Zocor (Simvastatin)

Zocor (Simvastatin) Medication Information:

What is Zocor?

Zocor is a prescription medicine used to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the body. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors). Zocor is prescribed along with a low-fat diet and exercise.

Benefits and Uses of Zocor:

Zocor is used with diet in patients with the following health conditions:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) or high risk of CHD.
• Hyperlipidemia
• Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Zocor helps to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), apolipoprotein B, and triglycerides, and to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). It also reduces the risk of heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, and death.

Side Effects of Zocor:

The most common side effects of Zocor include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain, Constipation
• Upper respiratory infection, stuffy nose, sneezing, or sore throat.

In rare cases, Zocor may cause adverse side effects including:

• Swelling in the body.
• Severe abdominal pain, constipation, gastritis.
• Diabetes mellitus
• Headache, insomnia, vertigo, unexplained muscle weakness, or pain.
• Mild memory problems or confusion.
• Dark urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Respiratory disorders such as bronchitis and Sinusitis.
• Urinary tract infection.
• Allergic reaction, itching, swelling of the face, tongue, throat, dizziness, trouble breathing.

How to take Zocor?

Zocor is available in the form of tablets with different strengths: 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 40mg, and 80mg. The medicine is taken orally with or without food once daily in the evening as directed by your doctor.

The dosage depends on the medical condition of a patient. The recommended starting dose of Zocor is 10-20mg once a day. The starting dose for patients with a high risk of Coronary heart disease is 40mg once a day.

Due to the high risk of myopathy, an 80mg dose of Zocor is only prescribed to patients who have been taking simvastatin 80mg for 12 months or more without any muscle problems.

In case you missed a dose of Zocor, take it as soon as possible. If it is the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the usual time.

Zocor Drug Interactions:

Zocor may interact with other medicines which changes the efficacy of the medications or increases the risk for harmful reactions.

Before starting a new medicine, tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, including:

• Blood thinners such as warfarin.
• Danazol
• Immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine.
• Cholesterol-lowering medicine such as gemfibrozil.
• Antifungals such as itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole.
• Antiviral drugs such as boceprevir, cobicistat, nelfinavir, ritonavir, and telaprevir.
• Antibiotics such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, daptomycin, and telithromycin.
• Antidepressants such as nefazodone.
• Niacin (Chinese people should not take Niacin while taking Zocor).

Safety Information:

• Do not take Zocor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients of the medicine.
• Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice if you are taking Zocor.
• Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have had medical conditions such as liver disease, kidney disease, alcoholism, or muscle problems.
• Women should not take Zocor if they are pregnant or plan to become pregnant as the medicine may harm an unborn baby.
• Women taking Zocor should not breastfeed their babies as the medication may pass into breast milk.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages while taking Zocor as it may increase your risk for liver problems.
• If you have a surgery or dental procedure, tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking.

References:

• https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6040/zocor-oral/details
• https://www.rxlist.com/zocor-drug.htm
• https://www.organon.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zocor/zocor_pi.pdf