gemfibrozil vs rosuvastatin

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Side-by-side comparison of gemfibrozil and rosuvastatin. 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

The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of cyclosporine or gemfibrozil with rosuvastatin. Gemfibrozil Clinical Impact: Gemfibrozil significantly increased rosuvastatin exposure and gemfibrozil may cause myopathy when given alone. The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of gemfibrozil with rosuvastatin.

Drug Class
gemfibrozil Fibrate
rosuvastatin HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)
Type
gemfibrozil Prescription
rosuvastatin Prescription
Summary
gemfibrozil

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.

rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol. It helps to reduce the risk of heart problems and stroke.

What It Treats
gemfibrozil

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.

rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin is used to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) in adults and children. It can also slow down the hardening of arteries in adults. This medicine also treats high triglycerides and certain inherited cholesterol disorders.

How It Works
gemfibrozil

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.

rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin belongs to a class of drugs called statins. It works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower your cholesterol levels.

Common Side Effects
gemfibrozil
  • Upset stomach
  • Indigestion
  • Abdominal pain
rosuvastatin
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Muscle pain
  • Weakness
  • Constipation
FAERS Reports
gemfibrozil
  • Nausea 883
  • Fatigue 825
  • Diarrhoea 726
  • Pain 693
  • Dizziness 617
rosuvastatin
  • Fatigue 11,700
  • Nausea 10,039
  • Dyspnoea 9,208
  • Diarrhoea 9,198
  • Myalgia 8,784
Serious Warnings
gemfibrozil

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.

rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin can cause muscle problems, including muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. Tell your doctor right away if you have these symptoms, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. Rosuvastatin can also cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before and during treatment.

Pregnancy
gemfibrozil

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.

rosuvastatin

Do not take rosuvastatin if you are pregnant. It can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about other ways to control your cholesterol during pregnancy. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking rosuvastatin.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This gemfibrozil vs rosuvastatin Comparison

gemfibrozil is classified in the Fibrate drug class, while rosuvastatin 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 3,744 submissions while rosuvastatin has 48,929. 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 increases the amount of rosuvastatin in your body and can also cause muscle damage on its own. taking them together significantly raises the chance of a dangerous muscle condition.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for gemfibrozil or rosuvastatin.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.