| In this article we will be taking a look at the possible | | | | of court. The problem with this particular drugs was it |
| side effects and drug interactions of the cholesterol | | | | worked too well. In other words it dropped cholesterol |
| lowering drug Mevacor, perhaps better known as | | | | levels so dramatically that muscle tissue and cells |
| lovastatin. Mevacor is what is known as a HMG-CoA | | | | started to die flooding the blood stream with waste |
| reductase inhibitor named after the enzyme | | | | cells, ultimately clogging the small passages of the |
| responsible for prompting the liver to produce | | | | kidneys. The condition is called rhabdomyolysis and it |
| cholesterol. Once the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is | | | | can be caused, in rare instances, by other statin |
| blocked the liver produces very little, if any cholesterol. | | | | medications as well. |
| Now the liver is free to remove additional blood | | | | Let’s take a moment to list the Mevacor side |
| cholesterol from the body which in turn lowers LDL | | | | effects listed on the official site: yellowing of the skin |
| (bad cholesterol) levels and other blood lipids. While | | | | and eyes, fatigue, trouble passing urine, redness of the |
| excellent in theory recent revelations about Mevacor | | | | skin, blistering of the skin, muscle cramps, muscle pain, |
| side effects have lead many people to look for natural | | | | joint pain, fever, dark urine skin rash, swelling of the |
| alternatives. | | | | face and lips, swelling of the tongue, itching, and hives. |
| So what is the big fuss? | | | | Mevacor side effects – possible interactions |
| Until 1997 there was very little evidence to suggest | | | | Do not take this drug with: clarithromycin, delavirdine, |
| that there were any serious Mevacor side effects. Of | | | | erythromycin, grapefruit juice, herbal medications like |
| course there were the standard mild side effects | | | | red yeast rice, protease inhibitors used to treat HIV |
| constipation, headache, nausea, flatulence, and | | | | infection, medicines for fungal infections, mibefradil, |
| occasional insomnia but most medical professionals | | | | nefazodone, other medications for high cholesterol, |
| were will to accept this cast of characters in return for | | | | telithromycin, and troleandomycin. What is really |
| the 40 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol over a | | | | amazing is that this only a partial list with Mevacor side |
| short period of time, but then came the Baycol | | | | effects being possible with 15 additional supplements |
| disaster. | | | | and medications including warfarin and St. John’s |
| Baycol was another one of the family of HMG-CoA | | | | wort. There are other label warnings as well so if your |
| inhibitors but for some reason things went terribly | | | | doctor suggests this medication be sure and discuss |
| wrong, and before all was said and done there were | | | | the possible Mevacor side effects and interactions |
| at least 31 deaths and over 3000 lawsuits settled out | | | | before taking the plunge. |