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Letter
Simvastatin co-prescribed with protease inhibitors despite dangerous drug interactions
  1. Katherine M Coyne,
  2. Marta Boffito,
  3. Nick Theobald,
  4. David Asboe
  1. Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
 Katherine Coyne
 St Stephen’s Centre, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, UK; katherine.coyne{at}chelwest.nhs.uk

https://doi.org/10.1136/sti.2007.026070

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    Drug interactions with anti-retrovirals are frequent and can be dangerous. Protease inhibitors (PIs) inhibit the metabolism of simvastatin, and co-administration is contraindicated. Despite this, we have seen a recent cluster of patients prescribed simvastatin whilst on PIs.

    A 58-year-old man was taking abacavir, lamivudine, atazanavir and ritonavir. His HIV physician noted raised cholesterol and wrote to the patient and his general practitioner (GP), stating that simvastatin is not recommended with his antiretroviral combination, but low dose atorvastatin or pravastatin …

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    Footnotes

    • Informed consent was obtained for publication of the patients’ details in this report.

    • Competing interests: None.

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    • Correction
      CORRECTION
      BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
      Sexually Transmitted Infections 2007; 83 594-594 Published Online First: 16 Nov 2007. doi: 10.1136/sti.2007.024307.corr1