Why is vytorin so expensive

If you have kidney disease , you can usually take Vytorin. Vytorin is partly removed from your body by your kidneys. If you have chronic long-term kidney disease , Vytorin could build up in your body.

This may increase your risk for certain side effects. For this reason, your doctor may take extra precautions, such as ordering blood tests, before prescribing Vytorin for you. But your doctor may recommend a different cholesterol -lowering drug for you if you have other risk factors for muscle problems.

Vytorin should be taken once every day. The best time to take it is in the evening. The body produces most of its cholesterol at night, so Vytorin can work better to lower your cholesterol when you take it in the evening. Note: In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a type of drug called a bile acid sequestrant for you to take with Vytorin. Specifically, Vytorin should be taken at least 2 hours before, or at least 4 hours after, taking a bile acid sequestrant.

If you have trouble swallowing tablets, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. This is because your cholesterol level normally increases during pregnancy, as cholesterol is needed to help a fetus grow.

Vytorin lowers your cholesterol level, so the drug could cause fetal harm or birth defects if used during pregnancy. And if you become pregnant while taking Vytorin, stop taking the drug right away and call your doctor.

Before taking Vytorin, talk with your doctor about your health history. Vytorin may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. These include:. Do not use more Vytorin than your doctor recommends. For some drugs, doing so may lead to unwanted side effects or overdose. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool.

But if your symptoms are severe, call or your local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room right away. When you get Vytorin from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically 1 year from the date they dispensed the medication. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it.

How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication. The tablets should be kept in a tightly sealed container, away from light. Avoid storing this medication in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms. This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from taking the drug by accident.

It also helps keep the drug from harming the environment. This article provides several useful tips on medication disposal. You can also ask your pharmacist for information about how to dispose of your medication. Vytorin is for use when a low-cholesterol diet and other measures have not improved lipid levels sufficiently.

Vytorin contains two cholesterol-lowering drugs: simvastatin and ezetimibe. These drugs have complementary actions and an additive effect on cholesterol levels.

HMG-CoA is an enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway in the liver. By inhibiting its action, simvastatin reduces hepatic production of cholesterol. Ezetimibe is a cholesterol absorption inhibitor. Ezetimibe inhibits the absorption of dietary cholesterol and phytosterols from the small intestinal lumen. As a result, less cholesterol is delivered to the liver and hepatic stores of cholesterol are lowered. This leads to hepatic uptake of cholesterol from the blood.

And it raises HDL cholesterol levels. Each strength of Vytorin tablet is bioequivalent to separate tablets containing simvastatin and ezetimibe at the same dose. Absorption is not affected by food. Simvastatin is hydrolyzed to the active metabolite simvastatin acid. Simvastatin and its metabolites are excreted in the urine and feces. After oral administration, the absorption of ezetimibe is not affected by food. Ezetimibe is mainly conjugated in the small intestine and liver to the active metabolite ezetimibe-glucuronide.

Ezetimibe and ezetimibe-glucuronide are excreted in the urine and feces. Vytorin should be kept in a tightly sealed container, away from light. The drug should not be kept in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication.

The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

Natural ways to lower cholesterol include replacing trans fats and saturated…. Fasting before taking a cholesterol test used to be standard practice. Now, some doctors recommend that people do not fast before taking the test…. Read this article to find out the…. The liver has many roles, one being to make cholesterol while another is to remove excess amounts.

Healthy cholesterol levels are essential for the…. High-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol has powerful health benefits. Learn how to raise HDL cholesterol levels using diet and lifestyle changes…. What is Vytorin? Vytorin generic.

Vytorin uses. Vytorin use with other drugs. Vytorin side effects. Vytorin dosage. Alternatives to Vytorin. Vytorin vs. Vytorin cost. Vytorin and alcohol. Vytorin interactions. How Vytorin works. Vytorin withdrawal and dependence. Common questions about Vytorin. How to take Vytorin. Vytorin and pregnancy. Vytorin and birth control. Vytorin and breastfeeding. Vytorin precautions. Vytorin overdose. Vytorin expiration, storage, and disposal. Professional information for Vytorin. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.

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Once your application is approved, the first shipment of prescription medication typically arrives within four to six weeks. But the pharmaceutical industry says those studies are immensely expensive, and being forced to conduct them on drugs that haven't been approved would discourage companies from developing drugs in the first place, and force drug prices up. Their sentiments might be mixed with crocodile tears -- but even industry critics often agree with them.

Patient groups might not be so open to delays, either; the use of surrogate markers rather than concrete endpoints has helped lifesaving AIDS drugs get to market far sooner than would otherwise be possible. The human costs of delaying -- perhaps for years -- a beneficial drug's approval need to be part of the equation, too.

So while the FDA grapples with the use of surrogate markers and post-marketing studies, what should people do? Levin recommended that would-be users of Vytorin -- or any cholesterol-lowering drug -- take as many natural steps as possible to improve their health: eating well, exercising, not smoking and so on. Then, when it comes to taking drugs, "You should be asking your doctor broad questions, particularly with newer drugs.

If there is an older and better-understood drug, you shouldn't take a drug until it's been around for five to seven years, until we understand it better. You should always ask questions: what are my alternatives?