What Are The Side Effects of Simvastatin?
Simvastatin also known as Zocor (brand name), is a drug that is used to reduce cholesterol levels for patients with hypercholesterolemia and is classified under the category of Statins. You can find Simvastatin in 80 mg, 40 mg, 20 mg, 10 mg and 5 mg doses and they are all primarily used in reducing LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) levels so as to prevent atherosclerotic vascular disease in which arteries become clogged as a result of the accumulation of fats.
Simvastatin has also been approved by the FDA for mixed hyperlipidemia, type 4 hyperlipidemia, dysbetalipoproteinemia, and cardiovascular adverse event prophylaxis in people who have a high risk of developing heart attack or and other cardiovascular problems which may be due to diabetes, regarded as peripheral vascular disease or coronary heart disease.
Simvastatin however as well as other drugs classified as Statins come with some side effects.
Comprehensive List of Side Effects:
It is very important to know everything about Simvastatin side effects when you’re taking it. Simvastatin is used in both children and adults to help control the level of cholesterol in the body. It works by reducing the level at which cholesterol is produced, and in the process, it can also introduce different side effects to the body. It has some common side effects as well as rare ones, if you experience any of those make sure to let your doctor know about it right away.
Below are some common Simvastatin side effects which usually affect everyone using the drug. If they become more frequent it is very important that you get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible.
Common Simvastatin side effects:
- headache
- weakness, lack of energy
- runny or stuffy nose
- diarrhea
- itching
- muscle pain, tenderness
There are also some other rare Simvastatin side effects which you may experience, these are more serious, let your doctor know immediately if you experience any of them. Some of them are:
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- dark red urine
- fever
- dark red urine
- swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, lower legs or throat
- excessive fatigue
- hives
- joint pain
- rashes
- sensitivity to light
- blisters
Some patients also experience the following conditions while taking Simvastatin. However, it is still not clear whether the side effects are as a result of taking the drug or not. Some of them are:
- muscle cramps
- serious breakdown of muscle
- joint pain
- muscle aches
- depression
- insomnia
- memory loss
- anxiety
- allergic reactions
- breast development in boys
- hepatitis
- worsening of cataracts
- pancreatitis
- unexplained rash
- impotence
- itchy skin
- eczema
- increase in liver enzymes
- vertigo, spinning sensation
Digestive problems while taking Simvastatin are not common. However, some Simvastatin side effects that may be experienced are nausea and constipation. Though it is very important that you drink fluids when you’re on Simvastatin, make sure that you do not drink grapefruit juices along with it. The reason is that when grapefruit is mixed up with statins, the elements of the grapefruit make it difficult for the enzymes to break down the drug, leading to the accumulation of high amounts of Simvastatin in your system. This can be very dangerous and may damage the liver.
There are many side effects associated with Simvastatin, but they are not fully confirmed as of yet. This is because there are some people who take it without experiencing any side effects, and even if those effects are experienced at all, they are very minor in nature. Most of the time, the Simvastatin side effects may not even require any treatment or medical help of some sort because they generally disappear on their own. This also applies in the case of muscle pain, which is one of the common Simvastatin side effects today.
Women also experience Simvastatin side effects like men, but the one which is commonly found in men is gynecomastia (development of the breast), which leads to enlarged breasts in men. Another common side effect is that some men are likely to experience impotence with Simvastatin. This is according to some studies which have been carried out recently in the US, Europe and Australia, in which some patients took the drug and were monitored for weeks. However, the impotence that can be traced to Simvastatin has proven to be reversible because the sexual function was restored immediately after the patients stopped taking the drug.
Your dosage of Simvastatin should be prescribed and determined by the doctor. You should not take a higher dose than what you have been recommended. Another thing is that you must not take the drug for a period longer than the doctor’s prescription. The use of Simvastatin in treating high cholesterol in adults usually ranges between 5-80 mg everyday. The dosage for children should also be according to the instructions of the doctor. You should also take every dosage with food specially if you take a higher dose of Simvastatin, but according to the prescription of the doctor. In case of a single dose, you may take it before going to bed.
Simvastatin side effects can be very serious if the drug is taken without an actual prescription of a doctor. Therefore, you should make sure that the drug is taken only after it has been recommended by a medical professional. Do not use on your own it even if you feel that it is necessary.
