Zocor / Simvastatin
Zocor, also known as simvastatin, is a cholesterol lowering medication manufactured by Merck & Co. Zocor belongs to the statin family of cholesterol drugs and is considered a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor.
Recently, another statin drug, Baycol, was removed from the market after causing at least 52 deaths. As a result, the safety of all statin drugs has subsequently come into question. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that Zocor causes considerably fewer adverse side effects than Baycol, the agency acknowledges that Zocor does pose some risk.
All statins increase a patient's chances of developing myositis and rhabdomyolysis, potentially fatal conditions that cause muscle pain and muscle deterioration and may lead to kidney failure. According to the FDA, the chances of developing myositis or rhabdomyolysis from Zocor are low. As such, Zocor remains on the market. See a licensed physician if you have concerns regarding the safety of Zocor, other statins, or any prescription drug. It should be noted that with the exception of Baycol, most doctors believe that the benefits of statin therapy outweigh the risks associated with this class of drugs.
Researchers have linked concurrent use of Serzone and Zocor to the development of rhabdomyolysis. A March 2003 article, written by physicians at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and published in John Hopkins University's Advanced Studies in Medicine, discussed three recent cases of rhabdomyolysis in patients who had undergone concomitant use of Serzone and Zocor.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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