Health
Drug interaction warning for some statin users
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 1, 2008
The Food and Drug Administration reissued a warning Aug. 8 about the risk for rhabdomyolysis in patients who take amiodarone with higher doses of simvastatin. The risk increases with doses of simvastatin that exceed 20 mg each day.
The agency first warned of this danger in 2002 but said it continues to receive reports of the muscle injury in patients treated concurrently with the two medications.
Although all statins increase the risk for rhabdomyolysis, the risk is considered greater when simvastatin is administered with amiodarone, a drug used to treat abnormal heart rhythms. The FDA and the manufacturer of amiodarone currently are revising prescribing information to warn of the risk.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/09/01/hlbf0901.htm.