Mevacor

Overview

About Mevacor

Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

You should take Mevacor only if pregnancy is highly unlikely. If you become pregnant while taking this drug, discontinue using it and notify your physician immediately. There may be a potential hazard to the developing baby. This medication may appear in breast milk and may have an effect on nursing infants. If this medication is essential to your health, you should discontinue breastfeeding until your treatment with this medication is finished.

Recommended dosage

ADULTS

The recommended starting dose is 20 milligrams once a day, taken with the evening meal. Your doctor may start you at 10 milligrams a day if you need only a small reduction in cholesterol. The maximum recommended dose is 80 milligrams per day, taken as a single dose or divided into smaller doses, as determined by your doctor. Adjustments to any dose, as determined by your doctor, should be made at intervals of 4 weeks or more.

If you are taking cyclosporine, Lopid, Atromid-S, Tricor, or nicotinic acid in combination with Mevacor, your dose of Mevacor should not exceed 20 milligrams per day. If you are taking amiodarone (Cordarone) or verapamil (Calan), your dose of Mevacor should not exceed 40 milligrams a day.

Cholesterol levels should be monitored periodically by your doctor, who may decide to reduce the dose if your cholesterol level falls below the targeted range.

If you have reduced kidney function, your doctor will be cautious about increasing your dosage.

CHILDREN 10 TO 17 YEARS OLD

The recommended dosage is 10 to 40 milligrams per day, taken with meals. Adjustments to any dose, as determined by the doctor, should be made at intervals of 4 weeks or more. Girls must have been menstruating for at least 1 year before starting therapy with Mevacor.

The safety and effectiveness of Mevacor in children under 10 years old or in doses greater than 40 milligrams a day have not been studied.