Simvastatin and Niacin Interaction
Drug interaction information between Simvastatin and Niacin.
Simvastatin and Niacin have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.
FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Simvastatin and Niacin. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.
How They Interact
Taking high doses of niacin (1 gram or more per day) along with simvastatin can increase the risk of severe muscle damage.
FDA Label Information
Niacin Clinical Impact: Cases of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis have been observed with concomitant use of lipid modifying dosages of niacin-containing products (≥1 gram/day niacin) with ezetimibe and simvastatin. In a clinical trial (median follow-up 3.9 years) of patients at high risk of CVD and with well-controlled LDL-C levels on simvastatin 40 mg/day with or without ezetimibe 10 mg/day, there was no incremental benefit on cardiovascular outcomes with the addition of lipid-modifying doses of niacin Intervention: Concomitant use of ezetimibe and simvastatin with lipid-modifying dosages of...
Simvastatin Also Interacts With
- Diltiazem major
- Verapamil major
- Cyclosporine major
- Amiodarone major
- Dronedarone major
Niacin Also Interacts With
- Atorvastatin moderate
- Ezetimibe moderate
- Ezetimibe/Simvastatin moderate
- Fluvastatin moderate
- Lovastatin moderate
Frequently Asked Questions
What SPL severity band is on file for Simvastatin + Niacin?
Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair moderate. That is a source-record field, not an individual medication-combination decision.
Which drug in this pair has the larger labeled-interaction portfolio?
Simvastatin has 41 labeled pairs on file vs Niacin's 21. In the moderate band specifically: Simvastatin has 9 (also Ezetimibe, Daptomycin, Colchicine, Bempedoic Acid); Niacin has 10 (also Atorvastatin, Ezetimibe, Ezetimibe/Simvastatin, Fluvastatin).
What mechanism field is on file for Simvastatin and Niacin?
Taking high doses of niacin (1 gram or more per day) along with simvastatin can increase the risk of severe muscle damage.
Simvastatin carries more major-labeled pairs than Niacin
SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is moderate · classes on file: Simvastatin (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)); Niacin (Vitamin B3 (Lipid-Modifying)).
Simvastatin has 11 major-labeled pairs vs Niacin's 0. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.
11 major · 9 moderate · 21 minor · 41 total
- Other moderate peers for Simvastatin
- Ezetimibe
- Daptomycin
- Colchicine
- Bempedoic Acid
0 major · 10 moderate · 11 minor · 21 total
- Other moderate peers for Niacin
- Atorvastatin
- Ezetimibe
- Ezetimibe/Simvastatin
- Fluvastatin
Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This registry does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.