Generic Name: simvastatin

What is simvastatin?
Simvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering medication that blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body. Simvastatin reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol in the blood. Lowering your cholesterol can help prevent heart disease and hardening of the arteries, conditions that can lead to heart attack, stroke, and vascular disease. Simvastatin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

Pricing information provided by drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of simvastatin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using simvastatin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine.

Less serious side effects may include:

• mild stomach pain, gas, bloating, stomach upset, heartburn;

• nausea;

• constipation; or

• diarrhea.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take simvastatin?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Take simvastatin with a full glass of water. Simvastatin is usually taken at bedtime or with an evening meal. If you take simvastatin several times daily, take it with meals. Follow your doctor's instructions. To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

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What is the most important information I should know about simvastatin?
In rare cases, simvastatin can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure. Call your doctor at once if you have unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine. This medication can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not use if you are pregnant. Use an effective form of birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect simvastatin?
Many drugs can interact with simvastatin. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using: danazol (Danocrine); gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), or fenofibrate (Tricor); niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others); nefazodone (Serzone); cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid); a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); or amiodarone (Cordarone), diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), or verapamil (Verelan, Calan, Isoptin); erythromycin (E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, others), clarithromycin (Biaxin), or telithromycin (Ketek);

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Simvastatin has been assigned to pregnancy category X by the FDA. While animal studies with simvastatin failed to reveal evidence of teratogenicity, animal studies with other HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors revealed an increase in the incidence of skeletal malformations. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. However, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are known to inhibit biosynthetic processes necessary in fetal development. Simvastatin use is considered contraindicated during pregnancy.

There are no data on the excretion of simvastatin into human milk. The manufacturer considers simvastatin to be contraindicated during lactation.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Active liver disease or unexplained, persistent elevations of serum aminotransferases.
• Pregnancy or lactation. Administer to women of childbearing age only when such patients are highly unlikely to conceive and have been informed of the potential hazards.
• Known hypersensitivity to simvastatin or any ingredient in the formulation.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of simvastatin is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking simvastatin?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to simvastatin, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have liver disease. Before taking simvastatin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: diabetes; underactive thyroid; kidney disease; or a muscle disorder. If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take simvastatin. FDA pregnancy category X. This medication can cause birth defects. Do not use simvastatin if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are using this medication.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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