Drug Name: Zocor (Simvastatin)
Drug Uses: High blood cholesterol is first treated with exercise, weight loss, and a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fats. When these measures fail, cholesterol-lowering medications such as simvastatin can be added. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has published treatment guidelines for use of these medications. These treatment guidelines take into account the level of LDL cholesterol as well as the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, cigarette smoking, low HDL cholesterol level, and family history of early coronary heart disease. The effectiveness of the medication in lowering cholesterol is dose related. Blood cholesterol determinations are performed in regular intervals during treatment so that dosage adjustments can be made.
How Taken: Take simvastatin exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you. Take each dose with a full glass of water. For the greatest effect, simvastatin is usually taken at bedtime or with an evening meal. Follow your doctor's instructions. Your doctor may want to monitor your liver function with blood tests before starting treatment with simvastatin and every six months after both the start of your treatment and any increase in dose. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with simvastatin. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor. Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. To realize beneficial effects from simvastatin, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods. It is important to take simvastatin regularly to get the most benefit. Do not stop taking simvastatin without first talking to your doctor. Simvastatin may need to be taken on a long-term basis for the treatment of high cholesterol. Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with simvastatin to monitor progress and side effects.
Drug Class and Mechanism Simvastatin is a cholesterol- lowering medicine. It inhibits the production of cholesterol by the liver. It lowers overall blood cholesterol as well as blood LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol is believed to be the "bad" cholesterol that is primarily responsible for the development of coronary artery disease. Lowering LDL cholesterol levels retards progression and may even reverse coronary artery disease.
Missed Dose Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.
Storage Tablets should be stored at room temperature in a tightly closed container.
