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Should you take gemfibrozil continuously?
Gemfibrozil (Lopid) is a drug that is used to treat high triglycerides. Typically, it is a drug that is taken continuously. During the first year of treatment, your physician …will periodically do blood tests to look for rare blood problems or liver damage, then yearly thereafter. If you are later started on (or are currently taking) any of the statin drugs [Lipitor, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, or Lescol], you should watch for diffuse muscle aches or dark, tea-colored urine. Should any of these, or other bothersome side effects, result, contact your doctor immediately. There is a known, but manageable, drug interaction between the statins and fibrates. They are often used together because the fibrates work best on triglycerides and the statins work best to lower LDL. (MORE)