Altoprev Side Effects

Most people who take Altoprev do not develop side effects. When side effects do occur, they are usually minor, requiring little or no treatment by you or your healthcare provider. Common Altoprev side effects include headache, joint pain, muscle pain, diarrhea, and dizziness. Side effects that should be reported immediately to your healthcare professional include unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. Among the rare side effects of Altoprev are leg pain, insomnia, hair loss, and vomiting.

 

Altoprev Side Effects: An Introduction

As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with Altoprev® (lovastatin extended-release); but not everyone who takes Altoprev will have side effects. In fact, most people tolerate Altoprev well. When side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor, meaning they require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider. In previous research studies, up to 3 percent of people taking Altoprev stopped their medicine because of side effects.
 
When people taking Altoprev experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness -- especially if they have a fever or feel ill -- it is important that they contact their healthcare provider immediately.
 
(The side effects discussed below are not a complete list of side effects reported with Altoprev. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Altoprev side effects with you.)
 

Common Side Effects of Altoprev

Altoprev has been studied extensively in clinical trials evaluating thousands of people.
 In these studies, side effects are always documented and compared to side effects that occur in a similar group of people not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
 
Based on these studies, the most common side effects of Altoprev include:
 
  • Headache -- up to 7 percent of people
  • Joint pain -- up to 5 percent (see Altoprev and Joint Pain)
  • Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 3 percent of people -- (see Altoprev and Muscle Pain)
  • Inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis) -- up to 4 percent
  • Diarrhea -- up to 3 percent of people
  • Dizziness -- up to 2 percent of people.
     
The side effects mentioned below also occurred in more than 1 percent of people and more often in the group taking Altoprev. These common side effects included, but were not limited to:
 
  • Nausea
  • Indigestion, known medically as dyspepsia
  • General feeling of weakness, known medically as asthenia
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI).
     
(Altoprev Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;