Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Commons^™

Simvastatin: A Risk Factor For Angioedema?, Sarah A. Nisly, Areeba Kara, Tamara B. Knight

Scholarship and Professional Work – COPHS

Objective. To report a case of simvastatin-induced angioedema in a patient with near nightly episodes of orofacial angioedema.

Case Summary. A 75-year-old African American female presented to the emergency department with recurrent face, lip, and tongue swelling. The patient described frequent episodes of orofacial edema, with 4 emergency department visits over the previous 6 months. Her home medications were reviewed and simvastatin was identified as a possible contributing medication. Simvastatin was discontinued with resolution of the symptoms during hospitalization and a significant reduction in episodes.

Discussion. Drug-induced angioedema has been documented with several agents, most commonly angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. …