Simvastatin is a common prescription medication used to treat high cholesterol and high triglycerides. As this eMedTV page explains, it can also prevent cardiovascular disease. Dosing information, storage methods, and side effects are also covered.
What is Simvastatin used for? As this eMedTV page explains, Simvastatin treats high cholesterol and high triglycerides, as well as decreasing the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. This page also covers Simvastatin uses in children.
Diarrhea, gas, and nausea are a few common Simvastatin side effects. This eMedTV page also lists rare side effects like anxiety, and things to report to your doctor right away like muscle tenderness or weakness along with a fever or feeling of sickness.
Weight gain has been reported with other cholesterol medicines, but it is not a side effect of simvastatin. This eMedTV Web page provides more information on simvastatin and weight gain, and provides a list of tips that can help with weight loss.
Muscle pain is a common side effect of simvastatin. This is usually not a sign of a serious problem. As this eMedTV page explains, however, if you are taking simvastatin and muscle pain occurs with a fever, you should call your doctor right away.
In clinical studies, up to 1 percent of people have reported muscle aches with simvastatin. This eMedTV Web page explains when this side effect is more likely to occur and also describes two serious muscle problems that may occur with simvastatin.
Memory loss is a rare side effect that occurs in less than 1 percent of people taking simvastatin. This eMedTV page further discusses the association between memory loss and simvastatin, and explains what your doctor may suggest if this problem occurs.
Hepatitis, jaundice, or cirrhosis are all liver problems that can occur with simvastatin. This eMedTV article explains the link between liver problems and simvastatin, and lists possible symptoms that should be reported to your healthcare provider.
Joint pain is a rare but possible side effect of simvastatin. This article from the eMedTV site contains more information on joint pain and simvastatin, including an explanation of how long this pain usually lasts and tips for short-term pain relief.
Numerous side effects may occur with simvastatin and depression appears to be one of them. This article on the eMedTV Web site explains how common this side effect appears to be and lists possible signs and symptoms that may indicate depression.
The average daily Simvastatin dose is 5 mg to 80 mg. This eMedTV page also lists the starting dosages for adults and children, and advises talking with your healthcare provider if you're unsure about anything related to dosing with this medication.
Niacin, warfarin, and fibrates are among the drugs that can potentially interact with simvastatin. This eMedTV page explains how drug interactions with simvastatin can raise your risk of serious muscle problems (such as myopathy), among other things.
This eMedTV Web page explains why you may want to avoid mixing simvastatin and alcohol. Specifically, taking the two substances together may not be safe for people who regularly consume a large quantity of alcohol or for people with liver disease.
As this eMedTV page explains, there are many precautions and warnings of simvastatin to be aware of. Among other warnings, this page covers the safety of taking simvastatin if you are pregnant or nursing, or drink alcohol or grapefruit juice often.
Simvastatin is currently available in both brand-name and generic form. This section of the eMedTV Web site lists the various strengths available for generic simvastatin and explains which drug companies manufacture these products.
If simvastatin is taken during pregnancy, it could potentially cause harm to the fetus. This part of the eMedTV library offers more information on simvastatin and pregnancy, and explores some of the potential risks of using this drug while pregnant.
There are many alternatives to simvastatin for treating high cholesterol, including other statins. As this eMedTV article explains, other drugs that can be used as a substitute include fibrates, nicotinic acid, and bile acid sequestrants.
If you are taking simvastatin, grapefruit products should be avoided. As this eMedTV article explains, studies have shown that grapefruit juice can significantly increase the levels of simvastatin in the blood, increasing the risk of serious problems.
