Lovastatin Side Effects: An Introduction
As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with Lovastatin tablets ("lovastatin"). However, not everyone who takes lovastatin will develop problems. In fact, most people tolerate lovastatin well. When side effects do occur, they are usually minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or a healthcare professional. In previous research studies, up to 4.6 percent of people taking lovastatin stopped their medicine because of side effects.
If you develop unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while taking lovastatin, especially if the symptoms are with a fever or you feel ill, it is important to contact your healthcare provider immediately.
(The side effects discussed below are not a complete list of side effects reported with lovastatin. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of lovastatin side effects with you.)
Common Lovastatin Side Effects
Lovastatin has been studied extensively in clinical trials, with thousands of people having been evaluated. In these studies, side effects are always documented and compared to side effects that occur in a similar group of people not taking the medicine. Based on these studies, the most common lovastatin side effects include:
* Gas -- up to 4.5 percent of people
* Constipation -- up to 3.5 percent of people
* Headache -- up to 3.2 percent of people
* Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 3 percent of people (see Mevacor and Muscle Pain)
* Diarrhea -- up to 2.6 percent of people
* Abdominal pain -- up to 2.5 percent of people.
The lovastatin side effects mentioned below also occurred in more than one percent of people, and more often in the group taking lovastatin. These common side effects of lovastatin included, but were not limited to:
* General feeling of weakness, known medically as asthenia
* Indigestion, known medically as dyspepsia
* Nausea
* Muscle cramps
* Dizziness
* Unexplained rash
* Blurred vision.
