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This page presents data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the FDA-approved drug label. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event. Always consult a healthcare provider about medications.

Simvastatin

hmg-coa reductase inhibitor
Last updated: June 20, 2026
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Simvastatin is a medication, a hmg-coa reductase inhibitor. According to the FDA-approved label, Simvastatin tablets USP are indicated: To reduce the risk of total mortality by reducing risk of coronary heart disease death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke, and the need for coronary and non-coronary revascularization procedures in adults with established coronary h. FAERS contains 247,114 submissions naming this drug from 1989 through 2026; the top three reactions cited are fatigue, nausea, and dyspnoea.

Most-Reported Reactions

Counts of the reactions most often cited in FAERS submissions that named Simvastatin. Inclusion here does not establish causation - submitters describe what was observed, not what was confirmed. One submission can list several reactions, so the totals exceed the report count.

FATIGUE 13,667 (5.5%) NAUSEA 13,025 (5.3%) DYSPNOEA 12,508 (5.1%) DIARRHOEA 11,884 (4.8%) DRUG INEFFECTIVE 11,430 (4.6%) DIZZINESS 11,038 (4.5%) FALL 9,235 (3.7%) ASTHENIA 9,191 (3.7%) PAIN 9,142 (3.7%) HEADACHE 8,876 (3.6%) MYALGIA 8,385 (3.4%) VOMITING 8,155 (3.3%) MALAISE 7,644 (3.1%) ARTHRALGIA 7,607 (3.1%) DRUG INTERACTION 7,289 (2.9%)

Patient Demographics

Patient sex and age across the FAERS submissions that named Simvastatin. Percentages here are computed only from submissions where these fields were filled in - many leave them blank.

By Sex

Female Male Unknown

By Age Group

0-17 18-44 45-64 65+

Severity Outcomes

Severity flags recorded across the 247,114 FAERS submissions that named Simvastatin. Each bar shows the count of those reports carrying that flag. A single case can carry more than one (a hospitalization that became life-threatening, for example), so these bars are independent rates - they don't sum to 100%. Inclusion of a case under any flag does not establish that the drug caused the outcome.

DEATH 22,058 (8.9%) HOSPITALIZATION 95,200 (38.5%) LIFE-THREATENING 13,410 (5.4%) DISABLING 12,294 (5.0%)

Submissions Per Quarter

Quarterly count of FAERS submissions that named Simvastatin. Ups and downs on this chart can track prescribing volume, news cycles, or shifts in how reports get filed, rather than the drug becoming safer or more dangerous.

1989 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

From the FDA-Approved Label

Excerpts from the official FDA-approved prescribing information for Simvastatin. This is the authoritative source on indications, warnings, and known adverse reactions.

Indications

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Simvastatin tablets USP are indicated: To reduce the risk of total mortality by reducing risk of coronary heart disease death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke, and the need for coronary and non-coronary revascularization procedures in adults with established coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and/or diabetes, who are at high risk of coronary heart disease events. As an adjunct to diet to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): In adults with primary hyperlipidemia. In adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). As an adjunct to other LDL-C-lowering therapies to reduce LDL-C in adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with: Primary dysbetalipoproteinemia. Hypertriglyceridemia. Simvastatin tablets USP are an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor indicated: To reduce the risk of total mortality by reducing risk of coronary heart disease death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke, and the need for coronary and non-coronary revascularization procedures in adults with ...

Adverse Reactions (from label)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following important adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling: Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS ( 5.1 )] Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS ( 5.2 )] Hepatic Dysfunction [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS ( 5.3 )] Increases in HbA1c and Fasting Serum Glucose Levels [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS ( 5.4 )] Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) are: upper respiratory infection, headache, abdominal pain, constipation, and nausea. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-800-399-2561 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In clinical studies, 2,423 adult patients were exposed to simvastatin with a median duration of follow-up of approximately 18 months. (continues in label)

FDA label effective date: 2026-02-26

Disclaimer

AdverseEvent.ai is not affiliated with the FDA. Adverse-event counts come from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug labels come from the FDA drug label dataset. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event — always consult a healthcare provider about medications. This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.