Compare Lovastatin vs. Vytorin

Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.

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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.

Vytorin is expensive and is no more effective than simvastatin by itself.

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3.3/ 5 average rating with 99 reviewsforVytorin
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.
  • A 2-in-1 cholesterol-lowering combination medicine.
  • Lowers "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and raises "good" cholesterol (HDL) in people who have trouble doing this through diet and exercise.
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.
  • In clinical studies, simvastatin/ezetimibe hasn't controlled cholesterol better than simvastatin alone.
  • There's no generic available, so it can be expensive.
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Used for
Dosage forms
  • Pill
  • Extended release
  • Pill
Price
Lowest price
$7.41
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Lowest price
$63.28
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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 review
99 reviews so far
53%
saidit'sworth it
36%
saiditworked well
19%
saidit'sa big hassle

Have you used Vytorin (Ezetimibe / Simvastatin)?

Leave a review
Side effects
2possible side effects
  • Elevations of CK levels
    11%
  • Increase in serum transaminases
    2%
See more detailed side effects
8possible side effects
  • Headache
    6%
  • Any side effect
    5%
  • Increased ALT
    4%
  • Myalgia
    4%
  • Upper respiratory tract infection
    4%
  • Diarrhea
    3%
  • Influenza
    2%
  • Pain in extremity
    2%
See more detailed side effects
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)
See more detailed risks and warnings
  • Muscle pain
    • Asian patients taking high-dose niacin
  • Liver damage
    • Past history of liver disease
    • heavy alcohol use
  • High blood sugar
    • Diabetes
  • Increased risk for colds and flu
  • Skin reactions
  • Harm to fetus
    • Pregnancy
See more detailed risks and warnings
Learn more about Mevacor (Lovastatin)
Learn more about Vytorin (Ezetimibe / Simvastatin)