gemfibrozil vs pitavastatin
Side-by-side comparison of gemfibrozil and pitavastatin. 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
Gemfibrozil Clinical Impact: Gemfibrozil may cause myopathy when given alone. The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of gemfibrozil with statins, including pitavastatin tablets. Intervention: Avoid concomitant use of gemfibrozil with pitavastatin tablets.
Recommendation: You should not take these two medications together.
Lopid
Livalo
Gemfibrozil is a medicine that helps lower high triglyceride levels in your blood. It can also help reduce the risk of heart disease in some people.
Pitavastatin (Livalo) is a drug that helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL-C) in your blood. It is used along with a healthy diet.
This medicine is used to treat very high triglyceride levels in adults when diet alone doesn't work. High triglycerides can increase your risk of pancreatitis. Gemfibrozil can also lower the risk of heart disease in some people with specific cholesterol problems.
Pitavastatin is used to lower LDL-C (bad cholesterol) in adults. It is for adults who have high cholesterol or who have a genetic condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). This medicine works best when you also follow a low-cholesterol diet.
Gemfibrozil belongs to a class of drugs called fibrates. It works by decreasing the amount of triglycerides your body makes. It also helps to increase HDL (good) cholesterol.
Pitavastatin belongs to a class of drugs called statins. It works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood.
- • Upset stomach
- • Indigestion
- • Abdominal pain
- • Muscle pain
- • Constipation
- • Back pain
- • Diarrhea
- • Pain in your arms or legs
- Feeling sick to your stomach 882
- Feeling tired 826
- Loose stools 726
- Aches 692
- Feeling lightheaded 617
- Muscle pain 408
- Diarrhea 335
- Feeling dizzy 285
- Difficulty breathing 281
- Loss of appetite 280
This medicine may increase your risk of gallbladder problems, including the need for surgery. Before taking gemfibrozil, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. You should not take this medicine with simvastatin, repaglinide, dasabuvir, or selexipag.
Pitavastatin can cause muscle problems, including myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. Pitavastatin can also cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before and during treatment.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if gemfibrozil can harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if gemfibrozil passes into breast milk.
Do not take pitavastatin if you are pregnant. It can harm your unborn baby. Breastfeeding is also not recommended while taking this medicine.
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How to Read This gemfibrozil vs pitavastatin Comparison
gemfibrozil is classified in the Fibrate drug class, while pitavastatin sits within the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, gemfibrozil has 3,743 submissions while pitavastatin has 1,589. 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 gemfibrozil can cause muscle problems on its own, and the risk becomes even higher when it is mixed with a statin.. 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 gemfibrozil and pitavastatin - 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.