Livalo

Livalo is a prescription medication used to treat and prevent disease of the heart and blood vessels by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. It belongs to a class of drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, also known as statins. Statins work by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body so that it does not build up in the arteries. 

Livalo comes in tablet form and is usually taken once a day, with or without food.

Common side effects of Livalo include back pain, muscle pain, diarrhea, and constipation.

Livalo is used to treat high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and disease of the heart and blood vessels. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with Livalo. See the Drug Precautions section.

Common side effects include:

• muscle pain
• backache
• diarrhea
• constipation
• pain in the extremities

This is not a complete list of Livalo side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medications you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf)
• erythromycin (EES, Erythrocin)
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• gemfibrozil (Lopid) 
• fenobrate (Tricor, Trilipix, Antara, Fenoglide)
• niacin (Niaspan)
• warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)

This is not a complete list of drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Livalo including the following:

• myopathy/rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down, releasing proteins into the blood that can damage other organs, especially the kidney. The risk increases with higher doses. Tell your healthcare provider right away about any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness.
• changes in liver enzymes. Your doctor will probably order a blood test to measure liver function before you start taking Livalo. 

Do not take Livalo if you:

• are allergic to Livalo 
• have liver disease
• are pregnant or nursing
• are taking cyclosporine

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Livalo and lead to potentially dangerous side effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor.

Before taking Livalo, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to any medications including Livalo 
• have liver disease
• have severe kidney disease
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medications you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Livalo falls into category X. It has been shown that women taking Livalo during pregnancy may have babies born with problems. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known whether Livalo can pass into human milk. However, it has been shown that a small amount of another drug in this class passes into human milk. Rat studies have shown that Livalo passes into breast milk. Since Livalo  has the potential to cause serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, this medication is contraindicated in nursing mothers.

Take Livalo exactly as prescribed.

Livalo comes in tablet form and is usually given once a day. Livalo can be taken with or without food.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Livalo at the same time.

Take Livalo exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The Livalo dose your doctor recommends will be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you may have such as kidney or liver disease
• how you respond to this medication
• other medications you may be taking

The recommended dose of Livalo for the treatment of high cholesterol or high triglycerides is 1 mg to 4 mg once daily.

If you take too much Livalo , call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Livalo at room temperature between 59˚ and 86 ˚F.
• Protect from light. 
• Keep Livalo and all medicines out of the reach of children.