Statins can interact with other medicines. Some of the more common interactions are listed below. However, this is not a complete list.
If you want to check that your medicines are safe to take with statins, ask your doctor or pharmacist, or read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
Amiodarone
Amiodarone can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) if taken with atorvastatin or simvastatin. It is not known to interact with the other statins.
Ciclosporin
Ciclosporin can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) from statins. If you are taking ciclosporin along with atorvastatin, the dose of atorvastatin should not be more than 10mg a day.
Daptomycin
You have an increased risk of myopathy (muscle damage) when daptomycin and statins are taken together.
Diltiazem
Diltiazem can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) if taken with atorvastatin or simvastatin.
Ezetimibe
You have an increased risk of myopathy (muscle damage) when ezetimibe and statins are taken together.
Fibrates
Fibrates (such as bezafibrate, ciprofibrate, fenofibrate or gemfibrozil) can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) if taken with statins. The risk is greatest with gemfibrozil, which should not be taken with statins.
Nicotinic acid
Nicotinic acid can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) from statins.
Medicines to treat HIV
Some medicines used to treat HIV, including amprenavir, atazanavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir and saquinavir, can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) if taken with atorvastatin or simvastatin. Your risk is greatest with simvastatin, which should not be taken with any of the above medicines for HIV.
Antibiotics
Some antibiotics, including erythromycin, clarithromycin, itraconazole, ketoconazole and miconazole, can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) if taken with atorvastatin or simvastatin.
Speak to your doctor if you are taking atorvastatin or simvastatin and need to take one of these antibiotics. Your doctor may advise you to stop taking atorvastatin or simvastatin or take a lower dose of the statin while you are on the course of antibiotics.
Verapamil
Verapamil can increase your risk of myopathy (muscle damage) if taken with atorvastatin or simvastatin. The other statins do not interact with verapamil.
Warfarin
Statins can enhance the effect of warfarin, which may increase your risk of bleeding.
You should have regular blood tests to monitor the effect of your statin on the warfarin, especially when starting or stopping a statin or when changing the dose of statin.
