lescol lescal
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 lescal.
• Alcohol and Lescol can both damage your liver lescol lescal. 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 lescal.
• Do not take Lescol if you are pregnant, if you are planning a pregnancy,or if you are breast-feeding a baby lescol lescal.
• 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 lescal.
What is Lescol?
• Lescol blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body lescol lescal.
• Lescol is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol and totalcholesterol in your blood lescol lescal. Lescol also reduces the amounts of triglycerides(another type of fat) and apolipoprotein B (a protein needed to make cholesterol)in your blood lescol lescal. These actions are important in reducing the risk of hardeningof the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral vasculardisease lescol lescal.
• Lescol may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide lescol lescal.
Who should not take Lescol?
• Do not take Lescol without first talking to your doctor if you have liverdisease lescol lescal.
• 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 lescal.
• 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 lescal.
• Lescol is in the FDA pregnancy category X lescol lescal. This means that Lescol willcause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy lescol lescal. Cholesterol is very importantfor the proper development of a baby lescol lescal. Do not take Lescol if you are pregnantor if you are planning a pregnancy lescol lescal.
• Lescol passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant lescol lescal. Do nottake Lescol without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding ababy lescol lescal.
• Lescol has not been approved for use by children younger than 18 yearsof age lescol lescal.
How should I take Lescol?
• Take Lescol exactly as directed by your doctor lescol lescal. If you do not understandthese directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you lescol lescal.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water lescol lescal.
• For the greatest effect, Lescol is usually taken at bedtime or with anevening meal lescol lescal. Lescol may also be taken twice daily lescol lescal. Follow your doctor's directions lescol lescal.
• Do not crush, chew, or break the extended-release tablets (Lescol XL) lescol lescal. Swallow them whole lescol lescal.
• 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 lescal. Depending on the results ofthese tests, your doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require lescol lescal.
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet lescol lescal. To realize beneficial effects fromLescol, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods lescol lescal.
• Do not stop taking Lescol without first talking to your doctor lescol lescal. It maybe weeks or months before beneficial effects are seen from Lescol lescol lescal.
• Store Lescol at room temperature away from moisture and heat lescol lescal.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember lescol lescal. However, if it is almosttime for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only your next regularlyscheduled dose lescol lescal. Do not take a double dose of this medication lescol lescal.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention lescol lescal.
• Symptoms of a Lescol overdose include nausea, diarrhea, stomach distress,and indigestion lescol lescal.
What should I avoid while taking Lescol?
• Alcohol and Lescol can both damage your liver lescol lescal. 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 lescal.
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 lescal.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur lescol lescal. 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 lescal.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur lescol lescal. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome lescol lescal.
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 lescal.
• These medications may interact with Lescol and damage your muscles lescol lescal.
• 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 lescal.
• You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatmentif you are taking any of the medicines listed above lescol lescal.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lescol lescol lescal. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines lescol lescal.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Lescol written for healthprofessionals that you may read lescol lescal.
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