fluvastatin vs niacin
Side-by-side comparison of fluvastatin and niacin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Limit fluvastatin dose to 20 mg ( 2.5 , 7.2 ) Concomitant lipid-lowering therapies: Use with fibrates or lipid-modifying doses (≥ 1 g/day) of niacin increases the risk of adverse skeletal muscle effects. 7.5 Niacin The risk of skeletal muscle effects may be enhanced when fluvastatin sodium is used in combination with lipid-modifying doses (≥ 1 g/day) of niacin; a reduction in fluvastatin sodium dosage should be considered in this setting [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )].
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to lower your dose of fluvastatin if you are taking high doses of niacin.
Lescol
Niaspan, Slo-Niacin
Fluvastatin (Lescol) is a medicine that helps lower cholesterol levels in your blood. It belongs to a group of drugs called statins.
This medicine is a multivitamin with fluoride. It helps prevent tooth decay and provides essential vitamins.
This medicine is used to lower high cholesterol and triglycerides (fats) in adults and children (10-16 years old) with certain inherited cholesterol problems. It can also lower the risk of needing procedures to improve blood flow to the heart in adults with heart disease. Fluvastatin can also slow down the hardening of arteries in people with heart disease.
This medicine is for children ages 4 and up who don't get enough fluoride in their drinking water. It helps prevent tooth decay. It also gives you ten important vitamins to avoid vitamin deficiencies.
Fluvastatin works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides while raising good cholesterol (HDL). By lowering cholesterol, it helps prevent heart disease and stroke.
The fluoride in this medicine strengthens your teeth to protect them from decay. The vitamins help your body work properly and stay healthy.
- • Headache
- • Upset stomach
- • Muscle pain
- • Abdominal pain
- • Nausea
No common side effects listed.
- Muscle pain 669
- Diarrhea 371
- Feeling lightheaded 361
- Shortness of breath 340
- Feeling sick to your stomach 337
- Feeling tired 749
- Feeling sick to your stomach 671
- Loose stools 630
- Feeling lightheaded 546
- Difficulty breathing 529
This medicine can sometimes cause muscle problems, including rhabdomyolysis (a serious muscle breakdown that can lead to kidney damage). Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. This medicine can also cause liver problems. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking fluvastatin and while you are taking it.
There are no serious warnings listed for this medication.
You should not take fluvastatin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. This medicine can harm an unborn baby. If you are a woman who could become pregnant, use effective birth control while taking fluvastatin.
This medication is for children. Consult a doctor for information about vitamin and fluoride supplements during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
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How to Read This fluvastatin vs niacin Comparison
fluvastatin is classified in the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) drug class, while niacin sits within the Vitamin B3 (Lipid-Modifying) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, fluvastatin has 2,078 submissions while niacin has 3,125. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to combining these drugs increases the chance of experiencing muscle pain or damage.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between fluvastatin and niacin - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.