Negative Effects of Lovastatin
Lovastatin is a generic oral prescription medication known as a statin drug. Like others in its class, lovastatin acts directly on your liver, preventing it from producing a fatty substance known as cholesterol. Because high levels of cholesterol in their bloodstream may develop clogging of the blood vessels that lead to the heart, lovastatin helps decrease the risk of heart disease in patients with too much cholesterol in their bodies. But despite these benefits, lovastatin poses a risk for side effects.
Gastrointestinal
Gastrointestinal side effects occur in as many as 4.3 percent of patients who take lovastatin, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The most common gastrointestinal side effects caused by the drug include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence and nausea. Rarely, patients experience loss of appetite or vomiting.
Musculoskeletal
Approximately 2.2 to 3.0 percent of patients who take lovastatin report muscle pains, with the side effect most common at higher doses, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Muscle cramps and joint pain also occur with use of the drug, but are more rare.
Neurological
Headaches, dizziness and blurred vision are common neurological side effects of lovastatin, occurring in more than 1 percent of users as reported by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Less common side effects include insomnia, tingling in your extremities, changes in taste, tremors, nerve pain, forgetfulness and anxiety. Lovastatin may also contribute to the formation of cataracts.
Dermatological
Dermatological side effects from lovastatin occur in less than one percent of patients and include rashes, hair loss, discoloration and dryness, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Infrequently, use of the drug causes potentially-life threatening skin reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Lovastatin also has the potential to make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Hypersensitivity
Rarely, use of lovastatin results in potentially fatal allergic reactions, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. In some cases, this causes anaphylaxis, an immune system response that produces shortness of breath, chest pain and hives and may lead to shock. Other patients report angioedema or severe swelling of the face, extremities or throat.
Hematological
Another potential, but rare side effect of lovastatin is shortages of certain blood vessels, explains the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Possible effects include thrombocytopenia, a deficiency of the platelets that help blood clot; leukopenia, a deficiency of disease-fighting white blood cells; and hemolytic anemia, a deficiency of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Hepatic
Lovastatin causes liver inflammation, dysfunction and even failure in some patients. Liver problems from the drug are most common in patients with a history of alcohol abuse, liver disease like cirrhosis or hepatitis or consistently high liver enzymes, explains the Mayo Clinic.
Rhabdomyolysis
A rare, life-threatening risk of lovastatin is that of rhabdomyolysis, a condition that occurs when your muscles break down into fibers that damage your kidneys. Patients being treated with certain anti-fungal, antibiotic, HIV and antidepressant medications are more susceptible to this side effect than others, warns the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Pregnancy
Lovastatin has the potential to cause fetal abnormalities and is generally not prescribed for use by pregnant women, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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