Product Details
What is this medicine used for?
It is used in patients with hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease and hypercholesterolemia to decrease the risk of fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and decrease the incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attacks.
How much and how often should you use this medicine?
Coronary Heart Disease
- Initial Dose: 20 mg once daily at bedtime
- May be increased at intervals of not less than 4 weeks to a maximum of 80 mg
- once daily given as a single dose at bedtime.
Hyperlipidemia
- Initial Dose: 20 mg once daily at bedtime
- Patients who require only a moderate reduction of LDL-C may be started at 10 mg once daily at bedtime.
Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia
- Initial Dose: 40 mg once daily at bedtime or 80 mg/day in 3 divided doses of 20 mg, 20mg and 40 mg given in the morning, afternoon and evening, respectively.
Renal Insufficiency
- Initial Dose: 5 mg once daily at bedtime with close monitoring
- Initiating therapy in patients with severe renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min) at a dose above 10 mg/day should be considered carefully and implemented cautiously.
- Dose modification should not be necessary in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment because simvastatin does not undergo substantial renal excretion.
Or, as prescribed by a physician.
Contraindications
- Erythromycin, Clarithromycin: increased risk of muscle pain and weakness
- Niacin: increased risk of muscle pain and weakness
- Grapefruit juice: increased risk of muscle pain and weakness
- Itraconazole, Ketoconazole: increased risk of muscle pain and weakness
- Nelfinavir, Ritonavir, Saquinavir: increased risk of liver damage
- Diagnosed with liver disease, rhabdomyolysis
Availability
- Simvastatin 20 mg Tablet – Box of 100’s (in blister foil by 10’s)
- Simvastatin 40 mg Tablet – Box of 100’s (in blister foil by 10’s)
