ezetimibe/simvastatin vs simvastatin
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Side-by-side comparison of ezetimibe/simvastatin and simvastatin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Table 2: Drug Interactions that Increase the Risk of Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis with VYTORIN Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors Clinical Impact: Simvastatin is a substrate of CYP3A4. Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors with VYTORIN increases simvastatin exposure and increases the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, particularly with higher VYTORIN dosages. Lomitapide Clinical Impact: Simvastatin exposure is approximately doubled with concomitant use of lomitapide and the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased.
Vytorin
Zocor
Vytorin is a combination medicine that contains ezetimibe and simvastatin. It helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL-C) in your blood.
No summary available.
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.
Information not available.
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.
Information not available.
- • Headache
- • Increased liver enzyme (ALT)
- • Muscle pain
- • Upper respiratory tract infection
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Upper respiratory tract infection
- • Muscle pain
- • Diarrhea
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,008
- Feeling tired 771
- Feeling lightheaded 731
- General pain 702
- Muscle pain 669
- Fatigue 13,574
- Nausea 12,945
- Dyspnoea 12,431
- Diarrhoea 11,813
- Dizziness 10,971
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.
No specific warnings noted.
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.
No pregnancy information available.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare simvastatin with
How to Read This ezetimibe/simvastatin vs simvastatin Comparison
ezetimibe/simvastatin is classified in the Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor / Statin Combination drug class, while simvastatin sits within the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) 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 simvastatin has 61,734. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to certain drugs block the body's ability to break down simvastatin, causing the medicine to build up to high levels in the blood. this buildup significantly increases the risk of dangerous muscle breakdown.. 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 simvastatin.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.