Side Effects:

Common Headache, Stomach pain, Constipation, Feeling sick, Muscle pain, Weakness, Dizziness, Increased glucose level in blood.

Expert advice for Mahastat Tablet
Mahastat lowers "bad" cholesterol (LDL). It helps prevent heart attack and stroke. Regular exercise and low-fat diet further help to lower levels of fat in the blood. Mahastat prevents one death in every 50 patients with heart disease treated over 4 to 5 years. It is better to take in the evening. In general, Mahastat is safe. It may cause digestive problems like diarrhoea, gas. If any of these happen to you, take it with food. Notify your doctor if you are more tired than usual, do not feel hungry, or if you have yellow eyes, skin or dark urine. Notify your doctor if you experience muscle symptoms (pain or weakness), particularly if you have fever, a sick feeling or dark urine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What should I know about high cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat present in your blood. Your total cholesterol is made up of LDL and HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is called “bad” cholesterol as it can build up in the wall of your blood vessels and slow or obstruct blood flow to your heart, brain, and other organs. This can cause heart diseases and stroke. HDL cholesterol is called “good” cholesterol as it prevents the bad cholesterol from building up in the blood vessels. Triglycerides also are harmful fats found in your blood.

Q. Is Mahastat safe?
Clinical studies have shown that Mahastatw is well tolerated in patients even after long-term use and is relatively safe. However, it has its own side effects and hence should only be used in the dose, and for the duration as advised by your doctor.

Q. Is Mahastat a blood thinner?
No, Mahastat is not a blood thinner. It is a lipid-lowering medicine and belongs to a group of medicines known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with ibuprofen?
Mahastat can be safely taken with ibuprofen. There are no reported drug-drug interactions or harmful effects when they are used together.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with magnesium?
Magnesium taken as a health supplement is not known to have any interaction with Mahastat. However, taking the drug with antacids containing magnesium hydroxide can decrease the amount of Mahastat in the body by half and the effectiveness of Mahastat may decrease. So, antacids should be taken at least two hours after taking Mahastat.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with ranitidine?
Mahastat can be taken with ranitidine. There are no reported drug-drug interactions or harmful effects when they are used together.

Q. Can you take Mahastat with levothyroxine?
Levothyroxine is not known to have any interaction with Mahastat. Consult your doctor before taking the two medicines together as the high cholesterol could be due to hypothyroidism for which you are given levothyroxine. Mahastat should be used with caution in patients having high cholesterol due to hypothyroidism especially if the underlying disease is not properly treated.

Q. Does Mahastat cause weight loss?
Mahastat is not known to have any effect on weight. Weight loss with this drug has only been reported by some patient and is seen in some animal studies. But there are no human research studies to show weight loss with Mahastat. However, if you notice any change in body weight during therapy, consult your doctor as it could be due to some underlying condition that needs attention.

Q. Does Mahastat cause diabetes?
Mahastat use is seen to be associated with an increase in blood sugar levels in clinical studies. The increase is similar to as seen in a diabetic patient and you may need treatment for the same. Consult your doctor before taking Mahastat if you are a diabetic.

Q. Does Mahastat cause erectile dysfunction?
Mahastat use is not associated with erectile dysfunction. If you have this problem, this could be due to some other underlying condition and you may need to consult a doctor.

Q. Does Mahastat lower triglycerides?
Yes, Mahastat can lower triglyceride levels. It also lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and increase the HDL levels.

Q. Does Mahastat cause weight gain?
Mahastat is not known to cause weight gain. However, if you notice any change in body weight during therapy, consult your doctor as there could be some other underlying condition that needs attention like fluid overload (water retention) in the body due to some heart, kidney or liver disease.

Q. Does Mahastat cause dry mouth?
Mahastat is not known to cause dry mouth. Common side effects seen with its use are musculoskeletal (bone, muscle or joint) pain, allergic reaction, headache, nausea, dyspepsia, nasopharyngitis, increased liver enzymes, increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level in blood, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation, joint swelling and increased glucose level in blood

Q. Does Mahastat cause high blood pressure?
Mahastat is not known to increase blood pressure. Common side effects seen with its use are musculoskeletal (bone, muscle or joint) pain, allergic reaction, headache, nausea, dyspepsia, nasopharyngitis, increased liver enzymes, increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level in blood, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation, joint swelling and increased glucose level in blood.

Q. Does Mahastat cause hair loss?
Mahastat use is not associated with hair loss. Common side effects seen with its use are muscle damage, musculoskeletal (bone, muscle or joint) pain, allergic reaction, headache, nausea, dyspepsia, nasopharyngitis, increased liver enzymes, increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level in blood, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation, joint swelling and increased glucose level in blood.

Q. Does Mahastat cause muscle pain?
Muscle pain is one of the common side effects associated with Mahastat use. Be careful and look for any muscle symptoms like muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness or dark colored urine. If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking Mahastat and immediately inform your doctor. These symptoms could be due to muscle breakdown and release of muscle proteins into the blood stream (this condition is known as rhabdomyolysis) and this can lead to problems like kidney failure.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with grapefruit juice?
Yes, Mahastat can be taken with grapefruit juice. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with clopidogrel?
Mahastat can be taken along with clopidogrel. Mahastat does not interfere with the antiplatelet action of clopidogrel.However, a high dose of clopidogrel can increase the Mahastat blood concentration by 2-fold causing more chances of the side effects, so a dose adjustment for Mahastat may be needed.

Q. Can I use Mahastat with vitamin D?
Yes, Mahastat can be taken along with vitamin D. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.

Q. Can the use of Mahastat increase vitamin D levels in your body?
Mahastat has shown to increase vitamin D levels in many clinical research studies. In some studies, the rise has been up to three times the base level. However, the mechanism by which it increases the vitamin D levels is still not clear.

Q. Why should Mahastat be taken at night?
Mahastat acts by blocking an enzyme which is important for cholesterol synthesis in our body. The activity of this enzyme is more at night time, so, it is advisable to take Mahastat in the evening hours after a meal or just before going to bed to have maximum effect. However, Mahastat being a longer acting statin can be taken at any time of day.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with quetiapine?
Yes, Mahastat can be used along with quetiapine. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with coenzyme q10?
Mahastat can be taken with coenzyme Q10. According to some clinical studies, coenzyme Q10 can help in decreasing the muscle damage caused by Mahastat while some of the studies say that it has no role in preventing muscle damage. Also, Mahastat has been thought to decrease the levels of coenzyme Q10. So, it is advised sometimes to use coenzyme Q10 along with Mahastat to decrease its side effects.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with diphenhydramine?
Yes, Mahastat can be used along with diphenhydramine. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with pantoprazole?
Yes, Mahastat can be used along with pantoprazole. No drug-drug interactions or any harmful effects have been reported when they are used together.

Q. Is it safe to take Mahastat with gemfibrozil?
Concomitant use of Mahastat with gemfibrozil should be avoided. Gemfibrozil can increase the blood levels of Mahastat and damage your muscles. If you are taking both the drugs, be careful and look for any muscle symptoms. Inform your doctor if you have muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness or dark colored urine.

Q. What is the benefit of taking Mahastat with ezetimibe?
Mahastat, when used with ezetimibe, helps in a better decrease in LDLcholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to Mahastat alone and without any increase in side effects. This combination is very beneficial in high-risk cardiovascular disease patients as its use can decrease the risk of atherosclerotic plaque rupture and heart attack. However, ezetimibe can increase the blood levels of Mahastat, so a dose adjustment may be needed when they are used together.

Q. Is Mahastat useful in the management of cancer?
Mahastat is not approved for use in the treatment of cancer. Some research studies have shown that Mahastat can stop the growth of cancer cells and when given after surgery, it can kill the remaining cancer cells if any and can help in preventing cancer from coming back. Clinical research studies are going on for its use in patients of colon cancer as it may prevent the formation of polyps and the recurrence of colon cancer but this use is still under research and not approved.

Q. Is Mahastat beneficial in the treatment of obesity?
Mahastat is not indicated for the treatment of weight loss (obesity). Weight loss with this drug has only been reported by some patient and is seen in some animal studies. But there are no human research studies to show weight loss with Mahastat.

Q. Can I take Mahastat for dyslipidemia?
Yes, Mahastat is very useful in the treatment of dyslipidemia, a lipid disorder with very high or very low lipid levels in the blood. Most common lipid disorder is hyperlipidemia in which the patient has high levels of bad lipids (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) and triglycerides, and low levels of good lipids (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) in the blood. Mahastat along with exercise and a low-fat diet decreases the LDL levels and increases the HDL levels and decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke on long-term use.

Q. Does Mahastat play any role in the management of stroke?
Mahastat is seen to be useful in preventing new episodes of ischemic stroke in the brain. Ischemic stroke occurs when there is a blockage of the blood vessel of the brain decreasing blood flow to a particular area of the brain. This blockage occurs due to plaque formation (deposition in the arteries where cholesterol combines with fat, calcium, and fibrin). Mahastat decreases the chances of plaque formation by lowering the cholesterol levels in the body and hence low-fat the risk of new episodes of stroke. It is not routinely prescribed for the prevention of hemorrhagic stroke.

Q. Does Mahastat play any role in the management of stroke?
Mahastat is found to be useful in preventing new episodes of ischemic stroke in the brain. Ischemic stroke occurs when there is a blockage of the blood vessel of the brain decreasing blood flow to a particular area of the brain. This blockage occurs due to plaque formation (deposition in the arteries where cholesterol combines with fat, calcium, and fibrin). Mahastat decreases the chances of plaque formation by lowering the cholesterol levels in the body and hence lowers the risk of new episodes of stroke. It is not routinely prescribed for the prevention of hemorrhagic stroke.

Q. Can I take Mahastat with Febuxostat?
Mahastat can be taken with febuxostat. Mahastat is used to lower bad cholesterol and Febuxostat is used to lower uric acid levels in patients with gout. Many patients of high cholesterol levels also have high uric acid levels. There are no human studies available on this interaction. However, animal research shows that when given together, febuxostat can increase the blood levels of Mahastat causing a higher risk of its side effects like muscle pain and muscle damage. So, a dose adjustment of Mahastat may be needed when given along with febuxostat.

Q. Does Mahastat play any role in the management of sepsis-associated Acute (or Adult) respiratory distress syndrome?
Mahastat is not used in the treatment of sepsis associated Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a condition in which there is inflammation of the lung leading to severe organ failure and this could be due to an underlying infection (sepsis). It is seen in some human research studies that there is no useful effect of Mahastat in treatment of the sepsis associated ARDS. Rather, it may cause damage to liver and kidney in these patients.

Q. Is there any benefit of taking vitamin C with Mahastat?
Mahastat can be safely taken with vitamin C. There are no drug-drug interactions reported between the two and no harmful effects have been seen. Mahastat is a cholesterol lowering agent used to treat hyperlipidemia. Vitamin C also acts as an anti-oxidant and few studies have shown that vitamin C can also help to lower bad cholesterol. So, using them together can actually be beneficial to lower the blood cholesterol levels.

Q. Can I take calcium supplements with Mahastat?
Mahastat should not be taken with calcium supplements as calcium can decrease its absorption and hence lowers the blood levels of Mahastat. This can lead to a decrease in efficacy of Mahastat to lower blood cholesterol levels. To avoid this effect, there should be a gap of at least 2 hours between the two medicines.

Q. Is Mahastat a narcotic substance?
No, Mahastat is not a narcotic substance. It's a prescription medicine and is available on providing a valid prescription by a doctor.

Q. Is Mahastat a nitrate?
No, Mahastat is not a nitrate. It is a lipid-lowering medicine and belongs to a group of medicines known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Q. Is Mahastat a diuretic?
No, Mahastat is not a diuretic. It is a lipid-lowering medicine and is used to lower increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. A diuretic is a medicine, which removes excess water and electrolytes from the body through urine.

Q. Is Mahastat a beta blocker?
No, Mahastat is not a beta blocker. It is a lipid-lowering medicine and is used to lower increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.