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What is Vytorin
 Vytorin
reduces the amount of cholesterol (a type of fat) absorbed
by the body and blocks the production of cholesterol in the
body.
Vytorin
is used to reduce the total amounts of cholesterol, LDL (bad)
cholesterol, triglycerides (another type of fat), and apolipoprotein
B (a protein needed to make cholesterol) in your blood. Vytorin
is also used to increase the level of HDL (good) cholesterol
in your blood. These actions may reduce the risk of hardening
of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke,
and peripheral vascular disease.
Vytorin
may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this
medication guide.
General medical information about Vytorin
Do not stop taking Vytorin unless directed to do
so by your doctor. It may be weeks or months before beneficial
effects are seen from this medication.
Rare cases
of muscle problems and liver problems have been associated
with the use of Vytorin and other similar medicines. Contact
your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle
pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if 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. These may be early symptoms
of muscle or liver problems.
Do not take Vytorin
without first talking to your doctor if you have liver disease.
Alcohol and Vytorin can both be damaging to the liver.
Alcohol should be used only in moderation. Discuss the use
of alcohol with your doctor so that the potential for liver
problems can be determined.
Do not take Vytorin if
you are pregnant, could become pregnant during treatment,
or if you are breast-feeding a baby.
What you should find out 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.
You may not be able to take Vytorin, or
you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring
during treatment.
Vytorin is in the FDA pregnancy
category X. This means that Vytorin is known to cause birth
defects if it is taken during pregnancy. Do not take Vytorin
if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether Vytorin passes into breast
milk. Do not take simvastatin without first talking to your
doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should take Vytorin Take Vytorin exactly as directed by your doctor.
If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist,
nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Take Vytorin
once a day with or without food. It may be easier to remember
to take the medication if you take it at the same time every
day.
Vytorin should be taken 2 hours before or 4
hours after a bile acid sequestrant such as cholestyramine
(Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colestipol (Colestid),
or colesevelam (Welchol).
Your doctor may want to
monitor cholesterol levels, liver function, or other factors
with blood tests before starting and during treatment with
Vytorin. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor
can determine how much monitoring you will require.
Do not stop taking Vytorin unless directed to do so by your
doctor. It may be weeks or months before beneficial effects
are seen from this medication.
Store Vytorin at room
temperature away from moisture and heat.
If you miss a dose: Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However,
if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed
dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do
not take a double dose of the medication.
What happens if you overdose: Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is
suspected.
Symptoms of an Vytorin overdose may include
nausea, diarrhea, stomach distress, and indigestion..
Avoid while taking Vytorin Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. To see beneficial
effects from Vytorin avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with
Vytorin. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous
effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice
with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount
of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking
to your doctor.
Both alcohol and ezetimibe/simvastatin
can be damaging to the liver. Alcohol should be used only
in moderation. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor
so that the potential for liver problems can be determined.
Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight or artificial
UV light (e.g., tanning beds). Vytorin may increase the
sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, and burning may result.
Wear protective clothing and sunscreen if exposure to the
sun is unavoidable.
Possible side effects of Vytorin Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems
have been associated with the use of Vytorin and other similar
medicines. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience
unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially
if 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. These may be
early symptoms of muscle or liver problems.
If you
experience any of the following serious side effects, stop
taking Vytorin 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.
Other,
less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue
to 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.
Side effects other than those listed here may also
occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems
unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect Vytorin Do not take Vytorin without first talking to your
doctor if you are taking any 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), or saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase);
-
amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacer one); or
- verapamil
(Calan, Covera-HS, Isoptin, Verelan).
You may not
be able to take Vytorin, or you may require a dosage adjustment
or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking
any of the medicines listed above.
Drugs
other than those listed here may also interact with Vytorin.
Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription
or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals,
and herbal products. |
