Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Lescol XL may harm your unborn baby. If you get pregnant, stop taking Lescol XL and call your doctor right away
Lescol XL (generic: fluvastatin) is a prescription medication used in people with heart disease (coronary artery disease) to lower the chances of heart problems which would require procedures to help restore blood flow to the heart and to slow the buildup of too much cholesterol in the arteries of the heart. Lescol XL is also used to treat high cholesterol and high triglycerides.
Lescol XL is a prescription medication used, together with diet and exercise, in people with heart disease to lower the chance that heart surgery will be required. It is also used to lower high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
- Your doctor will prescribe the medicine that is right for you. Take Lescol XL exactly as prescribed. Do not change your dose or stop Lescol XL without talking to your doctor. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your cholesterol levels during treatment with Lescol XL. Your dose of Lescol XL may be changed based on these blood test results.
- Lescol XL tablets may be taken at any time of the day. Lescol XL can be taken with or without food.
- Lescol XL tablets must be swallowed whole with a liquid. Do not break, crush or chew Lescol XL tablets. Tell your doctor if you cannot swallow tablets whole. You may need Lescol capsules or a different medicine instead of Lescol XL tablets.
- Your doctor should start you on a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet before giving you Lescol XL. Stay on this low-fat and low-cholesterol diet while taking Lescol XL.
- If you miss a dose of Lescol XL, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take Lescol XL if it has been more than 12 hours since your last dose. Wait and take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses of Lescol XL at the same time.
- If you take too much Lescol XL or overdose, call your doctor or Poison Control Center right away. Or, go to the nearest emergency room.
- Talk to your doctor before you start any new medicines. This includes prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Lescol XL and certain other medicines can interact causing serious side effects.
- Do not get pregnant. If you get pregnant, stop taking Lescol or Lescol XL right away and call your doctor.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Lescol XL and certain other medicines can interact causing serious side effects. Especially tell your doctor if you take medicines for:
- your immune system
- cholesterol
- infections
- heart failure
- seizures
- diabetes
- heartburn or stomach ulcers
Know all the medicines you take. Keep a list of all the medicines you take with you to show your doctor and pharmacist.
Before taking Lescol XL, tell your doctor if you:
- have muscle aches or weakness
- drink more than 2 glasses of alcohol daily
- have diabetes
- have a thyroid problem
- have kidney problems
Some medicines should not be taken with Lescol XL. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.
Active Ingredient: fluvastatin sodium
Inactive Ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, potassium bicarbonate, povidone, magnesium stearate, yellow iron oxide, titanium dioxide and polyethylene glycol 8000.
If you take too much Lescol XL or overdose, call your doctor or Poison Control Center right away. Or, go to the nearest emergency room.
When taking Lescol XL, some patients may develop serious side effects, including:
muscle problems. These serious muscle problems can sometimes lead to kidney problems, including kidney failure. You have a higher chance for muscle problems if you are taking certain other medicines with Lescol XL. Call your doctor right away if you have:
- muscle problems like weakness, tenderness, or pain that happen without a good reason, especially if you also have a fever or feel more tired than usual
liver problems. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking Lescol XL, and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you take Lescol XL. Call your doctor right away if you have the following symptoms of liver problems:
- feel tired or weak
- loss of appetite
- upper belly pain
- dark amber colored urine
- yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
The most common side effects of Lescol XL are headache, upset stomach and stomach pain, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, sinus infection, tiredness, or trouble sleeping. These side effects are usually mild and may go away. The following additional side effects have been reported with Lescol XL: memory loss, and confusion.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have side effects that bother you or that will not go away.
These are not all the side effects of Lescol XL. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list.
Statin medications, including Lescol XL, carry a rare but serious risk of:
- liver damage
- memory loss or confusion
- increase in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
- type 2 diabetes
- immune-mediated muscle breakdown
Certain statins can increase risk of muscle weakness as well. It is important to consult your physician to discuss the benefits and risks associated with using this medication.
Do not take Lescol XL if you:
- are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Lescol XL may harm your unborn baby. If you get pregnant, stop taking Lescol XL and call your doctor right away.
- are breastfeeding. Lescol XL can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby.
- have liver problems
- are allergic to Lescol XL or any of its ingredients. The active ingredient Lescol XL is fluvastatin.
Lescol XL has not been studied in children under 9 years of age.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. Lescol XL can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby
- Store Lescol XL at room temperature, 59° to 86° F (15° to 30° C). Protect from light.
- Do not keep medicine that is out of date or that you no longer need.
- Keep Lescol XL out of the reach of children. Be sure that if you throw medicines away, it is out of the reach of children.