Key takeaways:
Lovastatin is a statin medication that helps lower high cholesterol levels. The typical lovastatin dosage for adults ranges from 10 mg to 80 mg daily. You can take it once or twice a day, and you should take it with a meal.
Lovastatin also comes as an extended-release (ER) tablet under the brand name Altoprev. The typical lovastatin ER dosage for adults ranges from 20 mg to 60 mg once a day. You should take it in the evening on an empty stomach.
You may need a lower lovastatin or lovastatin ER dosage if you have kidney problems or are taking certain medications. Your prescriber will determine the best dose based on your personal needs.
Lovastatin ER is only available as a brand-name medication. But lovastatin is available as a lower-cost generic. GoodRx can help make your lovastatin prescription more affordable.
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If you have high cholesterol and lifestyle changes aren’t enough to manage it, your healthcare team may consider starting you on a statin. These medications help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Among them, lovastatin is a popular choice.
But what’s the best lovastatin dosage? And what happens if you miss a dose? Let’s review the recommended lovastatin dosages for adults and children to help you get the most out of your medication.
What dosage forms does lovastatin come in?
Lovastatin comes as an immediate-release (IR) tablet. It’s also available as an extended-release (ER) tablet under the brand name Altoprev. Both forms of lovastatin are FDA approved for preventing coronary heart disease and lowering high cholesterol levels. For the purposes of this article, we’ll refer to the IR form as lovastatin, and the ER form as lovastatin ER.
The available doses of each form of lovastatin are shown in the table below.
Lovastatin | Lovastatin ER (Altoprev) |
|---|---|
• 10 mg • 20 mg • 40 mg | • 20 mg • 40 mg • 60 mg |
You can take lovastatin once or twice a day. And you should take it with a meal to help your body absorb the medication.
You’ll only take lovastatin ER once a day. And it’s best to take it at bedtime without food (on an empty stomach).
What’s the typical lovastatin dosage for adults?
The recommended lovastatin dosage for adults is 10 mg to 80 mg daily. You can take it as one daily dose with your evening meal. Or you can divide it into two smaller doses and take it with your morning and evening meals.
Most adults start with 20 mg of lovastatin once daily. But if your cholesterol levels aren’t very high, you may start with a lower lovastatin dosage of 10 mg daily. Doses over 80 mg per day aren’t recommended.
The recommended lovastatin ER dosage for adults ranges from 20 mg to 60 mg once daily at bedtime. A starting dose of 20 mg daily at bedtime is recommended if you’re age 65 or over. Doses over 60 mg per day aren’t recommended.
Your prescriber will adjust your dosage of lovastatin or lovastatin ER based on your cholesterol levels and treatment goals. They’ll likely check your cholesterol levels every 4 weeks or so after you start treatment to make sure it’s working for you and adjust the dosage if needed.
What’s the typical lovastatin dosage for children?
Lovastatin is approved for children and adolescents 10 to 17 years old living with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). HeFH is an inherited trait that affects how the body breaks down cholesterol.
The recommended lovastatin dosage for children ranges from 10 mg to 40 mg daily. Doses over 40 mg aren’t recommended. Lovastatin ER isn’t approved for children.
Are there any dosage adjustments for health conditions?
You may need a lower lovastatin dosage based on your age, health conditions, or other medications you’re taking. Be sure to provide your full medication list and health history to your medical team before you start taking lovastatin. This will help them decide on the best dosage for your needs.
Dosage for people with kidney problems
Your kidneys help remove lovastatin from the body. Those living with mild or moderate kidney problems generally don’t need their lovastatin dosage adjusted. But if you have severe kidney problems, lovastatin (and lovastatin ER) dosages over 20 mg daily aren’t typically recommended.
Dosage for people taking certain medications
Certain drug interactions may require a lower lovastatin or lovastatin ER dosage. Doses over 20 mg daily aren’t recommended if you’re also taking one of the following medications:
Diltiazem (Cardizem, Cardizem CD)
Verapamil (Verelan)
Dronedarone (Multaq)
Danazol
And if you take amiodarone (Pacerone), your lovastatin or lovastatin ER dosage shouldn’t be higher than 40 mg daily.
Keep in mind: This isn’t a complete list of medications that may interact with lovastatin. As mentioned, it’s best to review your medication list with your healthcare team to look for any possible issues before you start taking lovastatin or lovastatin ER.
What happens if you miss a dose of lovastatin?
If you forget to take a dose of lovastatin, just take it as soon as you remember. If it’s close to the time of your next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your regular schedule.
If you find you’re missing lovastatin doses often, consider a medication reminder app or phone alarm to help you remember. You can also talk to your prescriber about switching to once-daily dosing or lovastatin ER if twice-daily dosing is an issue for you.
What should you do if you take too much lovastatin?
Taking an extra dose of lovastatin by mistake isn’t likely to cause a problem. You may notice more side effects, such as headache, diarrhea, or nausea. These should resolve on their own as the medication wears off.
Even larger doses of lovastatin aren’t likely to cause a serious issue. But taking too much lovastatin may raise your risk of muscle or liver damage.
If you or a loved one takes too much lovastatin, contact your medical team or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance. But seek medical care right away if you’re having severe muscle pain or weakness, dark-colored urine, or yellow skin or eyes (jaundice).
How to save on lovastatin
Lovastatin is available as a lower-cost generic. The brand name (Mevacor) is no longer made. But lovastatin ER is only available as a brand-name medication (Altoprev). GoodRx can help you navigate ways to save on your prescription.
Save with GoodRx. GoodRx can help you save over 70% off the average retail price of generic lovastatin. The price of a 30-day supply of lovastatin is as low as $10.28 with a free GoodRx discount.
Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for Altoprev’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of cost.
The bottom line
Lovastatin is a statin medication that helps manage high cholesterol. The typical lovastatin dosage for adults is 10 mg to 80 mg daily. Children ages 10 to 17 years old typically take 10 mg to 40 mg daily. You can take lovastatin once or twice a day, and you should take it with a meal.
Lovastatin also comes in an extended-release (ER) form under the brand name Altoprev. The typical lovastatin ER dosage for adults is 20 mg to 60 mg once a day at bedtime without food. It’s not approved for children.
You may need a lower lovastatin dosage if you have kidney problems or take certain medications. Your prescriber will help determine the best lovastatin dosage for you based on your health conditions and the other medications you take.
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References
Aphena Pharma Solutions. (2024). Lovastatin [package insert].
Covis Pharma US. (2024). Altoprev [package insert].
Duong, H., et al. (2023). Lovastatin. StatPearls.
LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. (2021). Lovastatin.
MedlinePlus. (2020). Familial hypercholesterolemia.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Lovastatin.
