Compare Lovastatin vs. simvastatin
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Lowers cholesterol.
Mevacor (Lovastatin) can improve cholesterol, but it's not as strong as other statin medicines. Statin side effects can be difficult to deal with, but the benefits might outweigh the risks.
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3.4/ 5 average rating with 89 reviewsforLovastatin
Lowers cholesterol.
Zocor (simvastatin) is a good medication to improve your cholesterol.
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3.8/ 5 average rating with 1176 reviewsforsimvastatin
Upsides
- Lowers "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides (fats) and raises "good" cholesterol (HDL) in people who have trouble doing this through diet and exercise.
- Can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, particularly if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or a history of smoking.
- Can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, particularly if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or a history of smoking.
- Lowers "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides (fats) and raises "good" cholesterol (HDL) in people who have trouble doing this through diet and exercise.
- Available in generic.
- Available in combination pills with other cholesterol medicines.
Downsides
- Not the best choice for people who have very high cholesterol levels.
- Statins can cause digestive problems, blood sugar problems, muscle aches and stiffness, muscle injury, kidney damage, and liver damage. Some people have to stop taking this medicine because of these problems.
- You're at higher risk for these side effects if you are female, are 65 years or older, drink alcohol every day, take more than one medicine for cholesterol, or have liver disease, kidney disease, or diabetes.
- Not safe to use if you're pregnant.
- You are at higher risk for side effects if you are female, are 65 years or older, drink alcohol every day, or have liver disease, kidney disease, or diabetes.
- Not safe to use if you're pregnant.
- Can have more drug interactions than some other drugs in the same class (statins).
Used for
- High cholesterol
- Hereditary high cholesterol diseases in adolescents
- Hardened coronary arteries
- Hardened coronary artery prevention
- High cholesterol with diabetes
- Heart failure
- Heart attack or pre-heart attack
- Heart bypass surgery
- Coronary angioplasty
- Stroke prevention
- Atrial fibrillation prevention
- Nephrotic syndrome (kidney problem)
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- Heart attack and stroke prevention
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Extended release
- Pill
Price
Lowest price
$9.23
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$247.78
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Reviews
89 reviews so far
43%
saidit'sworth it
39%
saiditworked well
22%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Mevacor (Lovastatin)?
Leave a review1176 reviews so far
61%
saidit'sworth it
48%
saiditworked well
14%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Zocor (simvastatin)?
Leave a reviewSide effects
2possible side effects
- Elevations of CK levels11%
- Increase in serum transaminases2%
14possible side effects
- Bronchitis7%
- Abdominal pain6%
- Atrial fibrillation6%
- Stomach problems5%
- Balance problems5%
- Eczema5%
- Diabetes4%
- Muscle pain4%
- Insomnia4%
- Edema/swelling3%
- Headache3%
- Infection, urinary tract3%
- Constipation2%
- Sinus infection2%
Risks and risk factors
- Muscle pain
- Kidney disease
- High dose of Mevacor (Lovastatin)
- Combining with certain cholesterol-lowering drugs
- Older age and female gender
- Liver damage
- Heavy alcohol use
- History of chronic liver disease
- Harm to fetus
- Pregnancy
- Breast feeding
- Drug interactions
- Taking with certain drugs that increase the dose of Mevacor (Lovastatin) in the body
- Muscle weakness (autoimmune)
- Muscle pain and kidney damage
- Kidney disease
- High dose of Zocor (simvastatin)
- Combining Zocor (simvastatin) with other cholesterol-lowering drugs
- Older age
- Female gender
- Liver damage
- Heavy alcohol use
- History of chronic liver disease
- Harm to unborn baby
- Pregnancy
- Breast feeding
- Drug interactions
- Certain drugs can increase the dose of Zocor (simvastatin) in the body
- High blood sugar
- History of high blood sugar