Medostatin 20mg Tablet

Medostatin 20mg Tablet contains lovastatin 20mg, a statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) manufactured by Medochemie, used to lower high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in people with or at risk of coronary heart disease.

Lovastatin works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the liver. This reduces the liver’s own cholesterol output and increases the number of LDL receptors on liver cells, which increases the clearance of LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Lovastatin inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the liver’s cholesterol production pathway. This lowers the liver’s own cholesterol synthesis and prompts liver cells to increase their surface LDL receptors, which pulls more LDL cholesterol out of the bloodstream and lowers overall cholesterol levels.

Take Medostatin 20mg Tablet with your evening meal, not on an empty stomach, as food significantly improves how well lovastatin is absorbed. Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice throughout treatment, as they can raise lovastatin blood levels by inhibiting the liver enzyme (CYP3A4) that normally breaks it down, increasing the risk of muscle-related side effects. Swallow the tablet with water and continue taking it even if you feel well, since cholesterol control is usually silent and long-term.

The usual starting dose of Medostatin 20mg Tablet is 20mg once daily, taken with the evening meal, since food increases the absorption of lovastatin – this is a specific feature of lovastatin that differs from some other statins. Your doctor may adjust the dose, up to a maximum of around 80mg daily (sometimes in divided doses), based on your cholesterol response.

Use this product before the expiry date stated on the packaging. Do not use the medicine if the expiry date has passed.

Store below 30°C in a dry place, away from direct sunlight and out of reach of children.

• Known hypersensitivity to lovastatin or any ingredient in this product
• Active liver disease or unexplained, persistently elevated liver enzymes
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Concomitant use with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g. itraconazole, ketoconazole, certain HIV protease inhibitors, clarithromycin, or high-dose niacin) due to markedly increased risk of myopathy

• Grapefruit juice/grapefruit significantly increases lovastatin blood levels via CYP3A4 inhibition and should be avoided or strictly limited throughout treatment
• Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as itraconazole, ketoconazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and certain HIV protease inhibitors markedly increase the risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis when combined – this combination is generally avoided
• Fibrates (e.g. gemfibrozil) and niacin (at lipid-lowering doses) increase the risk of muscle-related side effects when combined with lovastatin
• Warfarin’s blood-thinning effect may be enhanced, requiring closer monitoring of clotting (INR) tests

• Take this medicine with your evening meal, not on an empty stomach, for the best absorption
• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice throughout treatment
• Report unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness, or dark urine to your doctor promptly
• Attend scheduled liver function and cholesterol blood tests as advised
• Limit alcohol intake, as it can add to the risk of liver-related side effects