What is the maximum dose of lovastatin that can be taken?
Dose Adjustments. Lovastatin doses should not exceed 40 mg orally per day in patients receiving concomitant amiodarone or verapamil therapy. -In patients receiving a course of treatment with a systemic antifungal azole, macrolide antibiotic, or ketolide antibiotic, interruption of lovastatin therapy should be considered.
How common are liver enzymes elevated with lovastatin?
Minor elevations in liver enzymes, i.e., ALT 3 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) occur in 2.6% and 5.0% of patients on lovastatin doses of 20 and 80 mg/day, respectively.
How effective is Lovastatin for treating high cholesterol?
Lovastatin, a potent inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, has been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect in doses ranging from 10 to 80 mg/d. Thus far, however, no large study has been performed to show the effectiveness of low-dose lovastatin (20 mg/d) for more than a 6-week duration.
Should I talk to my doctor about taking lovastatin?
Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. Lovastatin oral tablet is used for long-term treatment. It comes with risks if you don’t take it as prescribed. If you stop taking the drug suddenly or don’t take it at all: Your cholesterol may not be controlled.
How often should I increase my Lovastatin?
Dose Adjustments. Lovastatin-niacin should not be increased by more than 500 mg daily (based on the niacin component) every 4 weeks. In general, in patients receiving lovastatin-niacin and drugs such as cyclosporine, danazol or gemfibrozil, the dose of lovastatin-niacin should not exceed 1000 mg/20 mg.
How much aspirin should I take for liver function?
Flushing of the skin may be reduced by pretreatment with aspirin up to the recommended dose of 325 mg (taken up to approximately 30 minutes prior to the lovastatin-niacin dose).
Can lovastatin cause liver disease?
Lovastatin-niacin should be used with caution in patients who consume substantial quantities of alcohol and/or have a past history of liver disease. Active liver disease of unexplained transaminase elevations are contraindications to the use of lovastatin-niacin .#N#Lovastatin-niacin is contraindicated in patients with active peptic ulcer disease or arterial bleeding.#N#The incidence and severity of myopathy may be increased by concomitant administration of lovastatin-niacin with drugs that can cause myopathy when given alone, such as gemfibrozil and other fibrates and potent inhibitors of CYP450 3A4 (i.e., cyclosporine, antifungal azoles, macrolide antibiotics, HIV protease inhibitors, large amounts of grapefruit juice).#N#Safety and effectiveness have not been established in pediatric patients (less than 18 years of age).
Can you chew lovastatin?
Lovastatin-niacin should be taken at bedtime with a low fat snack. Lovastatin-niacin should be taken whole and should not be broken, crushed, or chewed before swallowing. Coadministration of food, particularly high fat content foods, increases the bioavailability of lovastatin-niacin.
How it works
Lovastatin belongs to a class of drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. These are also called statins. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.
More common side effects
The more common side effects that can occur with use of lovastatin include:
Serious side effects
Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:
Antibiotics
Taking certain antibiotics with lovastatin can cause high levels of lovastatin to build up in your body. This raises your risk of side effects from lovastatin, including serious muscle pain, weakness, and breakdown. These drugs should not be used with lovastatin.
Antifungal drugs
Taking certain antifungal drugs with lovastatin can cause high levels of lovastatin to build up in your body. This raises your risk of side effects from lovastatin, including serious muscle pain, weakness, and breakdown. These drugs should not be used with lovastatin.
HIV drugs
Taking certain HIV drugs with lovastatin can cause high levels of lovastatin to build up in your body. This raises your risk of side effects from lovastatin, including serious muscle pain, weakness, and breakdown. These drugs should not be used with lovastatin.
Blood thinner
Warfarin is a type of blood thinner called an anticoagulant. When warfarin and lovastatin are taken together, this can increase the effects of warfarin. This raises your risk of bleeding. Your doctor should closely monitor your INR (a blood test) if you take warfarin with lovastatin.
Dosing
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
What is targeted therapy for liver cancer?
Targeted Drug Therapy for Liver Cancer. As researchers learn more about the changes in cells that cause cancer, they have been able to develop newer drugs that specifically target these changes. Targeted drugs work differently from standard chemotherapy drugs (which are described in Chemotherapy for Liver Cancer) and often have different side ...
How often is a syringe given for liver cancer?
This drug is given as an infusion into a vein (IV), usually once every 2 weeks.
Does chemo help with liver cancer?
Because standard chemo is not very effective in most patients with liver cancer, doctors are focusing more on using targeted therapies.
Can you take Sorafenib twice a day?
One of these drugs can be used as the first treatment for liver cancer if it cannot be treated by surgery or if it has spread to other organs. Sorafenib is a pill taken twice daily. Lenvatinib is a pill that is taken once a day. Sorafenib may work better in people with liver cancer caused by hepatitis C.
How to treat liver tumors?
As mentioned in Embolization Therapy for Liver Cancer, tumors in the liver can be treated by injecting small radioactive beads into the hepatic artery. The beads then lodge in the liver near the tumor and give off small amounts of radiation that travel only a short distance.
What is liver cancer?
Liver cancer that has spread to other areas such as the brain or bones. People with pain because of large liver cancers. People with a tumor thrombus (a collection of liver cancer cells) blocking the portal vein.
How long does it take for liver cancer to go away?
A more serious side effect of radiation therapy to the liver is radiation-induced liver disease (RILD). It commonly happens 3 to 4 months after treatment and usually only lasts a set time, but can be fatal in some instances.
How long does radiation therapy last?
Getting radiation therapy is much like getting an x-ray, but the radiation is stronger. The procedure itself is painless. Each treatment lasts only a few minutes, although the setup time – getting you into place for treatment – usually takes longer. Most often, EBRT treatments are small doses of radiation given 5 days a week for several weeks.