However, this amount is produced naturally in the liver. When there is excess cholesterol in the blood, due to poor diet and other lifestyle factors, fats group together and can stop blood from flowing. Simvastatin works by reducing the activity of an enzyme found in the liver that produces cholesterol.
This lowers the cholesterol levels in the body, which reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and angina. Reading the following warnings carefully will help to ensure you are selecting an appropriate product.
Muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps. On rare occasions, these muscle problems can be serious, including muscle breakdown resulting in kidney damage; and very rare deaths have occurred. Some other medicines may interact with Simvastatin. This could impact the effectiveness of either or both of the medicines. Otherwise, the combination could increase your risk of certain side effects. These medicines include:. The above list is not exhaustive. Please read all packaging and the Patient Information Leaflet before taking any new medicine and inform your doctor of medicines you are taking or intend to take.
Your doctor will advise you on the appropriate dosage of Simvastatin. The normal starting dose is 20mg at night, although this will depend on your current cholesterol levels. The tablets are to be swallowed whole with a sip of water.
Take one per day, ideally in the evening. This is because the liver most actively produces cholesterol at night. If you stop taking Simvastatin, your body will likely resume producing large quantities of cholesterol, which may lead to complications.
So, it must be taken long-term. Your doctor may adjust your dosage going forward, especially if you are at risk of coronary heart disease.
Simvastatin is most effective if combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Prescription medicines should only be one part of a healthy lifestyle. Lactose monohydrate , pregelatinised maize starch, ascorbic acid E , citric acid monohydrate E , microcrystalline cellulose E i , butylhydroxyanisole E , croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate E Not everyone will experience side effects when they take Simvastatin, however, if you do they can include:.
If you are overweight with high blood pressure, you may be at risk of diabetes while taking these tablets. Your doctor will monitor you while you take Simvastatin, and stop the prescription if complications develop.
If you are concerned about these effects, or if the product affects you in any other way, stop using it and talk to your doctor or pharmacist. These send information about how our site is used to a service called Google Analytics. We use this information to improve our site. Let us know if this is OK. Do not reduce your dose without talking to your doctor first. The usual starting dose in children is 10mg each evening. Your child's doctor might increase this after 4 weeks.
The dose is based on your child's age, going up to a maximum of 40mg. There's some evidence simvastatin works better at lowering cholesterol if you take it in the evening rather than in the morning.
If you occasionally forget to take a dose, take your next dose the next day at the usual time. Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take extra doses.
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you're worried or if you take more than 1 extra dose. Simvastatin seems to be a very safe medicine and it's unusual to have side effects. However, different statins can affect people in different ways. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if side effects bother you or don't go away.
They may recommend taking a different statin. One rare but serious side effect is unexplained muscle aches and pains. This is more likely if you're taking a higher dose of simvastatin - and it can happen a few weeks or months after you first start taking this medicine. Report any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness to a doctor straight away.
Another very rare side effect can be memory loss. This usually goes away when you stop taking the medicine. It happens rarely, but less than 1 in 1, people taking simvastatin may have a serious side effect. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to simvastatin. These are not all the side effects of simvastatin. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. Talk to your doctor if you're planning to become pregnant.
It's best to stop taking simvastatin at least 3 months before you start trying for a baby. If you become pregnant while taking simvastatin, stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor. It's not known if simvastatin passes into breast milk, but it may cause problems for your baby.
You may be able to stop taking simvastatin temporarily while you breastfeed. If you're taking simvastatin and need to take one of these medicines, your doctor may:. St John's wort, a herbal medicine taken for depression , reduces the amount of simvastatin in your blood, so it does not work as well. Talk to your doctor if you're thinking about starting St John's wort, as it will change how well simvastatin works.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. Simvastatin acts on the liver to stop it making cholesterol. This lowers your blood cholesterol level. For the first 12 months on this medicine, you'll be offered a couple of routine tests to make sure your liver is working OK.
Your cholesterol levels should drop noticeably within 4 weeks — if you take your medicine regularly, as prescribed. People with a known hypersensitivity or allergy to simvastatin medication should not use the medication. Simvastatin should generally not be used with certain CYP3A4 inhibitor medications.
People with liver disease should not use simvastatin medication. Simvastatin and alcohol should not be used concomitantly. Any concerns about possible side effects related to simvastatin prescription tablet use should be directed to a medical provider and pharmacist. Simvastatin - Medline. Last updated October 12, Please consult a licensed medical provider if you have additional questions.
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