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Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Do not use ezetimibe and simvastatin combination if you are also taking any of the following medicines: cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®), danazol (Danocrine®), gemfibrozil (Lopid®), nefazodone (Serzone®), certain antibiotics (such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, telithromycin, Biaxin®, Ery-Tab®, Ketek®, Nizoral®, Noxafil®, or Sporanox®), or medicines to treat HIV/AIDS (such as atazanavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, Agenerase®, Crixivan®, Invirase®, Kaletra®, Lexiva®, Norvir®, Reyataz®, or Viracept®). Using these medicines together with ezetimibe and simvastatin may increase your risk of muscle injury and could result in kidney problems.
Stop using this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have unusual tiredness or a fever. These could be symptoms of a serious muscle problem called myopathy. Myopathy is more common when high doses of simvastatin (eg, 80 milligrams (mg)) with ezetimibe 10 mg are used, but some people get myopathy with lower doses.
Stop using this medicine and check with your doctor right away if you have dark-colored urine, diarrhea, a fever, muscle cramps or spasms, muscle pain or stiffness, or feel very tired or weak. These could be symptoms of a serious muscle problem called rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney problems.
Before having any kind of surgery or emergency treatment, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using this medicine several days before having surgery or medical procedures. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about this.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
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