Lopid
Generic Name: gemfibrozil
Brand Name: Lopid
Indications
Lopid is indicated for the treatment of
- High levels of fats (lipids) such as cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood (hyperlipidaemia).
- Prevention of coronary heart disease in men aged 40-55 with hyperlipidaemia that has not responded to diet or other measures.
Dosage and Administration
Lopid are available as 600mg tablets.
Normal Dosage: The recommended dose for adults is 1200 mg administered in two divided doses 30 minutes before the morning and evening meal.
Overdose: Overdose symptoms may include diarrhea, headache, and muscle pain.
Drug Description
The chemical name is 5-(2,5-dimethylphenoxy)-2,2-dimethylpentanoic acid, with the following structural formula:
The empirical formula is C15H22O3 and the molecular weight is 250.35; the solubility in water and acid is 0.0019% and in dilute base it is greater than 1%. The melting point is 58° -61° C. Gemfibrozil is a white solid which is stable under ordinary conditions.
Side Effects
The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Headache
- Rash
- Itching (pruritus)
- Blurred vision
- Excess gas in the stomach and intestines (flatulence)
- Impotence
- Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash (photosensitivity)
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Severe swelling of lips, face or tongue (angioedema)
- Dizziness
- Rapid and irregular beating of the heart (atrial fibrillation)
- Muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis)
- Muscle pain (myalgia) and weakness (myasthenia)
Precautions
- This medicine may very rarely have side effects on the muscles. For this reason you should inform your doctor immediately if you experience any muscular symptoms such as pain, tenderness, cramps, or weakness while taking this medicine, particularly if it is accompanied by a fever or feeling generally unwell.
- This medicine is not recommended for use in children.
- You should continue eating a cholesterol-lowering diet during treatment with this medicine. Discuss this with your doctor.
- If your doctor considers that an adequate response has not been achieved within three months of treatment with this medicine, your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine.
- Blood tests to monitor liver function and levels of blood components should be performed before starting treatment with this medicine, and regularly for the first year of treatment.
- Blood lipid levels should be monitored before starting and regularly throughout treatment.
- Consult your doctor if you experience troublesome pain in the upper part of your stomach, or yellowing of the skin (jaundice) while taking this medicine.
- This drug belongs to the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether this medication will be harmful to an unborn baby.
Drug Interactions
This medication may increase the effects of the following drugs, which could lead to dangerous side effects:
- an anticoagulants (blood thinner) such as warfarin (Coumadin)
- insulin or an oral diabetes medication such as chlorpropamide (Diabenese), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Micronase, DiaBeta, Glynase), tolbutamide (Orinase), tolazamide (Tolinase), and acetohexamide (Dymelor), and others
- another cholesterol-lowering drug such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altocor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL)
