Simvarol Tablet (Simvastatin)

Adult dose

Patients before and during treatment with this medication must follow standard cholesterol-lowering diets. The recommended starting dose to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is 40 mg once daily. The common starting dose for treating hyperlipidemia is 20 mg once daily in the evening, and mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia patients may start with 10 mg. The dosage can be 5 to 40 mg once daily in the evening.

Child dose

The recommended starting dose for pediatric patients (10 to 17 years old) with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is 10 mg once daily in the evening. The recommended dosing range is 10 to 40 mg daily, with a maximum dose of 40 mg.

This medication can cause serious muscle-related side effects such as myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, which are closely related to the dosage taken. Patients on an 80 mg dose have a higher risk of myopathy, so it is advisable to reduce the dosage or switch to another medication when taking other drugs that interact with this medication. Patients with allergies to this medication or its components, patients with severely impaired liver function, women who are pregnant or nursing, patients taking strong CYP3A4 inhibitors, and those taking specific medications (gemfibrozil, cyclosporine, danazol) should not use this medication. Patients with certain genetic disorders such as lactose intolerance should also avoid this medication. Alcoholics, patients with liver or kidney dysfunction, patients with hypothyroidism, those with hereditary muscle diseases or a history of muscle-related conditions, patients with severe muscle weakness, older adults, and women should use this medication with caution. This medication can cause various side effects such as edema, abdominal pain, constipation, headache, and upper respiratory infections, and immediate consultation with a physician is recommended if symptoms such as muscle pain or weakness occur. Since this drug is primarily metabolized by the liver, patients with liver dysfunction should undergo regular liver function tests and discontinue use if symptoms of liver impairment appear. Additionally, this medication can interact with several drugs, so it is crucial to inform healthcare providers about any other medications being taken, particularly if combined with CYP3A4 inhibitors, fibrates, calcium channel blockers, niacin, certain antibiotics, and antivirals. Women who are pregnant or likely to become pregnant should not take this medication, and if pregnancy is confirmed, they should discontinue use immediately. Nursing mothers should also stop breastfeeding while taking this medication. This medication should not be given to children under 10 years old or premenarchal females, and children over 10 years should take it according to a physician’s instructions. Older adults may have increased blood levels of this medication, leading to a higher risk of myopathy, requiring dosage adjustment and caution. If symptoms like muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness arise during treatment, it is advised to promptly inform a physician and regularly check muscle enzyme levels through blood tests. Patients taking this medication should avoid CYP3A4 inhibiting drinks like grapefruit juice, and in case of overdose, should seek immediate medical assistance. Keep out of reach of children and store the medication in its original container to prevent misuse and degradation of quality.

Serious side effects

Hives, severe swelling (edema), chest tightness, difficulty breathing, cold sweats, pallor, severe rash with fever, blisters, skin peeling, pain in mucous membranes of mouth/eyes, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, asthma attacks, cough with fever, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), extreme fatigue, sudden and severe headache, thunderclap headache, seizures, confusion, visual disturbances, paralysis, urinary retention

Mild side effects

• Abdominal pain
• weakness
• constipation
• diarrhea
• indigestion
• bloating
• nausea
• headache
• upper respiratory infection
• atrial fibrillation

This medication should be stored in a tightly sealed container to prevent exposure to air or moisture. The storage temperature should ideally remain between 1 to 30 degrees Celsius at room temperature, which will help maintain the efficacy of the medication.

Appearance

Brownish-yellow oval film-coated tablet

Package unit

30 tablets/bottle, 300 tablets/bottle