Zocor Dosage/Direction for Use

The dosage range for ZOCOR is 10-80 mg/day, given as a single dose in the evening. Adjustments of dosage, if required, should be made at intervals of not less than 4 weeks, to a maximum of 80 mg/day given as a single dose in the evening.
ZOCOR 80 mg should be used only in patients who have been taking this dose for 12 months or more without evidence of muscle toxicity.
ZOCOR 80 mg should not be started in new patients, including patients already taking lower doses of the drug.
Patients at High Risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or with Existing CHD: The usual starting dose of ZOCOR is 40 mg/day given as a single dose in the evening in patients at high risk of CHD (with or without hypercholesterolaemia), ie, patients with diabetes, history of stroke or other cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vessel disease, or with existing CHD. Drug therapy can be initiated simultaneously with diet and exercise.
Hypercholesterolaemia and Combined Hyperlipidaemia (Patients who are not in the Previous Risk Categories): The patient should be placed on a standard cholesterol-lowering diet before receiving ZOCOR and should continue on this diet during treatment with ZOCOR.
The recommended starting dose is 10 to 20 mg per day in the evening. Therapy should be individualised according to the patient's response.
Concomitant Therapy: ZOCOR is effective alone or in combination with bile acid sequestrants.
In patients taking ZOCOR concomitantly with fibrates, other than gemfibrozil (see Contraindications) or fenofibrate, the dose of ZOCOR should not exceed 10mg/day. In patients taking verapamil or diltiazem concomitantly with ZOCOR, the dose of ZOCOR should not exceed 10 mg/day. In patients taking amiodarone, amlodipine, niacin, ranolazine, or products containing elbasvir or grazoprevir concomitantly with ZOCOR, the dose of ZOCOR should not exceed 20 mg/day. (See Precautions; Interactions.)
Dosage in Renal Insufficiency: ZOCOR does not undergo significant renal excretion.
However, because no data is available in patients with impaired renal function, caution should be used in these patients.
In patients with severe renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance <30mL/min), dosages above 10 mg/day should be carefully considered and, if deemed necessary, implemented cautiously.
Dosage in Adolescents (10-17 Years of Age) with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The recommended usual starting dose is 10 mg once a day in the evening. The recommended dosing range is 10-40 mg/day; the maximum recommended dose is 40 mg/day. Doses should be individualized according to the recommended goal of therapy. Adjustments should be made at intervals of 4 weeks or more.