Lipex

Lipex (Simvastatin) helps to lower high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Lipex (Simvastatin) is used in people who have coronary heart disease (CHD) or who are at high risk of CHD (for example, if they have diabetes, a history of stroke, or other blood vessel disease). Lipex (Simvastatin) may be used in these people, regardless of their cholesterol level to help prolong life by reducing the risk of a heart attack, reduce the risk of stroke, reduce the need for surgery to increase blood flow to the heart, reduce the need for hospitalisation due to angina.

Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take each day. This depends on your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and other factors, such as kidney disease. The recommended starting dose is 10mg or 20 mg per day, taken in the evening, which may need to be increased up to 80 mg daily to have the best effect.

These are the more common side effects of Lipex (Simvastatin). For the most part these have been mild and short-lived; constipation, diarrhoea, wind, stomach upset or pain, feeling sick (nausea), headache, dizziness. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following; aching muscles, muscle tenderness or weakness, not caused by exercise, tingling in the hands or feet, yellowing of the skin and/or eyes, also called jaundice, signs of anaemia, such as tiredness, being short of breath, and looking pale, fever, generally feeling unwell, skin rash, itchiness, pinkish, itchy swellings on the skin, also called hives or nettlerash, painful, swollen joints, bruising more easily than normal, larger breasts than normal in men.

Do not take Lipex (Simvastatin) if you have an allergy to any of the ingredients. Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include skin rash, itchiness, shortness of breath, swelling of the tongue or face, or painful joints; you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Your baby may absorb this medicine in the womb or from breast milk and therefore there is a possibility of harm to the baby; you have liver disease; you have had muscle pain, tenderness or weakness from other medicines used to treat high cholesterol or triglycerides; you have kidney disease or any other medical problems; you drink alcohol regularly; you have any allergies to any other medicines or any other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes.

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. Some medicines should not be taken with Lipex (Simvastatin) as they may increase the risk of muscle side effects with Lipex (Simvastatin).