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Lovastatin is used with diet changes (restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of cholesterol and certain fatty substances in the blood. Lovastatin 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 fats along the walls of the blood vessels (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 fats may help to prevent heart disease, angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks.
Lovastatin comes as a tablet and an extended-release (long-acting) tablet to take by mouth. The regular tablet is usually taken once or twice a day with meals. The extended-release tablet is usually taken once a day in the evening at bedtime. To help you remember to take Lovastatin, take it around the same time 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 Lovastatin 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 Lovastatin and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 4 weeks. Continue to take Lovastatin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Lovastatin without talking to your doctor. |