THE PREPARATION DESCRIPTION IS NOT INTENDED FOR
MEDICATION WITHOUT PARTICIPATION OF THE DOCTOR!
What is it used for?
• Lopid prevents the build-up of cholesterol and fats along the walls of your arteries (a process known as atherosclerosis) which causes blockage of your blood supply to vital organs. It decreases your chances of getting heart disease, angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks. Lopid may be used to prevent heart attacks in men (who may not have ‘bad cholesterol’), in cases where other medicines (statins) cannot be used.
• Lopid should be used together with other means of lowering fats in the body such as exercise, dietary changes and weight reduction.
Contraindications and cautions:
Do not use Lopid if you have the following conditions:
• hypersensitivity (allergy) to Gemfibrozil or other similar lipid regulating medicines or any of the other ingredients in Lopid (These ingredients are listed in Section 6).
• liver disease
• severe kidney disease
• history of gall stones, bile and gall bladder disease (biliary tract disease)
• photoallergy or phototoxicity reaction (allergic reaction triggered by exposure to sunlight) during treatment with fibrates
• If you are currently taking a drug called repaglinide (a drug used to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetes).
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions to help him or her decide if Lopid is suitable for you:
• mild or moderate kidney disease
• under-active thyroid
• high risk of muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis): risk factors include kidney impairment; under-active thyroid; over 70 years; excessive use of alcohol; previous history of muscular pain and weakness (muscular toxicity) with another fibrate; a history of inherited muscular disorders
• diabetes
• if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, even those not prescribed.
Side effects:
Lopid can cause side effects although not everybody gets them.
• Any sudden wheeziness, difficulty in breathing or dizziness, swelling of the eyelids, face, lips or throat
• Peeling and blistering of the skin around the mouth, eyes and genitals
• Rash affecting your whole body
• Muscle weakness or weakness accompanied by dark urine, fever, rapid heart rate (palpitations), nausea, vomiting and facial swelling.
Interactions: Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medication:
• anti-diabetic medication particularly rosiglitazone or repaglinide (used to help reduce blood sugar levels)
• anticoagulants like warfarin (used to thin the blood)
• statins used to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides and increase good cholesterol such as atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, and rosuvastatin
• Colestipol resin granules for the treatment of high levels of fat (cholesterol) in your blood
• bexarotene medication for the treatment of skin cancer.