Lescol

Lescol lowers cholesterol. It works better if taken at night. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lescol.

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Pharmacist Beth Bolt, RPh summarizes the uses, common side effects, and warnings for the Statins class of medications
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Pharmacist Beth Bolt, RPh summarizes the uses, common side effects, and warnings for the Statins class of medications

Lescol Overview

Reviewed: August 31, 2012
Updated: 

Lescol is a prescription medication used along with diet and other measures to treat certain types of high cholesterol. It is also used to reduce the risk of needing heart surgery from complications of heart disease. 

Lescol belongs to a group of medications called statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors). It works by decreasing the rate of production of cholesterol in the body.

Lescol is available as a capsule and is taken 1 to 2 times a day, with one dose being in the evening. Lescol can be taken with or without food. Do not open the capsules prior to taking medication. Swallow the capsules whole.
 
Common side effects of Lescol include headache, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

How was your experience with Lescol?

First, a little about yourself

Tell us about yourself in a few words?

What tips would you provide a friend before taking Lescol?

What are you taking Lescol for?

Choose one
  • Other
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Hyperlipoproteinemias
  • Hypertriglyceridemia

How long have you been taking it?

Choose one
  • Less than a week
  • A couple weeks
  • A month or so
  • A few months
  • A year or so
  • Two years or more

How well did Lescol work for you?

Did you experience many side effects while taking this drug?

How likely would you be to recommend Lescol to a friend?

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Lescol Cautionary Labels

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Uses of Lescol

Lescol 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.

Manufacturer

Lescol Drug Class

Lescol is part of the drug class:

Side Effects of Lescol

The most common side effects of Lescol 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: 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. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list.

Lescol Interactions

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

Lescol Precautions

When taking Lescol, 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. 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, and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you take Lescol. 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

Statin medications, including Lescol, 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

Do not take Lescol if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • have liver problems
  • are allergic to Lescol

Lescol has not been studied in children under 9 years of age.

Lescol Food Interactions

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Lescol, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Inform MD

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

Lescol and Pregnancy

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.

Lescol falls into category X. Cholesterol and cholesterol derivatives are needed for fetal development. Lipid lowering drugs are not recommended during pregnancy. 

Lescol and Lactation

Lescol has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Lescol, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Lescol Usage

  • Your doctor will prescribe the medicine that is right for you. Take Lescol exactly as prescribed.
  • Lescol can be taken daily with or without food as a single dose. Sometimes a second dose is required.
  • Do not change your dose or stop Lescol without talking to your doctor. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your cholesterol levels during treatment with Lescol. Your dose of Lescol may be changed based on these blood test results.

Lescol Dosage

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

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

  • other medications you are taking
  • how you respond to this medication
  • your age
  • your renal function

The recommended dose range of Lescol is 20 mg to 80 mg/day.

Lescol Overdose

If you take too much Lescol or overdose, call your doctor or Poison Control Center right away or go to the nearest emergency room.

Other Requirements

  • Store 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 this medication out of the reach of children. Be sure that if you throw medicines away, it is out of the reach of children.