Zocor (Simvastatin) Dosage

Be sure to take the Zocor, simvastatin, dose exactly as prescribed and talk with you doctor and/or pharmacist before considering altering or stopping the treatment. Taking a simvastatin dose that is above or below your recommended and prescribed dosage can increase your chances of experiencing one of the negative side effects; possibly even life threatening. Use the following information as a guide only and be sure to discuss and thoughts with your medical care team.

A regular simvastatin dose for most adults start around 20 to 40 mg per day (1 to 2 simvastatin 20 mg tablets), but can go as high as 160 mg (2 simvastatin 80 mg tablets). As part of the treatment, your doctor will monitor your blood levels and make sure that the simvastatin dose is correct for your situation. They will make the necessary adjustments to make sure that you are getting the most benefit out of the medication with as few side effects as possible. Taking a daily dose of simvastatin 40 mg, over a long-term period, can be a great way to reduce your cholesterol and decrease your chances of cardiovascular complications, but this decision needs to be made by discussing the benefits and risks with your physician. Often depending on the situation, it may be advisable to use simvastatin 20 mg or simvastatin 40 mg for a short-term before a surgical procedure to reduce the chance of complications.

Simvastatin 80 mg, or whatever simvastatin dose that is prescribed to you, is only a component of a complete cholesterol treatment that should include diet, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle changes. Following your medical team’s advice about not only the simvastatin dose, but also all of the program recommendations will ensure that you treatment is most successful.

If you happen to miss a simvastatin dose, or you think that you have overdosed by taking too much at one time, there are a few things that you can do. For a missed simvastatin dose, you can take it as soon as you remember or wait until your next scheduled dosage and then take as per usual. It is safer to take lower doses, such as simvastatin 20 mg or simvastatin 40 mg, closer together on the rare occasion that you miss a dose, but caution should be taken if you are using simvastatin 80 mg or higher doses. For a suspected overdose it is prudent to call poison control and seek immediate medical attention. Discussing the plan of action for both a missed simvastatin dose and overdose, with your physician will give you peace of mind if either of these situations occur.