What You Need To Know About Mevacor (Lovastatin) for Cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol or a known heart condition, your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medication. But there are many cholesterol-lowering medications out there, and you may be wondering which option is right for you. One of the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications is Mevacor, also known as lovastatin. Here we’ll break down what you need to know about Mevacor, including side effects, efficacy, cost, and more. Let’s dive in.
What Is Lovastatin?
Lovastatin is the generic name for the brand Mevacor, which is used to help individuals lower cholesterol. Lovastatin is in the statin class of drugs. Before diving deeper into lovastatin, let’s take a closer look at how statins work.
Common Brand Names
Mevacor is one of the most common brand names of the generic lovastatin. Altoprev is the other common brand name of lovastatin.
How It Works
Lovastatin, or Mevacor, works through the same mechanisms as many statin medications. It blocks an enzyme responsible for producing LDL (“bad” cholesterol) in the liver. This helps to reduce overall LDL levels, lower triglycerides and increase HDL (“good” cholesterol) in the body. This can lower an individual’s risk for heart disease and other cholesterol-related conditions.
Is Mevacor a Statin?
Yes, Mevacor is a statin medication. It is the brand name of the generic lovastatin, which helps block the process of producing cholesterol.
Is This Prescription Effective for Lowering Cholesterol?
Studies show that Mevacor can be effective in lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels in patients. Lovastatin may lower LDL and total cholesterol by as much as 25 to 45% while also helping to increase HDL cholesterol. By lowering LDL levels and total cholesterol, patients taking Mevacor can see a decreased risk for heart attacks, strokes and other heart conditions. Like many statins, Mevacor is often more effective when combined with a heart-healthy diet and other lifestyle changes.
Understanding Your Dosage
Dosage for Mevacor can vary based on your age, health history, cholesterol levels and other medications you may be taking. Typically, the starting dose for Mevacor is 20 mg, though 10 mg may be recommended for lower-level statin intervention. Doses may be up to 60 mg for patients with very high cholesterol. Mevacor is taken once per day, usually with your evening meal. Make sure to take doses as instructed by your doctor and report any side effects or changes you experience. Your doctor may change your dosage if necessary.
What Are the Side Effects?
Patients may experience side effects when taking statin medications like Mevacor. It’s good to keep these side effects in mind so you can report them to your care provider if you experience any. It’s also worth remembering that side effects are often dose-dependent, meaning you may feel fine on lower doses while higher doses cause you to experience side effects. With that in mind, here are some common side effects of Mevacor:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Muscle achiness
- Allergic reactions
- Liver issues
- Muscle damage
- Redness or loosening of the skin
- High blood sugar
Natural Alternatives
Statin medications like Mevacor aren’t always viable options for some individuals. Medical history, side effects and other factors may make it an unsuitable treatment. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives for managing cholesterol. Natural alternatives can be a great solution, and cholesterol management guidelines even instruct doctors to recommend lifestyle changes first unless an individual already has a known heart condition or very high starting cholesterol levels. While natural alternatives should always be discussed with your doctor, following a heart-healthy diet and incorporating more exercise are two of the most common recommendations. Even if you’re taking medication, these lifestyle changes are often recommended to help lower cholesterol levels even further. One great natural solution to help lower cholesterol levels is Step One Foods. Step One Foods are specifically formulated to help those with high cholesterol.
Step One Foods
Step One Foods combines real food ingredients into various snacks and meals to help lower cholesterol levels. These foods are packed with the four top nutrients that have been clinically proven to help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. These ingredients include whole food fiber, plant sterols, Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Science-backed food as medicine
Medication can help lower cholesterol levels, but it may not always be enough. Following a heart-healthy diet, especially one supplemented by science-backed food, can help medications work better and help improve cholesterol levels faster. This means you may get to switch to lower doses of your medication. If your cholesterol is low enough, your doctor may even decide that diet changes and exercise alone are enough to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Step One Foods has been evaluated in a controlled clinical trial at Mayo Clinic and the University of Manitoba. Step One Foods snacks were found, on average, to lower LDL by 9% in 30 days. Many subjects even experienced drops of 20, 30, or close to 40% in LDL levels. Overall, 80% of participants experienced positive outcomes while 95% enjoyed eating the foods.
Just as easy as taking a pill, but WAY tastier.
Step One Foods combines the benefits of key LDL-targeting nutrients with the ease of taking a pill. With Step One Foods, you just enjoy two snacks a day for 30 days and check your LDL levels at your next blood test. Along with being convenient to eat, Step One Foods are designed to be tasty too. After all, eating food should be pleasurable. So it’s even better than taking a pill!
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Mevacor FAQs
The cost of Mevacor can vary depending on your location, insurance coverage, dosage and more. Without insurance, Mevacor can cost upward of $300 for a 60-day supply of 40 mg tablets. Generic lovastatin can be found for much more affordable prices, typically costing around $20 for a 14-day supply. Fortunately, statin medications are typically covered by insurance, and your out-of-pocket cost can be much less depending on your coverage.
Weight gain is not a commonly reported side effect of Mevacor. However, you should report weight gain, especially rapid weight, gain to your healthcare provider when on Mevacor. It’s important to keep your doctor updated about any side effects you’re experiencing.
No, Mevacor is not a blood thinner or beta blocker. Mevacor is in the statin drug class and works by blocking an enzyme in the liver responsible for cholesterol production.
Mevacor is generally considered a safe prescription medication and is often prescribed to individuals with high cholesterol levels. With that being said, this medication may not be right for everyone. Your health care provider can help determine if Mevacor is the right statin for you.
Choose The Step One Foods Solution
When you want to find a natural way to help lower your cholesterol levels, Step One Foods is your solution. With various snacks to choose from, you can enjoy a tasty treat that is also healthy for your heart. Step One Foods delivers the four key nutrients that target the root cause of high cholesterol, and you simply have to incorporate two snacks per day into your diet. Take step one to better health and try Step One Foods for yourself!