Tag Archives: Lescol

Drug Watch: Statins Can Cause Muscle Damage

Statins (also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels. Increased cholesterol levels have been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and statins are used in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

As of 2010, the names of statins on the market were as follows:

Many patients take generic rather than brand name versions of these drugs, and a number of newer statin medications are actually combination drugs that include a statin plus another medication.

Approximately 5 to 10 percent of patients who take statins have experienced muscle aches and pains that are caused by the drug, but just put it down to “growing older.”

Approximately 5 to 10 percent of patients who take statins have experienced muscle aches and pains that are caused by the drug, but just put it down to “growing older.” A recent survey of such people who said they experienced these and other side effects noted that they had attempted to speak with their doctors about these side effects, but found that overwhelmingly (87 percent of the time), their doctors ignored or dismissed their concerns. The FDA has warned that taking the maximum recommended dose of 80 mg of simvastatin (Zocor and generic) could cause muscle damage. The statin drug Baycol (also known as cerivastatin) was recalled in 2001 due to muscle toxicity.

High doses of statin drugs have been linked to an increased risk of a life-threatening form of muscle breakdown called rhabdomyolysis, which can lead to permanent kidney damage, coma and even death. When Baycol was recalled, it was noted that it was 8-times more likely to cause rhabdomyolysis than other statins on the market. There have been concerns for many years that patients who take Crestor Continue reading →

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