Recommended dosage Mevacor

Consumer Information (PDR)

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.

Consumer Information (Cerner Multum)

Use this medicine only as directed by your doctor . Do not use more or less of it, and do not use it more often or for a longer time than your doctor ordered.

Remember that this medicine will not cure your condition but it does help control it. Therefore, you must continue to take it as directed if you expect to keep your cholesterol levels down.

Follow carefully the special diet your doctor gave you . This is the most important part of controlling your condition, and is necessary if the medicine is to work properly.

For patients taking atorvastatin and simvastatin :

• Do not take these medicines with large amounts of grapefruit juice

For patients taking lovastatin :

• For extended-release tablets: This medicine works better when it is taken at bedtime. The extended-release tablets should be swallowed whole. They should not be chewed, crushed, or cut.
• For tablets: This medicine works better when it is taken with food. If you are taking this medicine once a day, take it with the evening meal. If you are taking more than one dose a day, take each dose with a meal or snack.

Dosing—The dose of these medicines will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label . The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of capsules or tablets that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.

• For atorvastatin
• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For high cholesterol:
    • Adults—10 to 80 milligrams (mg) once a day.
    • Children 10 to 17 years of age—10 to 20 milligrams (mg) once a day.
    • Childrenyounger than 10 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

• For cerivastatin
• For oral dosage form :

  Note:

  Removed from the market by Bayer in August 2001

• For fluvastatin
• For oral dosage form (capsules):
  • For high cholesterol:
    • Adults—20 to 40 milligrams (mg) once a day in the evening.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

• For lovastatin
• For oral dosage form (extended-release tablets):
  • For high cholesterol:
    • Adults—10 to 60 milligrams (mg) once a day at bedtime.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For high cholesterol:
    • Adults— 20 to 80 milligrams (mg) a day taken as a single dose or divided into smaller doses. Take with evening meals.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

• For pravastatin
• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For high cholesterol:
    • Adults—10 to 40 mg once a day at bedtime.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

• For simvastatin
• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For high cholesterol:
    • Adults—5 to 80 mg a day.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose—If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage—To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Keep the medicine from freezing. Do not refrigerate.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.