Simvastatin is used to lower cholesterol if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol. It’s also taken to prevent heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. It belongs to a group of medicines called statins.
Your doctor may prescribe simvastatin if you have a family history of heart disease, or a long-term health condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, or type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Simvastatin is available on prescription as tablets. You can also buy it as a low strength, 10mg tablet from a pharmacy.
Simvastatin is also available as tablets combined with other medicines that lower cholesterol:
- Cholib – combined with fenofibrate
- Inegy – combined with ezetimibe
Key facts
- It’s unusual to have any side effects from taking simvastatin.
- Most people with high cholesterol do not have any symptoms, but keep taking simvastatin even if you feel well. When taken regularly, it will take about 4 weeks for your cholesterol level to fall.
- Do not take simvastatin if you’re pregnant. Talk to your doctor of pharmacist if you’re breastfeeding as they may recommend that you take a different medicine.
- Do not drink grapefruit juice while you’re taking simvastatin. It can increase the level of simvastatin in your blood.
- Because your body makes most of its cholesterol at night, it is better to take simvastatin in the evening.