Crestor vs Vytorin

[alliej0225]

What is the difference between vytorin and crestor?

[Rainer1]

Be sure to take Enzime Q10 as all Statins will deplete your Q10 enzime. Doctors don't tell you these things.

[Rainer1]

Not much" Just another different compound, in the end they all have Statins.  Some are better tolerated than others Lipitor being the worst of them all.

[erijon]

I understand, not all of us react the same way. As you know, I was on Vytorin for years and went back to Simvastatin about a year ago. I have tested twice since on Simvatstain alone and my numbers have actually dropped a little than during my Vytorin days.

I'm only going by the Enhance trial that concudes;

"The ENHANCE study enrolled 720 patients who were randomized to receive either Vytorin, or Zocor alone. As an endpoint, investigators looked at the growth of plaques on arterial walls using non-invasive ultrasound imaging. The trial was expected to show that patients on Vytorin would have less plaque growth than patients taking Zocor alone.

However, the data actually showed no benefit for Vytorin over Zocor. In fact, while the results were not statistically significant, patients on Vytorin had more plaque growth than patients taking only Zocor. (The arterial wall thickness increased by 0.0111 mm for Vytorin, but only by 0.0058 mm for simvastatin alone -- a ratio of nearly 2 to 1.) There did not appear to be any difference in side effects, or in the incidence of cardiovascular events among the two groups."

Go figure..................

[Flycaster305]

I'm not much of a researcher, but based on my tests, jon, I disagree.  After my bypass surgery, I was prescribed Simvistatatin  instead of Vytorin.  I think it is an insurance issue.  My total cholesterol level jumped 100  points after the six week test, and remains there after the second six week test.  I'm back on Vytorin.  Simvastation doesn't of course work with the cholesterol produced in our own bodies.  I certainly agree that statins are safe, but do believe the type has to be matched to individuals based on lab tests.  

[erijon]

The risk of rhabdomyolysis by the use of any statin is .044% and deaths from rhabdomyolysis occur in 1 prescription out of every 20 MILLION prescriptions.From the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA);

"Average incidence per 10 000 person-years for monotherapy with atorvastatin, pravastatin, or simvastatin was 0.44%"

Here's the link;

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/292/21/2585.full

It is extremely rare and is not associated with Zocor (Sivastatin) more than any other statin. Statins are being found to be much safer than previously thought. For instance, it has been determined that statins help increase liver function in individuals with liver disease. As result of recent studies, the FDA is preparing to remove the threat of liver damage from the list of side effects.

Also, the study being referred to above is the ENHANCE study that did not find that the addition of Zetia made Zocor more effective. In fact, ENHANCE showed that the addition of Zetia to Simvastatin showed no additional benefit.

[Occupant]

Vytorin does a remarkable job of reducing your Cholesterol, much better than Zocor (Simvastatin) alone. However, Zetia doesn't seem to add anything to the picture as far as preventing heart disease is concened. But read this about Zocor:
-"Zocor Users Not Warned of Risks:
The FDA's June 2011 safety alert is the most serious of many warnings regarding Zocor and associated risks of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Zocor manufacturer Merck & Co. had not previously explained the seriousness of risks of rhabdomyolysis for patients taking the highest dose of Zocor.
Pharmaceutical companies have a duty to carefully research every drug for possible risks
and report any negative side effects to patients, doctors and the FDA. However, Zocor's label did not explain the full extent of the adverse side effects associated with the cholesterol medication. As a result, many people who relied on the drug to treat their cholesterol levels are now suffering from the effects of rhabdomyolysis, which can include:
Kidney damage
Kidney failure
Death."-

[erijon]

Crestor is a statin (rosuvastatin calcium) only, Vytorin is a statin (Simvastatin) with Zetia (ezetimibe). Statins work by controlling the production of cholesterol in your liver while Zetia works by preventing cholesterol to be absorbed in your digestive system.

Of the two, Crestor is the stronger of the two. In addition, recent trials have shown that adding Zetia does not improve the performance of Vytorin over Simvastatin alone.

Hope this helps,

Jon