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:
Amiodarone may slow down how quickly your liver processes your cholesterol medicine.
What might happen:
The amount of cholesterol medicine in your blood may increase and damage 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. Your doctor may want to change the dose of your cholesterol medicine or 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.Zocor (simvastatin) US prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc. March, 2023.
- 3.Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) US prescribing information. Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals September, 2020.
- 4.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.
- 5.Ede M. Dear Canadian Healthcare Professional: Subject: ZOCOR (simvastatin) - New Safety Recommendations on Dosage Associated with the Increased Risk of Myopathy/Rhabdomyolysis. Merck Canada Inc. November 7, 2012.
- 6.Cordarone (amiodarone hydrochloride) US prescribing information. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals October, 2018.
- 7.Roten L, Schoenenberger RA, Krahenbuhl S, Schlienger RG. Rhabdomyolysis in association with simvastatin and amiodarone. Ann Pharmacother 2004 Jun; 38(6):978-81.
- 8.Becquemont L, Neuvonen M, Verstuyft C, Jaillon P, Letierce A, Neuvonen PJ, Funck-Brentano C. Amiodarone interacts with simvastatin but not with pravastatin disposition kinetics. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2007 May; 81(5):679-84.
- 9.Ricaurte B, Guirguis A, Taylor HC, Zabriskie D. Simvastatin-amiodarone interaction resulting in rhabdomyolysis, azotemia, and possible hepatotoxicity. Ann Pharmacother 2006 Apr;40(4):753-7.
- 10.Alsheikh-Ali AA, Karas RH. Adverse events with concomitant amiodarone and statin therapy. Prev Cardiol 2005 Spring;8(2):95-7.
- 11.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.