Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking simvastatin

Simvastatin and pregnancy

Simvastatin is not recommended in pregnancy. If you become pregnant while taking simvastatin, stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor.

Talk to your doctor if you are planning to get pregnant. Whether you continue taking simvastatin or not depends on the reason you're taking it.

It may be possible to switch to a medicine that is better during pregnancy. Your doctor may decide that it's better for you to keep taking simvastatin until you have a positive pregnancy test and then stop.

Simvastatin and breastfeeding

It might be OK to take simvastatin while breastfeeding, but you may also be told to stop taking your medicine until you are not breastfeeding. Your doctor or pharmacist will help you decide.

It’s not yet known how much simvastatin passes into breast milk, but it’s likely to be a very small amount. It's unlikely to cause any side effects in your baby, or affect their cholesterol. However, until we know more about taking simvastatin while breastfeeding, other medicines may be recommended.

If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, or is not putting on weight as you would expect, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to your health visitor, midwife or doctor as soon as possible.

Simvastatin and fertility

There's no clear evidence that taking simvastatin reduces fertility in either men or women.

However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant.