Drug & supplement interaction

Secretin + Lovastatin

Lovastatin brand names: Mevacor, Altocor.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Secretin and Lovastatin in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Lovastatin states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Secretin and Lovastatin

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Lovastatin and Secretin in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Secretin at all — not against Lovastatin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Secretin safety at a glance

Secretin overall Use caution Secretin is a prescription injectable given only by trained healthcare providers, not a self-care supplement.
Pregnancy Not established Safety during pregnancy is not well established; use only if a doctor decides the benefit outweighs the risk.
Breastfeeding Not established It is not known whether secretin is safe during breastfeeding, so caution is advised.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Lovastatin and Secretin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Secretin and Lovastatin May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 4 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Pancreatitis Worth acting on Additional detail

    Secretin

    “Intravenously, the most common adverse reaction to secretin is flushing of the face, neck, and chest immediately after infusion. Less common potential adverse effects are vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, venous thrombosis (15), fever, and tachycardia. Some patients can have allergic reactions including urticaria, erythema, and anaphylaxis.”

    Secretin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    4 sources cited
    1. 6007. Secretin for the treatment of autism. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 1998;14(12):141212.
    2. 7052. Roberts W, Weaver L, Brian J, et al. Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2001;107:e71. PubMed
    3. 15. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
    4. 100741. Law R, Vargo JJ, Stevens T. Acute pancreatitis and aspiration pneumonia after administration of synthetic human secretin (with video). Gastrointest Endosc. 2011;74(5):1166-8. PubMed

    “Intravenously, secretin might cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Secretin has also been linked with the development of pancreatitis.”

    Secretin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    4 sources cited
    1. 6007. Secretin for the treatment of autism. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 1998;14(12):141212.
    2. 7052. Roberts W, Weaver L, Brian J, et al. Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2001;107:e71. PubMed
    3. 106325. Brandler J, Miller LJ, Wang XJ, et al. Secretin effects on gastric functions, hormones and symptoms in functional dyspepsia and health: randomized crossover trial. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2020;318(4):G635-G645. PubMed
    4. 100741. Law R, Vargo JJ, Stevens T. Acute pancreatitis and aspiration pneumonia after administration of synthetic human secretin (with video). Gastrointest Endosc. 2011;74(5):1166-8. PubMed

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A severe allergic reaction / Hives / An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Secretin

    “Intravenously, secretin might cause allergic reactions including urticaria, erythema, and anaphylaxis. Because of the potential for these hypersensitivity reactions, a 0.1 mL test dose is often administered prior to giving a full dose.”

    Secretin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in erythema.

    1 source cited
    1. 7052. Roberts W, Weaver L, Brian J, et al. Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2001;107:e71. PubMed

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Flushing Additional detail

    Secretin

    “Intravenously, the most common adverse reaction to secretin is flushing of the face, neck, and chest immediately after infusion.”

    Secretin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in niacin-induced flushing.

    2 sources cited
    1. 6007. Secretin for the treatment of autism. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 1998;14(12):141212.
    2. 7052. Roberts W, Weaver L, Brian J, et al. Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2001;107:e71. PubMed

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Fever Additional detail

    Secretin

    Recorded for Secretin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Pancreatitis above.

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach pain / Nausea reported in 5.5% of FDA reports for Lovastatin Additional detail

    Secretin

    Recorded for Secretin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Pancreatitis above.

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting reported in 5.0% of FDA reports for Lovastatin Additional detail

    Secretin

    Recorded for Secretin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Pancreatitis above.

    Lovastatin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Lovastatin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Secretin but not commonly for Lovastatin: blood clots, a fast or pounding heartbeat, a higher chance of infection and fainting.

Effects for Lovastatin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Secretin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 25,528 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Lovastatin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Lovastatin Products Have a Food Rule — Secretin Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Lovastatin says to take it with food. If you take Secretin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Lovastatin with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Lovastatin products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Lovastatin tablets USP should be given with meals.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Lovastatin — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Secretin or Lovastatin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Secretin or Lovastatin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Lovastatin

This page covers Secretin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lovastatin page lists 184 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 8 major · 140 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lovastatin page

“Lovastatin (Mevacor) lowers cholesterol, and the liver clears it through an enzyme called CYP3A4, which is where most of these 184 supplements collide with it. This list deserves careful attention.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lovastatin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Secretin and Lovastatin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Secretin
Steady interest

#1,188 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Lovastatin
Steady interest

#1,552 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Secretin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Secretin and Lovastatin records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Secretin

What is Secretin?

  • Diagnostic testing of pancreas function
  • Diagnosing gastrinoma (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)
  • Aiding pancreatic imaging procedures
  • Investigational use in autism (not proven)

Secretin is a natural digestive hormone, not a typical dietary supplement. As a medicine it is an FDA-approved injectable used mainly for diagnostic tests of the pancreas, and it must be given by a healthcare professional. Despite past interest, there is strong evidence that secretin does NOT help autism, and it should never be self-administered.

Hormone produced naturally in the small intestine; pharmaceutical versions are made synthetically or from animal sources · Injectable solution (prescription, used in medical settings)

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Secretin is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Secretin record says about it on its own.

Secretin: dosing

There is no general supplement dose for secretin because it is not used as a supplement. It is a prescription injectable, and the dose is calculated by your healthcare provider based on your body and the specific test being done.You should never try to obtain or self-administer secretin. Dosing, timing, and monitoring are all handled by trained medical staff during a procedure.

From our Secretin monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Secretin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lovastatin

What Is Lovastatin Used For?

Brand names: Mevacor, Altocor

Lovastatin is used to lower high LDL ("bad") cholesterol and total cholesterol in people whose levels have not improved enough with diet alone. It is also used to slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries (coronary atherosclerosis) in people who already have coronary heart disease.

In adults without existing heart disease but with high cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol, lovastatin tablets are approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries. Lovastatin tablets are also approved for adolescents aged 10–17 with a specific inherited condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH), when diet changes alone haven't been enough.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Lovastatin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (25,528 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 1,535 reports
Nausea 1,401 reports
Diarrhea 1,275 reports
Dyspnea 1,226 reports
Dizziness 1,159 reports
See full Lovastatin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Secretin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Secretin — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Secretin References

The 14 references that drive our Secretin monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
  2. Horvath K, Stefatos G, Sokolski KN. Improved social and language skills after secretin administration. J Assoc Acad Minor Phys 1998;9:9-15.
  3. Tympner F, Rosch W. The treatment of chronic recurrent pancreatitis with depot secretin-a preliminary report. Hepatogastroenterology 1986;33:159-62.
  4. Coniglio SJ, Lewis JD, Lang C, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of single-dose intravenous secretin as treatment for children with autism. J Pediatr 2001;138:649-55. PubMed
  5. Secretin for the treatment of autism. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 1998;14(12):141212.
  6. Sandler AD, Sutton KA, DeWeese J, et al. Lack of benefit of a single dose of synthetic human secretin in the treatment of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. N Engl J Med 1999;341(24):1801-6. PubMed
  7. Lightdale JR, Hayer C, Duer A, et al. Effects of intravenous secretin on language and behavior of children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms: a single-blinded, open-label pilot study. Pediatrics 2001;108:90. PubMed
  8. Roberts W, Weaver L, Brian J, et al. Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics 2001;107:e71. PubMed
  9. Honomichl RD, Goodlin-Jones BL, Burnham MM, Hansen RL, Anders TF. Secretin and sleep in children with autism. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2002;33(2):107-23. PubMed
  10. Law R, Vargo JJ, Stevens T. Acute pancreatitis and aspiration pneumonia after administration of synthetic human secretin (with video). Gastrointest Endosc. 2011;74(5):1166-8. PubMed
  11. Sheitman BB, Knable MB, Jarskog LF, et al. Secretin for refractory schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2004;66(2-3):177-81. PubMed
  12. Levenick JM, Andrews CL, Purich ED, Gordon SR, Gardner TB. A phase II trial of human secretin infusion for refractory type B pain in chronic pancreatitis. Pancreas. 2013;42(4):596-600. PubMed
  13. Williams K, Wray JA, Wheeler DM. Intravenous secretin for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;2012(4):CD003495. PubMed
  14. Brandler J, Miller LJ, Wang XJ, et al. Secretin effects on gastric functions, hormones and symptoms in functional dyspepsia and health: randomized crossover trial. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2020;318(4):G635-G645. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Secretin and Lovastatin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Secretin with Lovastatin?
We do not list a known interaction between Secretin and Lovastatin. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Secretin and Lovastatin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Secretin and Lovastatin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Lovastatin says to take it with food. If you take Secretin on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Lovastatin with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Lovastatin products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Lovastatin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Lovastatin has documented interactions with 184 supplements in our database — Secretin is not one of them. The Lovastatin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Lovastatin and Secretin?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.