Fluvastatin (patient information)

Why this medication is prescribed

Fluvastatin is used together with lifestyle changes (diet, weight-loss, exercise) to reduce the amount of cholesterol (a fat-like substance) and certain other fatty substances in the blood. Fluvastatin is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body.

Buildup of cholesterol and other fats along the walls of the arteries (a process known as atherosclerosis) decreases blood flow and, therefore, the oxygen supply to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body. Lowering blood levels of cholesterol and other fats may help to decrease your chances of getting heart disease, angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks. In addition to taking a cholesterol-lowering medication, making certain changes in your daily habits can also lower your cholesterol blood levels. You should eat a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol (see SPECIAL DIETARY), exercise 30 minutes on most, if not all days, and lose weight if you are overweight.

How this medication should be used

Fluvastatin comes as a capsule and an extended-release (long-acting) tablet to take by mouth. The capsule is usually taken with or without food once a day at bedtime or twice a day. The extended-release tablet is usually taken once a day at bedtime with or without food. Take fluvastatin at around the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take fluvastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Swallow the extended-release tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them.

Your doctor may start you on a low dose of fluvastatin and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 4 weeks.

Continue to take fluvastatin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking fluvastatin without talking to your doctor.

Other uses for this medicine

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Special precautions

Before taking fluvastatin:

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to fluvastatin or any other medications. *tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin; cimetidine (Tagamet); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren); digoxin (Lanoxin); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase); ketoconazole (Nizoral); omeprazole (Prilosec); other cholesterol-lowering medications such as fenofibrate (Tricor) and gemfibrozil (Lopid); phenytoin (Dilantin); ranitidine (Zantac); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane); and spironolactone (Aldactone). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
if you are taking cholestyramine (Questran), take it at least 4 hours before fluvastatin.
tell your doctor if you have liver disease. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take fluvastatin.
tell your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol and if you have ever had liver or have or ever had diabetes or thyroid or kidney disease.
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking fluvastatin, stop taking fluvastatin and call your doctor immediately. Fluvastatin may harm the fetus.
Do not breastfeed while you are taking this medication.
if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking fluvastatin.
ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking fluvastatin. *Alcohol can increase the risk of serious side effects.

Special dietary instructions

Eat a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. This kind of diet includes cottage cheese, fat-free milk, fish (not canned in oil), vegetables, poultry, egg whites, and polyunsaturated oils and margarines (corn, safflower, canola, and soybean oils). Avoid foods with excess fat in them such as meat (especially liver and fatty meat), egg yolks, whole milk, cream, butter, shortening, lard, pastries, cakes, cookies, gravy, peanut butter, chocolate, olives, potato chips, coconut, cheese (other than cottage cheese), coconut oil, palm oil, and fried foods.

What to do if you forget a dose

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it has been more than 12 hours since your last dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Side Effects

Minor Side Effects

Fluvastatin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

headache
heartburn
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
sinus pain
cough

Severe Side Effects

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness
lack of energy
fever
yellowing of the skin or eyes
pain in the upper right part of the stomach
nausea
extreme tiredness
unusual bleeding or bruising
loss of appetite
flu-like symptoms
rash
hives
itching
difficulty breathing or swallowing
swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

hoarseness

pain during urination
frequent urge to urinate

Fluvastatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Storage conditions needed for this medication

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Other information

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests before and during your treatment to check your body's response to fluvastatin.

Before having any laboratory test, tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking fluvastatin.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

Brand names

Lescol®
Lescol® XL