Advice to patients (44) Simvastatin tablets
- Simvastatin tablets reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the body
and help prevent heart disease.
- The tablets should be taken once each day at night, because this is when
the most cholesterol is produced.
- It is important to stick to the diet advised by your doctor. Do not stop
taking these tablets or change your diet without speaking to your doctor first,
otherwise your condition could get worse.
- Like all medicines, simvastatin can have some unwanted effects. Nausea,
stomach upset and headache can occur, but may go away if you keep taking the
tablets. Tell the doctor straight away if you have any unusual muscle pain,
tenderness or weakness.
- Problems can occur if simvastatin is taken with some other medicines. Are
you taking any other prescribed medicines or medicines you have bought?
This series of "advice tips" on commonly used drugs is written by
pharmacists from the Sussex Pharmacy Academic Practice Unit. It is intended
as a reminder of points to be made by pharmacists as they hand out dispensed
medicines. The list is not intended to be comprehensive but to cover some important
points.
By Carina and Duncan Livingstone
Other advice
tips | Cards
for sale
©The Pharmaceutical Journal