What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Fenofibric Acid?
- Gallbladder disease, including gallstones
- Liver disease, liver failure, or a history of liver disease
- Kidney disease or kidney failure
- Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
Also, tell your healthcare provider about all the other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Finally, make sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, especially if it is accompanied by body aches or a fever.
Some Fenofibric Acid Warning and Precautions
Some precautions and warnings with fenofibric acid to be aware of include:
- Make sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, especially if it is with a fever or if you feel ill (see Trilipix and Muscle Pain).
- Fenofibric acid can cause increased liver enzymes (which can be a sign of liver problems) or high creatinine levels (which can be a sign of kidney problems). Both of these abnormalities are found using standard blood tests.
- Fenofibric acid may increase the risk of gallbladder disease, including gallstones.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) has been reported rarely in people taking fenofibric acid or other similar medications. This could be a direct result of the medication or might simply be a complication of very high triglyceride levels (one of the conditions fenofibric acid is used to treat).
- Surprisingly, studies have suggested that medications similar to fenofibric acid might actually increase the risk of death. It is not yet clear how fenofibric acid may affect the risk of death due to heart disease or other causes.
- Studies have suggested that medications like fenofibric acid might increase the risk of blood clots in the legs or lungs.
- Fenofibric acid is a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning that it may not be safe for use during pregnancy, although the full risks are currently unknown. If you are pregnant and taking fenofibric acid, talk to your healthcare provider immediately (see Trilipix and Pregnancy).
