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Information for Simcor Medicine

Simcor was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2008 as the single pill combining two prescription therapies for improving cholesterol levels. Along with a healthy diet, Simcor is supposed to help patients lower total cholesterol levels, lower LDL and triglyceride levels and raise "good" cholesterol (HDL) levels when other therapies have proven or are considered to be inadequate.

  1. The Facts

    • Simcor is a combination of simvastatin and niacin and is used to lower triglyceride and fat levels in the blood. Lowering bad cholesterol and triglycerides helps to avoid atherosclerosis and heart disease which can result in stroke, vascular disease and heart attack. Niacin (Vitamin B3) occurs naturally in animals and plants. Simvastatin is a medication which works by blocking the body's ability to produce cholesterol. Together, they present a new option in the fight against harmful cholesterol levels.

    Considerations

    • Clinical trials to determine the effective nature of the medication (along with safety) were conducted (Seacoast clinical trials) and showed that patients taking Simcor yielded noteworthy improvements in cholesterol levels and triglycerides, in contrast to those taking simvastatin alone. While Simcor is usually well tolerated in most patients, it does pose some risks. Talk to your doctor about any medical conditions that may be affected by taking Simcor. You should not take Simcor if you are allergic to either component or if you have an ulcer, liver disease, diabetes, hypothyroid, kidney disease, gout or if you are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) or breast feeding.

    Side Effects

    • Possible side effects include tingling skin (or warmth/redness of the skin), chills, sweating, dizziness, swelling, back pain, abdominal pain, headache, cold symptoms, runny nose, constipation, nausea, diarrhea or rash/itching. Serious side effects could include feeling faint, a rapid or pounding heart beat, shortness of breath or tenderness and muscle pain and weakness with flu symptoms and/or fever accompanied by dark (cola) colored urine. If you experience any of these serious symptoms, call your doctor.

    What to Avoid While Taking Simcor

    • Before taking Simcor, you should tell your doctor about all medications, including OTCs, herbal supplements and vitamins. Certain drugs may affect Simcor like cyclosporine, amiodarone, digoxin, danazol, gemfibrozil, fenofibrate, warfarin, niacin, varapamil, HIV/AIDS medications (like ampreavir, delavirdine, indinavir, nelfinavir, lopinavir and saquinavir) and certain antibiotics (like erythromycin, clotrimazole, clarithromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, telithromycin, troleandomycin and voriconazole). You should also avoid drinking hot beverages right after taking Simcor since they can exacerbate the flushing (warmth, tingly, redness and itching under the skin) effect. Also avoid taking colestipol or cholestyramine within four hours of taking Simcor. Avoid drinking alcohol as it will put you at an increased risk of liver damage while taking Simcor.

    Warning

    • Ingesting large amounts of grapefruit or grapefruit juice could pose a risk or interfere with the effectiveness of Simcor. Discuss your grapefruit intake with your doctor to minimize your risks. Simvastatin has caused a serious condition in some patients. Rhabdomylsis is a condition in which your muscle tissue breaks down and, if left untreated, can progress to kidney damage and failure. If you experience any strange tenderness or muscle pain, weaken, fever and/or dark urine be sure to contact your doctor right away.

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