Simvastatin tablets 20 mg

[pusskin]

On the leaflet in the box, it says not to drink grapefruit juice.

Would this include bunches of grapes ?

[Jillius]

Grapes aren't grapefruit !!!!!

[wolf63]

No - Grapes are grapes and Grapefruits are vile.

[douglas9401]

No

[pusskin]

Ah, thats ok then. Thats a bit of relief, because i eat grapes most nights and have never thought any connection with either of them untill today, haha.

Many thanks for replies folks x

[Wrongn3mber]

It's better to be safe than sorry pusskin, Here's why you can't take simvasstatin with grapefruit juice in case you were wondering.

Grapefruit contains the compound bergamottin, which interacts with certain enzyme systems in the body, such as cytochrome P-450 and P-glycoprotein. These enzyme systems are responsible for breaking down statins, as well as other drugs, into more usable chemicals and transporting them in the body.

When grapefruit juice is consumed at or around the time you take your statin, the components in grapefruit prevent these enzyme systems from breaking down the drug, causing the drug to accumulate in high amounts in the body. This can be very dangerous and can cause a variety of health problems, such as liver damage or a rare condition called rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle and kidney damage).

[paddywak]

It's one thing I really miss since I started on simvastatin, grapefruit is or rather was my favourite fruit and I'd eat one a day, I still eat a fair bit of fruit but I do miss the grapefruit

[mike11111]

Surely you should not consume grapefruit juice at or about the time of taking the tablet. I take my statins at night and there is nothing to stop me having grapefruit juice in the morning.

[pusskin]

Thank you all so much for the info. i take my statin tablet about 9 pm at night, and scoff a dozen or so grapes as well. I feel a plonker not knowing the difference in grapes and grapefruit now. oh well, its given me a chuckle .

thanks again for replies x pusskins

[boxtops]

Mike, it's recommended not to take grapefruit juice at all if you are on a statin. It annoys me, I love grapefruit juice.

[paddywak]

I've not read the leaflet mike but on the chemist's label it just says to refrain from eating grapefruit or products containing grapefruit no mention of any before or after time limits

[mike11111]

I have to confess that I am a disciple of Sqad here, inasmuch as I refuse to read the leaflets. Will have to check next time I renew my prescription.

[boxtops]

yeah, sqad's not impressed with statins at all - but I've been off them for six months as I was getting muscle pain, and my blood results came back today, my cholesterol is back to 7.4 so I'm going to have to do something about it again.

[Sqad]

I think that my "take" on statins heave been inadvertently misunderstood as my only compliant is the "blanket" use of the drugs.
They do indeed have an important part to play in "certain" cases and particularly in familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Statins and grapefruit derivatives: taking grapefruit with statins MAY not WILL upset the action of statins in certain individuals....MAY not WILL two differing concepts. I will no go into the pharmacolgy of this, but grapefruit MAY increase the action of statins and this concept could save the NHS millions of pounds by reducing the dose of grapefruit and lowering the dose of statins, but their are cogent reasons why this may not be a good idea.

As mike111 indicates taking your statins at night and your grapefruit in the morning, should you need to do so, is perfectly safe. Stains and grapefruit taken within 2-3 hours of each other MAY affect the action of the drugs.

My other concern is the "obsession" with SOME folks concerning the levels of their total cholesterol, as one could well live to a "ripe old age" with levels well in excess of 7.

These are my views and not necessarily the views of the majority of the medical profession.

[Sqad]

sorry...." increasing the use of grapefruit and reducing the dose of statins."

[honky-tonk]

boxtops, have a word with your gp about taking half of the statin tablet, i had the same problem with aches and pains and now taking half the tablet the aches have gone and my cholesterol level is within the norm.

[pusskin]

my cholestrol went down quickly from 6.5. to 3.5 from being on statins. my appetite was very poor and only wanted to eat junk food, so Doc wouldnt.. take me off them. I've never had high blood pressure or anything, so dont know why I've been on them so long. Wonder why he insists that I stay on them .
Would previous bladder tumours and abnormal cells be the cause I wonder.

[quizzer01]

When i had a heart attack 2yrs ago i was put on 80mgs of Simvastatin a day and the muscle and joint pains were horrendous back down to 20mg now and the pains have gone.

[boxtops]

I had a phone call from my GP today, sqad - the levels are higher than before as I said, but since he has at last referred me for physio for the aches, he wanted to consult his colleagues about the statin. He's told me I am not to go back onto them until I've had bloods done again in November, but meanwhile to watch the diet (which I am not good at) and exercise (ditto). He told me NICE have brought out new guidelines which (if I understood him) say that statins may be more appropriate for patients with >20% risk of CVD - the surgery has assessed my risk at approx 14%, so they are going to try reducing the cholesterol level by my eating better etc for a couple of months. This sounds definitely worth a try! I've found a summary http://www.nice.org.u...p?action=byID&o=11982 I thought that this would interest you!

[boxtops]

PS quiz and honky - I've already tried that, for 6 months the dose was reduced from 40mg to 20mg - made no difference, so I came off them altogether in February....

[Sqad]

boxy...thanks , most interesting and most confusing (to me ;-)

The Heart protection Society widened the indications for the prescribing of statin to include diabetes and this was welcomed by the Framlingham group and now NICE (again if i have read it correctly) have excluded diabetes and more remarkably familial hypercholesterolaemia............odd.

I must say that my stance on statins and cholesterol levels remain unaffected....stubborn?.......probably ;-)