Lovastatin; Simvastatin/Nefazodone Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Very Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects and are usually not taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Nefazodone may slow down your body's ability to process your cholesterol medicine.
What might happen:
The levels of your cholesterol medicine may build up in your blood. This may cause damage to your muscles.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know right away that you are taking these medicines together. You may need to take a different cholesterol medicine.Tell your doctor right away if you experience muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness; unexplained tiredness; or discolored urine.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Mevacor (lovastatin) US prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc. February, 2014.
- 2.USFood and Drug Administration. FDA Drug Safety Communication: New restrictions, contraindications, and dose limitations for Zocor (simvastatin) to reduce the risk of muscle injury. available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-com munication-new-restrictions-contraindications-and-dose-limitations-zocor June 8, 2011.
- 3.Zocor (simvastatin) US prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc. March, 2023.
- 4.Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) US prescribing information. Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals September, 2020.
- 5.Jacobson RH, Wang P, Glueck CJ. Myositis and rhabdomyolysis associated with concurrent use of simvastatin and nefazodone. JAMA 1997 Jan 22-29; 277(4):296-7.
- 6.Karnik NS, Maldonado JR. Antidepressant and statin interactions: a review and case report of simvastatin and nefazodone-induced rhabdomyolysis and transaminitis. Psychosomatics 2005 Nov-Dec;46(6):565-8.
- 7.Skrabal MZ, Stading JA, Monaghan MS. Rhabdomyolysis associated with simvastatin-nefazodone therapy. South Med J 2003 Oct;96(10):1034-5.
- 8.Thompson M, Samuels S. Rhabdomyolysis with simvastatin and nefazodone. Am J Psychiatry 2002 Sep;159(9):1607.
- 9.Serzone (nefazodone hydrochloride) US prescribing information. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company January, 2005.
- 10.Phansalkar S, Desai AA, Bell D, Yoshida E, Doole J, Czochanski M, Middleton B, Bates DW. High-priority drug-drug interactions for use in electronic health records. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2012 Sep-Oct; 19(5):735-43.
Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.