niacin vs pitavastatin
Side-by-side comparison of niacin 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
Niacin Clinical Impact: The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis may be increased with concomitant use of lipid-modifying doses (≥1 g/day) of niacin with pitavastatin tablets. Intervention: Consider if the benefit of using lipid-modifying doses (≥1 g/day) of niacin concomitantly with pitavastatin tablets outweighs the increased risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis.
Recommendation: Talk to your doctor to see if the benefits of this combination outweigh the risks to your muscles.
Niaspan, Slo-Niacin
Livalo
This medicine is a multivitamin with fluoride. It helps prevent tooth decay and provides essential vitamins.
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 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.
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.
The fluoride in this medicine strengthens your teeth to protect them from decay. The vitamins help your body work properly and stay healthy.
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.
No common side effects listed.
- • Muscle pain
- • Constipation
- • Back pain
- • Diarrhea
- • Pain in your arms or legs
- Feeling tired 749
- Feeling sick to your stomach 671
- Loose stools 630
- Feeling lightheaded 546
- Difficulty breathing 529
- Muscle pain 408
- Diarrhea 335
- Feeling dizzy 285
- Difficulty breathing 281
- Loss of appetite 280
There are no serious warnings listed for this medication.
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.
This medication is for children. Consult a doctor for information about vitamin and fluoride supplements during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Do not take pitavastatin if you are pregnant. It can harm your unborn baby. Breastfeeding is also not recommended while taking this medicine.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare pitavastatin with
How to Read This niacin vs pitavastatin Comparison
niacin is classified in the Vitamin B3 (Lipid-Modifying) 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 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, niacin has 3,125 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 using high doses of niacin along with this statin can increase your chances of having severe muscle pain or injury.. 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 niacin 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.