Lescol Side Effects: An Introduction
Just like any medicine, side effects can occur with
Lescol® (
fluvastatin sodium). However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it well. If 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 1 percent of people stopped taking Lescol because of side effects.
If you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while you are taking this drug, especially if you have a fever or feel ill, it is important to contact your healthcare provider right away.
(This article discusses many, but not all, possible side effects of Lescol. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Lescol side effects with you.)
Common Side Effects of Lescol
Lescol has been studied extensively in clinical trials, with thousands of people having been evaluated.
In these studies, side effects are always documented and compared to side effects that occur in a similar group of people taking a placebo (a "sugar pill" with no active ingredients). This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group taking the placebo.
Based on these studies, the most common Lescol side effects included:
- Headache -- in up to 8.9 percent of people
- Indigestion or heartburn -- up to 7.9 percent
- Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 5 percent (see Lescol and Muscle Pain)
- Diarrhea -- up to 4.9 percent
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain) -- up to 4.9 percent
- Nausea -- up to 3.2 percent.
Other common side effects (occurring in 2 to 3 percent of people) included:
