Download Advicor Medication Information

Patient Education Sheet: Advicor
Advicor Medication Information
Purpose: To decrease total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and to raise HDL cholesterol.
Action: Advicor inhibits the production of cholesterol and triglycerides. It also facilitates the removal of LDL
cholesterol from the blood.
Dose: The recommended dosing range is 500mg/20mg to 2000mg/40mg orally at bedtime. In order to reduce
flushing (i.e. warmth, redness, itching and/or tingling), we recommend that you take an aspirin or ibuprofen
tablet 30 minutes before taking Advicor, enjoy a low-fat snack with a cold, nonalcoholic beverage and take
Advicor at bedtime. Do not crush, break or chew Advicor or take it on an empty stomach or with grapefruit
juice. Flushing may occur temporarily when you first start taking Advicor or when you first increase the dose. A
gradual increase in your dose helps decrease flushing.
Standard Protocol
Weeks 1 to 4: take Advicor 500mg/20mg-1 tablet daily at bedtime.
Weeks 5 to 8: take Advicor 500mg/20mg-2 tablets daily at bedtime.
Weeks 9 and following: personalized dosing as instructed by your physician.
You should not take advicor if any of the following apply:
• You are hypersensitive to niacin or lovastatin.
• You have active liver disease, unexplained elevated liver enzymes, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or
active peptic ulcer disease.
• You take erythromycin-type antibiotics (e.g. Ery-Tab, E-Mycin, Biaxin), the immunosuppressant
cyclosporine (e.g. Sandimmune, Neoral), azole-type antifungal drugs (e.g. Sporanox, Diflucan or Nizoral),
the antidepressant Serzone (nefazodone), or HIV protease inhibitors.
Caution: Patients with gout should exercise caution when taking Advicor. Notify your physician if you are taking
vitamins/supplements that contain more than 100mg of niacin. You should be cautious about taking Advicor
with Lopid (gemfibrozil) or TriCor; combinations of these medications may be prescribed by your
physician with careful monitoring.
Possible side effects: Please contact your physician if you experience: blurred vision, muscle/joint aches,
headaches or dizziness. Report muscle pain, tenderness or brown urine to your physician promptly, particularly
if accompanied by fever and/or weakness.
Lab tests: In addition to a lipid profile, the blood tests AST and ALT will be done periodically to assess your
liver function.
Special Instructions
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, especially around the time that you take an Advicor tablet.
• Have your lab tests done promptly as ordered.
• If you are taking Coumadin, your prothrombin time (PT/INR) should be monitored closely.
Special Precaution: Women capable of childbearing must have a pregnancy test (serum HCG) checked before
starting this medication. This is a category X drug and is not recommended for use during pregnancy and
lactation.
-- printed on 07/11/2007 for WILLIAM PCCTESTKID