What is the dosage and how should it be used?
Lovastatin comes in tablets that should be taken by mouth.
Always take lovastatin exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Take each dose with a full glass of water.
Do not crush or chew the extended-release lovastatin tablets (Altocor®). Swallow them whole, as they are specially formulated to release the medication slowly in the body.
For the greatest effect, lovastatin is usually taken at bedtime or with an evening meal. If you take lovastatin several times daily, take it with meals and follow your doctor's directions.
Your doctor may want to monitor your liver function with blood tests before starting treatment with lovastatin, at six and twelve weeks after both the start of your treatment and any increase in dose, and periodically (every 6 months) thereafter. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with lovastatin. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.
Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. To see beneficial effects from lovastatin, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods.
It is important to take lovastatin regularly to get the most benefit from it.
Do not stop taking lovastatin without first talking to your doctor. Lovastatin may need to be taken on a long-term basis for the treatment of high cholesterol.
Lastly, your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with lovastatin to monitor progress and side effects.
Why is this medication prescribed?
What special precautions should I follow?
What should I do if I forget a dose?
What side effects can this medication cause?