Dosing With Simvastatin

The recommended starting Simvastatin dosage for people with high cholesterol is 20 mg to 40 mg daily. People who have severe kidney disease, who are over the age of 65, or who take cyclosporine may be recommended to take a lower starting dose of Simvastatin, such as Simvastatin 5 mg daily. For children, the recommended starting Simvastatin dose is 10 mg once daily. Among the factors that can affect dosing with Simvastatin are the medical condition you are being treated for, other medical conditions you may have, and other medications you may be currently taking.
 

Dosing With Simvastatin: An Introduction

Simvastatin is the compound used for making Zocor® along with a generic version called Simvastatin tablets. The dosage of Simvastatin your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your age
  • The medical condition you are being treated for
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may be currently taking
  • Your cholesterol goal.
     
As always, do not adjust your Simvastatin dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Dosing With Simvastatin for High Cholesterol

The recommended starting dosage of Simvastatin for most people with
 high cholesterol is Simvastatin 20 mg to 40 mg once a day, taken at night. If you are over 65 years of age, taking cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®, or danazol, also sold as Danacrine®), or have severe kidney disease, your healthcare provider may choose to start you on a lower dose of Simvastatin, such as Simvastatin 5 mg daily.
 
After several weeks, your healthcare provider will recommend that you return to have your cholesterol levels checked again. If you have not reached your cholesterol goal at this time, your healthcare provider may choose to increase your Simvastatin dosage. The Simvastatin dosage can also be decreased if side effects of Simvastatin occur. The average daily dosage for people taking Simvastatin is Simvastatin 5 mg to Simvastatin 80 mg, once a day.
 
(Dosing With Simvastatin Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;