vytorin
ezetimibe and simvastatin (eh ZEH teh mib and SIM va stah tin)
What is the most important information I should know about Vytorin?
• Do not stop taking Vytorin unless directed to do so by your doctor vytorin. Itmay be weeks or months before beneficial effects are seen from this medication vytorin.
• Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been associatedwith the use of Vytorin and other similar medicines vytorin. Contact your doctor immediatelyif you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especiallyif accompanied by a fever or flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes,abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools vytorin. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems vytorin.
• Do not take Vytorin without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease vytorin.
• Alcohol and Vytorin can both be damaging to the liver vytorin. Alcohol shouldbe used only in moderation vytorin. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so thatthe potential for liver problems can be determined vytorin.
• Do not take Vytorin if you are pregnant, could become pregnant duringtreatment, or if you are breast-feeding a baby vytorin.
What is Vytorin?
• Vytorin reduces the amount of cholesterol (a type of fat) absorbed bythe body and blocks the production of cholesterol in the body vytorin.
• Vytorin is used to reduce the total amounts of cholesterol, LDL (bad)cholesterol, triglycerides (another type of fat), and apolipoprotein B (a proteinneeded to make cholesterol) in your blood vytorin. Vytorin is also used to increasethe level of HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood vytorin. These actions may reducethe risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke,and peripheral vascular disease vytorin.
• Vytorin may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide vytorin.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Vytorin?
• Before taking Vytorin, tell your doctor if you
· have liver or kidney disease;
· drink alcoholic beverages;
· have hypothyroidism (low thyroid function);
· have a chronic muscular disease or have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness,or weakness;
· are taking another cholesterol-lowering medication; or
· have a blood disorder vytorin.
• You may not be able to take Vytorin, or you may require a dosage adjustmentor special monitoring during treatment vytorin.
• Vytorin is in the FDA pregnancy category X vytorin. This means that Vytorin isknown to cause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy vytorin. Do not take Vytorinif you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment vytorin.
• It is not known whether Vytorin passes into breast milk vytorin. Do not takesimvastatin without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding ababy vytorin.
How should I take Vytorin?
• Take Vytorin exactly as directed by your doctor vytorin. If you do not understandthese instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them toyou vytorin.
• Take Vytorin once a day with or without food vytorin. It may be easier to rememberto take the medication if you take it at the same time every day vytorin.
• Vytorin should be taken 2 hours before or 4 hours after a bile acid sequestrantsuch as cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colestipol (Colestid),or colesevelam (Welchol) vytorin.
• Your doctor may want to monitor cholesterol levels, liver function, orother factors with blood tests before starting and during treatment with Vytorin vytorin. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determine how muchmonitoring you will require vytorin.
• Do not stop taking Vytorin unless directed to do so by your doctor vytorin. Itmay be weeks or months before beneficial effects are seen from this medication vytorin.
• Store Vytorin at room temperature away from moisture and heat vytorin.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember vytorin. However, if it is almosttime for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularlyscheduled dose vytorin. Do not take a double dose of the medication vytorin.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected vytorin.
• Symptoms of an Vytorin overdose may include nausea, diarrhea, stomachdistress, and indigestion. vytorin.
What should I avoid while taking Vytorin?
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet vytorin. To see beneficial effects from Vytorinavoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods vytorin.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Vytorin vytorin. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects vytorin. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor vytorin. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor vytorin.
• Both alcohol and ezetimibe/simvastatin can be damaging to the liver vytorin. Alcohol should be used only in moderation vytorin. Discuss the use of alcohol with yourdoctor so that the potential for liver problems can be determined vytorin.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight or artificial UV light (e.g., tanningbeds) vytorin. Vytorin may increase the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, and burningmay result vytorin. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen if exposure to the sun isunavoidable vytorin.
What are the possible side effects of Vytorin?
• Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been associatedwith the use of Vytorin and other similar medicines vytorin. Contact your doctor immediatelyif you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especiallyif accompanied by a fever or flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes,abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools vytorin. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems vytorin.
• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop takingVytorin and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
· decreased urine or rust-colored urine; or
· blurred vision vytorin.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur vytorin. Continueto take Vytorin and talk to your doctor if you experience
· gas, bloating, nausea, stomach upset, heartburn, abdominal pain, constipation,or diarrhea;
· cough;
· tiredness;
· headache; or
· insomnia vytorin.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur vytorin. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome vytorin.
What other drugs will affect Vytorin?
• Do not take Vytorin without first talking to your doctor if you are takingany of the following medicines:
· cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
· atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altocor,Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) or simvastatin (Zocor);
· gemfibrozil (Lopid), fenofibrate (Tricor) or clofibrate (Atromid-S);
· niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others);
· erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, others), telithromycin (Ketek)or clarithromycin (Biaxin);
· cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);
· an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole(Diflucan), or ketoconazole (Nizoral);
· nefazodone (Serzone);
· digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
· warfarin (Coumadin);
· a protease inhibitor such as amprenavir (Agenerase), indinavir (Crixivan),nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), lopinavir-ritonavir (Kaletra), orsaquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase);
· amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacer one); or
· verapamil (Calan, Covera-HS, Isoptin, Verelan) vytorin.
• You may not be able to take Vytorin, or you may require a dosage adjustmentor special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicineslisted above vytorin.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Vytorin vytorin. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products vytorin.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist may have more information about Vytorin written for healthprofessionals that you may read vytorin.
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