SIMVASTATIN

(SIM va sta tin) Brand: Zocor

What is the most significant information I must know about simvastatin?

• In rare cases, simvastatin can reason a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. Call your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, unusual tiredness, and dark colored urine.

• Never take simvastatin in larger amounts, or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions very carefully. Taking too many of this medicine may reason serious or life-threatening side effects.

• Many another drugs can interact with simvastatin. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

• Till taking simvastatin, speak your doctor if you have ever had liver or kidney malady, diabetes, or a thyroid mess, if you are of Chinese descent, or if you drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages daily.

• Simvastatin can harm an unborn child or reason birth defects. Do not use if you are pregnant.

• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with simvastatin and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Do not consume grapefruit commodity while taking this medication.

What is simvastatin?

• Simvastatin is in a group of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or "statins." Simvastatin reduces levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) and triglycerides in the blood, while increasing levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL).

• Simvastatin is used to lower cholesterol and triglycerides (types of fat) in the blood.

• Simvastatin is also used to lower the risk of stroke, heart onslaught, and another heart complications in people with diabetes, coronary heart malady, or another risk factors

• Simvastatin is used in adults and children who are at least 10 years old.

• Simvastatin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking simvastatin?

• You must not take simvastatin if you are allergic to it, if you have liver malady, or if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

• In rare cases, simvastatin can reason a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure. This condition may be more likely to occur in older adults and in people who have kidney malady or poorly controlled hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). You may also be more likely to develop this condition if you are of Chinese descent and you take high-dose simvastatin while also taking medicine that contains niacin (Advicor, Niaspan, Niacor, Simcor, Slo-Niacin, and others).

• Some medicines can reason unwanted or dangerous effects when used with simvastatin. Your doctor may need to change your treatment plan if you use any of the next drugs:

· cyclosporine;

· danazol;

· gemfibrozil;

· nefazodone;

· the antibiotics clarithromycin, erythromycin, and telithromycin;

· the antifungal medications itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole;

· the hepatitis C medications boceprevir and telaprevir; or

· the HIV/AIDS medications atazanavir, darunavir, fosamprenavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, and tipranavir.

• Before you start taking simvastatin, speak your doctor if you are already using any of these another medicines:

· amiodarone;

· diltiazem;

· amlodipine;

· ranolazine; or

· verapamil.

• To create certain simvastatin is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:

· history of liver disease;

· history of kidney disease;

· diabetes;

· a thyroid mess; or

· if you drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages daily.

• FDA pregnancy category X. This medicine can harm an unborn child or reason birth defects. Do not take simvastatin if you are pregnant. Stop taking this medicine and speak your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Use effective birth control to avoid pregnancy while you are taking simvastatin.

• Simvastatin may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing child. Do not breast-feed while you are taking simvastatin.

How must I take simvastatin?

• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Never take this medication in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Taking too many of this medicine may reason serious or life-threatening side effects.

• Simvastatin is generally taken at bedtime or with an evening meal. If you take simvastatin more than once daily, take it with meals. Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results.

• While using simvastatin, you may need frequent blood trials at your doctor's office.

• You may need to take simvastatin on a long-term basis for the treatment of tall cholesterol. You may need to stop using simvastatin for a short time if you have surgery or a medical abnormal. Do not stop taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

• Simvastatin is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercice, and weight control. Follow your diet, medicine, and exercice routines very closely.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What must I avoid while taking simvastatin?

• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with simvastatin and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Do not consume grapefruit commodity while taking this medication.

• Avoid eating foods that are tall in thick or cholesterol. Simvastatin will not be as effective in lowering your cholesterol if you do not follow a cholesterol-lowering diet plan.

• Avoid drinking alcohol. It can raise triglyceride levels and may magnify your risk of liver damage.

What are the possible side effects of simvastatin?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Stop using simvastatin and call your doctor at once if you have:

· unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness;

· confusion, memory problems;

· fever, unusual tiredness, and dark colored urine;

· pain or burning when you urinate;

· swelling, weight gain, few or no urinating;

· heighten thirst, heighten urination, famine, dry mouth, fruity breath odor, drowsiness, dry skin, blurred vision, weight loss; or

· nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· headache;

· joint pain, mild muscle pain;

· constipation, stomach pain or indigestion, mild nausea;

· mild skin rash;

· sleep problems (insomnia); or

· cool symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect simvastatin?

• Much drugs can interact with simvastatin. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Speak your doctor about all your medications and any you start or stop using during treatment with simvastatin, especially:

· colchicine;

· digoxin, digitalis;

· a blood thinner such as warfarin, Coumadin;

· fenofibric acid or fenofibrate;

· antifungal medications such as fluconazole or voriconazole;

· another medicines that contain niacin (Advicor, Niaspan, Niacor, Simcor, Slo-Niacin, and others);

· drugs that weaken your immune system, such as steroids, cancer medication, or medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, such as sirolimus or tacrolimus; or

· any another "statin" medicine such as atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, or another medicine that contains simvastatin (Simcor, Vytorin).

• This list is not complete and much another drugs can interact with simvastatin. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about simvastatin.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.