Lescol and Liver Problems

Lescol and liver problems are sometimes linked, so if you are taking this drug, your healthcare provider will routinely check how your liver is doing by testing your liver enzyme levels. Of all the possible liver problems that may develop with Lescol use, the most common is increase in liver enzymes -- this occurs in up to 5 percent of people who take the medication. It is important for people who take Lescol to be aware of the symptoms of liver problems, including nausea, stomach pain, and yellowing of the skin.

 

Lescol and Liver Problems: An Overview

As with any medication, there are a number of possible side effects that can occur while taking
 Lescol® or Lescol XL® (fluvastatin sodium), including possible problems with the liver. For people taking Lescol, liver problems can include:
 
  • Increase in liver enzymes
  • Hepatitis (an inflammation of the liver that can cause tiredness or a general feeling of illness)
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes that can occur from the liver being damaged)
  • Fatty change in the liver
  • Cirrhosis
  • Hepatoma (a type of liver cancer).
     
Increases in liver enzymes occur in up to 5 percent of people taking Lescol. Other liver problems mentioned above occur in less than 1 percent of people. For these Lescol side effects, it is difficult to tell whether the side effect is caused by the medication itself or something else.
 
(Lescol and Liver Problems Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;