Simvastatin: Price, Dosage & Where to Buy

Simvastatin is a statin medicine, also called an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, used mainly to lower LDL cholesterol in people with high cholesterol alongside changes to diet. It reduces the amount of cholesterol made by the liver and requires a prescription in the United Kingdom. It is also used to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in certain high-risk adults.

Simvastatin is used alongside diet to lower LDL cholesterol, often called bad cholesterol, in adults with high blood cholesterol. It also treats an inherited form of high cholesterol called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia in adults and children aged 10 years and older. For adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia, it is used alongside other LDL-lowering treatments.

Other uses alongside diet include high triglycerides and primary dysbetalipoproteinaemia, a condition involving abnormal levels of blood fats. In adults at high risk who have coronary heart disease, disease affecting blood vessels in the brain or limbs, or diabetes, simvastatin reduces the risk of heart-related death, non-fatal heart attacks and strokes. It also reduces the need for procedures to restore blood flow.

Simvastatin belongs to the statin group of medicines. Statins block an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which the liver uses to make cholesterol. When the liver makes less cholesterol, it also removes more LDL cholesterol from the blood.

This lowers the amount circulating in the body. Lowering LDL helps limit the build-up of fatty deposits inside blood vessels, which is part of how statins reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The label lists oral film-coated tablets containing 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg. The label lists once-daily administration in the evening. The label lists a recommended adult dosage range of 20 mg to 40 mg once daily and a maximum recommended dosage of 40 mg once daily.

The label lists 80 mg daily only for patients already receiving that dosage long term without evidence of muscle toxicity. The label lists a starting dosage of 5 mg once daily for severe kidney impairment. The label lists a maximum of 10 mg once daily with verapamil, diltiazem or dronedarone, and 20 mg once daily with amiodarone, amlodipine or ranolazine.

Other interacting medicines can also require dosage changes. The label describes cholesterol testing after treatment begins and adjustment when necessary. It recommends an alternative LDL-lowering treatment when a high-intensity statin is needed or the cholesterol goal is not reached.

The label describes a missed dose being resumed as soon as possible and says the next dose should not be doubled. If the timing is unclear, ask a pharmacist for advice. A missed dose should not be made up by adding an extra dose to the next scheduled dose.

Simvastatin may cause harm to an unborn baby because it reduces cholesterol production. The label recommends stopping treatment when pregnancy is recognised, while allowing consideration of the person's ongoing treatment needs. Available studies have not identified a medicine-related risk of major birth defects, but evidence is insufficient to determine miscarriage risk.

Discuss pregnancy promptly with the prescriber. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment because of possible harm to the infant. There is no information about simvastatin in human milk or its effects on milk production or the breastfed infant.

No specific storage temperature, light or moisture conditions are listed for this product. Keep the tablets in their original packaging, away from excess heat and moisture and out of the sight and reach of children. Follow the storage directions on the dispensing label.