Precautions and Warnings With Fenofibrate

Before starting any prescription medication, you should review all relevant precautions and warnings. With fenofibrate, it's important to know that certain people should not take the medicine, including those who are allergic to the drug, those with severe kidney or liver disease, or those who have allbladder disease. Precautions and warnings with fenofibrate extend to potential side effects, such as increased liver enzymes, serious muscle problems, or increased risk of gallstones.

 

Fenofibrate: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

Prior to taking fenofibrate (Triglide™, Tricor®, Antara™, or Lofibra®), you should talk to your healthcare provider if you have:
 
  • Diabetes
  • Gallbladder disease or gallstones
  • Heart disease
  • Kidney disease or kidney failure
  • Liver disease or liver failure
  • Thyroid gland problems
  • An allergy to fenofibrate or to any other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives.
     
It is also important to let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
  • Pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant
  • Breastfeeding
  • A frequent user of alcoholic beverages.
     
Tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are currently taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Fenofibrate

Some precautions and warnings to be aware while taking fenofibrate include:
 
 
  • If you are over the age of 65 or have kidney problems, your healthcare provider may choose to start you at a lower dose than normal.
     
  • Fenofibrate can interact with certain medications (see Drug Interactions with Fenofibrate).
     
  • Fenofibrate has been known to cause an increase in liver enzymes. Therefore, it is recommended that you have a blood test that looks at your liver function before starting fenofibrate and then again several months after treatment has started. These tests may also be recommended if the fenofibrate dosage is changed (see Tricor and Liver Problems).
     
  • Fenofibrate can increase the cholesterol content in the bile, leading to gallstones. Your healthcare provider may decide to have you stop taking fenofibrate if gallstones are found in your body.
     
  • Fenofibrate has been associated with the rare but serious condition known as rhabdomyolysis (severe breakdown of muscles). Your risk increases if you are elderly, have kidney disease, or are not being properly treated for hypothyroidism. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you experience any muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if they are accompanied by unexplained tiredness or fever (see Tricor and Muscle Pain).
     
  • Fenofibrate has been shown to cause a decrease in certain blood cells at the beginning of therapy. Your healthcare provider may decide to monitor your blood counts more closely during the first 12 months of your treatment.
     
  • Fenofibrate is considered a pregnancy Category C medicine. This means it has not been studied in pregnant women. However, when studied in animals, it did produce a negative effect on the fetus. If you are pregnant, you should only take fenofibrate if the benefit outweighs the possible risk to your unborn child. If you become pregnant while taking fenofibrate, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
     
  • If you are nursing, it is not known whether fenofibrate passes through your milk. However, it has been shown to increase the risk of tumors in nursing animals. Therefore, if you are nursing and taking fenofibrate, you should either stop nursing or discontinue the fenofibrate. This decision will likely be made by your healthcare provider.
     
(Precautions and Warnings With Fenofibrate Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;