ezetimibe/simvastatin vs fenofibrate
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Side-by-side comparison of ezetimibe/simvastatin and fenofibrate. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
( 7.3 ) Fenofibrates: Combination increases exposure of ezetimibe. If cholelithiasis is suspected in a patient receiving ezetimibe and a fenofibrate, gallbladder studies are indicated and alternative lipid-lowering therapy should be considered. Fenofibrates Clinical Impact: Both ezetimibe and fenofibrates may increase cholesterol excretion into the bile, leading to cholelithiasis.
Vytorin
TriCor, Antara
Vytorin is a combination medicine that contains ezetimibe and simvastatin. It helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL-C) in your blood.
Fenofibrate is a medicine that helps lower bad cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in your blood, while raising good cholesterol.
Vytorin is used along with a healthy diet to lower high LDL cholesterol. It is used in adults with primary hyperlipidemia and in adults and children 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). Vytorin can also be used with other cholesterol-lowering treatments for adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). Simvastatin, one of the drugs in Vytorin, can also lower the risk of heart problems like heart attack and stroke in adults with heart disease, blood vessel disease, or diabetes.
This medicine is used with a diet to treat high cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides (fats) in the blood. It helps adults who have primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia. It can also treat adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia. However, fenofibrate has not been proven to prevent heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
Ezetimibe reduces the amount of cholesterol your body absorbs from food. Simvastatin belongs to a class of drugs called statins. Statins lower cholesterol by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol.
Fenofibrate is a type of drug called a PPAR alpha agonist. It works by activating a protein in your body that helps break down fats and cholesterol. This leads to lower levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and higher levels of good cholesterol.
- • Headache
- • Increased liver enzyme (ALT)
- • Muscle pain
- • Upper respiratory tract infection
- • Diarrhea
- • Abnormal liver function tests
- • Increased ALT (a liver enzyme)
- • Increased AST (a liver enzyme)
- • Increased CPK (a muscle enzyme)
- • Runny nose
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,008
- Feeling tired 771
- Feeling lightheaded 731
- General pain 702
- Muscle pain 669
- Nausea 2,912
- Fatigue 2,840
- Diarrhoea 2,681
- Dyspnoea 2,099
- Headache 2,058
Vytorin can cause muscle problems, including myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. Vytorin can also cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking Vytorin and while you take it.
Fenofibrate can cause liver problems. Your doctor should check your liver function with blood tests before you start taking it and regularly while you are taking it. Stop taking fenofibrate and tell your doctor right away if you have signs of liver problems, such as yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, or stomach pain. Fenofibrate can also cause muscle pain or weakness, especially if you are also taking a statin medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness.
Do not take Vytorin if you are pregnant. It can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, as it is not recommended during treatment with Vytorin.
It is not known if fenofibrate will harm an unborn baby. You should only use fenofibrate during pregnancy if your doctor decides that the benefit outweighs the risk. You should not breastfeed while taking fenofibrate.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare fenofibrate with
How to Read This ezetimibe/simvastatin vs fenofibrate Comparison
ezetimibe/simvastatin is classified in the Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor / Statin Combination drug class, while fenofibrate sits within the Fibrate class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, ezetimibe/simvastatin has 3,881 submissions while fenofibrate has 12,590. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these medicines cause more cholesterol to be released into your bile. this extra cholesterol can clump together and form painful gallstones.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for ezetimibe/simvastatin or fenofibrate.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.