovastatin prior to any laboratory test.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.