Lovastatin 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 side effects of lovastatin include:
- Gas -- in up to 4.5 percent of people
- Constipation -- up to 3.5 percent
- Headache -- up to 3.2 percent
- Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 3 percent (see Mevacor and Muscle Pain)
- Diarrhea -- up to 2.6 percent
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain) -- up to 2.5 percent.
The lovastatin side effects mentioned below also occurred in more than one percent of people and more often in the group taking lovastatin. These side effects included, but were not limited to:
- General feeling of weakness, known medically as asthenia
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Unexplained rash
- Blurred vision.
Rare Side Effects Seen With Lovastatin
During clinical studies, there were a number of other side effects that occurred in less than one percent of people while they were taking lovastatin. For these side effects, it is difficult to tell whether the side effects were caused by the medication or something else.
Some of these possible side effects include, but are not limited to:
- Leg pain
- Insomnia
- Hair loss
- Dry mouth
- Vomiting.
There are also other rare side effects that have been reported in people taking
statins, which is the class of medicine that lovastatin is part of. These side effects were not necessarily reported with lovastatin. They include:
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