Quoted from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/11/13/zocor-statin-health-canada.html
High dose of Zocor tied to muscle problems
Patients warned against combining cholesterol-lowering drug with certain other medications or grapefruit juice
CBC News
Posted: Nov 13, 2012
External Links
Zocor safety information for the public, Health Canada Zocor safety information for health professionals, Health Canada
People taking the cholesterol-lowering medication Zocor should be aware they may be at risk for muscle problems if taking a high dose or using certain other medications and foods.
Health Canada said Tuesday that people taking Zocor or simvastatin within the recommended dose range are at increased risk for two muscle problems.
Zocor is used to lower the levels of cholesterol and triglcerides in the blood. (Mel Evans/Associated Press)
The drug, which is also available in generic forms, is used to lower the levels of cholesterol and fatty substances called triglycerides in blood and to reduce the health risks associated with coronary heart disease, the department said.
Those taking 80 milligrams of the medication are at increased risk of rhabdomyolysis — a type of muscle injury that in severe cases can lead to kidney failure or death — particularly in the first year of treatment, Health Canada said in a letter to health professionals. Those patients may also be at risk of myopathy, a type of muscle weakness.
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