fenofibrate vs simvastatin
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Side-by-side comparison of fenofibrate and simvastatin. 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.
TriCor, Antara
Zocor
Fenofibrate is a medicine that helps lower bad cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in your blood, while raising good cholesterol.
No summary available.
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.
Information not available.
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.
Information not available.
- • Abnormal liver function tests
- • Increased ALT (a liver enzyme)
- • Increased AST (a liver enzyme)
- • Increased CPK (a muscle enzyme)
- • Runny nose
- • Headache
- • Upper respiratory tract infection
- • Muscle pain
- • Diarrhea
- Nausea 2,912
- Fatigue 2,840
- Diarrhoea 2,681
- Dyspnoea 2,099
- Headache 2,058
- Fatigue 13,574
- Nausea 12,945
- Dyspnoea 12,431
- Diarrhoea 11,813
- Dizziness 10,971
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.
No specific warnings noted.
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.
No pregnancy information available.
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How to Read This fenofibrate vs simvastatin Comparison
fenofibrate is classified in the Fibrate 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, fenofibrate has 12,590 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 minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to taking these medicines together can cause more cholesterol to enter your bile, which increases the risk of developing 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 fenofibrate or simvastatin.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.