lescol fluvastatin
fluvastatin (FLEW va stah tin)
What is the most important information I should know about Lescol?
• Do not take Lescol without first talking to your doctor if you have liverdisease lescol fluvastatin.
• Alcohol and Lescol can both damage your liver lescol fluvastatin. Discuss with your doctorthe amount of alcohol that you drink so that it can be determined if Lescolis the best choice for lowering your cholesterol lescol fluvastatin.
• Do not take Lescol if you are pregnant, if you are planning a pregnancy,or if you are breast-feeding a baby lescol fluvastatin.
• Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained musclepain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if it is accompanied by a fever, flulikesymptoms, or yellowing of your skin or eyes lescol fluvastatin.
What is Lescol?
• Lescol blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body lescol fluvastatin.
• Lescol is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol and totalcholesterol in your blood lescol fluvastatin. Lescol also reduces the amounts of triglycerides(another type of fat) and apolipoprotein B (a protein needed to make cholesterol)in your blood lescol fluvastatin. These actions are important in reducing the risk of hardeningof the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral vasculardisease lescol fluvastatin.
• Lescol may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide lescol fluvastatin.
Who should not take Lescol?
• Do not take Lescol without first talking to your doctor if you have liverdisease lescol fluvastatin.
• Before taking Lescol, tell your doctor if you
· have kidney disease,
· drink alcoholic beverages,
· have a chronic muscular disease, or
· have a blood disorder lescol fluvastatin.
• You may not be able to take Lescol, or you may require a dosage adjustmentor special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listedabove lescol fluvastatin.
• Lescol is in the FDA pregnancy category X lescol fluvastatin. This means that Lescol willcause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy lescol fluvastatin. Cholesterol is very importantfor the proper development of a baby lescol fluvastatin. Do not take Lescol if you are pregnantor if you are planning a pregnancy lescol fluvastatin.
• Lescol passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant lescol fluvastatin. Do nottake Lescol without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding ababy lescol fluvastatin.
• Lescol has not been approved for use by children younger than 18 yearsof age lescol fluvastatin.
How should I take Lescol?
• Take Lescol exactly as directed by your doctor lescol fluvastatin. If you do not understandthese directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you lescol fluvastatin.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water lescol fluvastatin.
• For the greatest effect, Lescol is usually taken at bedtime or with anevening meal lescol fluvastatin. Lescol may also be taken twice daily lescol fluvastatin. Follow your doctor's directions lescol fluvastatin.
• Do not crush, chew, or break the extended-release tablets (Lescol XL) lescol fluvastatin. Swallow them whole lescol fluvastatin.
• Your doctor will probably want to monitor your liver function with bloodtests before starting treatment with Lescol and at twelve weeks after both thestart of your treatment and any increase in dose lescol fluvastatin. Depending on the results ofthese tests, your doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require lescol fluvastatin.
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet lescol fluvastatin. To realize beneficial effects fromLescol, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods lescol fluvastatin.
• Do not stop taking Lescol without first talking to your doctor lescol fluvastatin. It maybe weeks or months before beneficial effects are seen from Lescol lescol fluvastatin.
• Store Lescol at room temperature away from moisture and heat lescol fluvastatin.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember lescol fluvastatin. However, if it is almosttime for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only your next regularlyscheduled dose lescol fluvastatin. Do not take a double dose of this medication lescol fluvastatin.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention lescol fluvastatin.
• Symptoms of a Lescol overdose include nausea, diarrhea, stomach distress,and indigestion lescol fluvastatin.
What should I avoid while taking Lescol?
• Alcohol and Lescol can both damage your liver lescol fluvastatin. Discuss with your doctorthe amount of alcohol that you drink so that it can be determined if Lescolis the best choice for lowering your cholesterol lescol fluvastatin.
What are the possible side effects of Lescol?
• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop takingLescol and call your doctor immediately:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat;swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
· muscle aches, pain, or weakness;
· "flu-like" symptoms;
· decreased urine or rust-colored urine;
· blurred vision; or
· yellowing of your eyes or skin lescol fluvastatin.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur lescol fluvastatin. Continueto take Lescol and talk to your doctor if you experience
· gas, bloating, nausea, stomach upset, heartburn, abdominal pain, constipation,or diarrhea;
· cough;
· headache; or
· insomnia lescol fluvastatin.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur lescol fluvastatin. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome lescol fluvastatin.
What other drugs will affect Lescol?
• Do not take Lescol without first talking to your doctor if you are takingany of the following medicines:
· cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
· gemfibrozil (Lopid);
· niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Nicotinex, others); or
· clarithromycin (Biaxin);
· erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Ilotycin, Eryc, PCE, Ilosone,others) lescol fluvastatin.
• These medications may interact with Lescol and damage your muscles lescol fluvastatin.
• Before taking Lescol, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the followingmedicines:
· other cholesterol-lowering drugs such as cholestyramine (Questran)or colestipol (Colestid);
· digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps); or
· warfarin (Coumadin) lescol fluvastatin.
• You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatmentif you are taking any of the medicines listed above lescol fluvastatin.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lescol lescol fluvastatin. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines lescol fluvastatin.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Lescol written for healthprofessionals that you may read lescol fluvastatin.
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