#Simvastatin 20 mg side effect download

Muscle pain due to simvastatin can range from mild discomfort to intense pain that hampers everyday activities. This is usually experienced as soreness, tiredness and weakness in the muscles. The most common side effect of simvastatin is muscle pain. However, some people may experience rare and severe side effects of this cholesterol-lowering drug such as liver disease and memory loss. Simvastatin can cause many side effects but usually they are minor such as headache and nausea. Simvastatin must be taken in the exact dose as ordered by a doctor as side effects of the drug are mostly caused by changes in the dosage. Simvastatin comes as an oral tablet that should be taken once a day, usually in the evening, in average daily dose of 5 to 80 mg. Simvastatin Side EffectsWhen taking simvastatin, a patient must carefully follow the directions given on prescription label. Here is the list of common side effects of simvastatin. Simvastatin is also used to lower the risk of heart attack, coronary artery disease, stroke and other complications related to the heart in people with medical conditions that make them susceptible to heart problems.Īlthough simvastatin can significantly reduce levels of cholesterol, this drug entails numerous side effects. Apart from reducing amount of cholesterol and triglycerides, statins also increase levels of good cholesterol or HDL in the blood. They reduce production of cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG CoA reductase in the liver. Statins act by reducing levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Simvastatin belongs to the group of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, also known as statins.

#Simvastatin 20 mg side effect download

To learn more about the interactions of grapefruit and other foods with medicines, you may wish to download our free Guides to Drug and Food Interactions and Grapefruit Interactions.Simvastatin is a drug designed to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. We don’t yet have good ways to tell ahead of time who will get a very noticeable boost in blood levels from this interaction. Just to complicate the situation, some people react far more strongly when they eat grapefruit than others do. Daily grapefruit, however, could cause trouble since the grapefruit effect lasts at least 24 hours. When taken 12 hours apart, as your doctor recommends, blood levels go up by 90 percent.Įnjoying grapefruit once or twice a week probably won’t have a lasting effect. When grapefruit and simvastatin are taken together, blood levels of the drug increase by 260 percent ( Lee, Morris & Wald, American Journal of Medicine, Jan. The enzyme, called CYP3A4, is responsible for the metabolism of numerous medications in addition to simvastatin. This means more medicine circulates in the body, increasing the risk for side effects.

Grapefruit contains compounds (furanocoumarins) that inhibit a crucial enzyme in the digestive tract that breaks down many medications, including simvastatin. I take my pill in the evening, and he figures 12 hours or so is a safe time spread between medication and fruit. I can have half a grapefruit in the morning every five or six days. I discussed my cravings with my heart doctor and we reached a happy medium. That is because I take simvastatin to lower my cholesterol. I used to eat grapefruit often, but I have gone without it for several years now. Is there a happy medium? Can You Safely Eat Grapefruit While Taking Simvastatin? Now, some tell patients not to eat grapefruit at all when they are taking certain prescription drugs. When its ability to interact with medications was first discovered, many health professionals were skeptical. Do you know whether there are some foods you should avoid while you are taking your medicine? The classic example is grapefruit.