Vytorin

Vytorin is used for:

Treating high cholesterol along with a cholesterol-lowering diet. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Vytorin is a combination of 2 medicines. Ezetimibe works by reducing the amount of cholesterol that your body absorbs from your diet. Simvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor or "statin." It works by blocking an enzyme that is necessary for your body to make cholesterol. Lowering cholesterol levels in the blood reduces the chance of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

Do NOT use Vytorin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Vytorin
• you have liver problems or ongoing abnormal liver function test results
• you are taking another medicine that contains simvastatin or ezetimibe
• you are taking an HIV protease inhibitor (eg, nelfinavir, lopinavir, ritonavir), itraconazole, ketoconazole, a macrolide or ketolide antibiotic (eg, clarithromycin, erythromycin, troleandomycin), mibefradil, or nefazodone
• you are pregnant or breast-feeding

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Vytorin :

Some medical conditions may interact with Vytorin . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you are a woman of childbearing age
• if you have kidney problems, muscle problems, or a family history of muscle problems; low blood pressure; uncontrolled seizures; or serious metabolic, endocrine, or electrolyte problems
• if you are scheduled for major surgery, have recently had a major trauma, or have a severe infection or history of alcohol abuse
• if you have had an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress a rejection reaction

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Vytorin . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Amiodarone, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (eg, enalapril), cyclosporine, danazol, delavirdine, diltiazem, fibrates (eg, clofibrate, fenofibrate), fluconazole, gemfibrozil, HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritonavir), imatinib, itraconazole, ketoconazole, macrolide antibiotics (eg, erythromycin), macrolide immunosuppressives (eg, tacrolimus), mibefradil, nefazodone, streptogramins, telithromycin, verapamil, or voriconazole because side effects, such as muscle pain, may occur
• Bosentan, carbamazepine, cholestyramine, hydantoins (eg, phenytoin), rifampin, or St. John's wort because they may decrease Vytorin 's effectiveness
• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Vytorin

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may oc cur. Ask your health care provider if Vytorin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.