Is anyone here when referring to Zocor taking the generic or the ...

I was on the generic, simvastatin. Caused severe insomnia and anxiety/panic attacks. Strange part was, it took almost two months before symptoms were severe enough to notice. Stopped taking drug and anxiety ended and then normal sleep retuned in about one week. A lady at work overheard me speaking about my symptoms and asked me which medication I was taking. After I told her, she said, "Oh my God, that explains it!". She had been on the same drug for two years and was suffering the same problem although the insomnia was not quite as severe as I was suffering. But she had been getting counseling for the anxiety althoguh it was not helping her. She stopped medication that day and after one week the anxiety was gone and was back to sleeping normal. Again, one of the problems with this medications is, problems do not always occur right away alerting you to the fact that it is the medication causing the problem. They may occur a few months down the road, I assume because the medication builds up in your system.

I've been on the generic for just under a month - had mild headache at beginning, but I am noticing over the past week especially that I have been having bizarre dreams and have had a hard time waking up in the morning. For about 2 weeks prior to this, had trouble sleeping, but no dreams. I have a hard time focusing - sort of an anesthesia-brain feeling - and little energy. I keep rationalizing, because I only went on it after 2 years of insisting I could lower the cholesterol by diet and exercise were futile (I didn't do much of either!) and feel I should give it a chance. But also know I have to do something more proactive as well as just pop the 40 mg pill every night. So, it's puzzing and something I'm going to discuss with my doctor. Maybe the proprietary vs generic is the answer. Appreciate your comments about the sleep and dream concerns - thought I was just going nuts or the chol. med was not mixing well with my anti-depressants.

Lynn

I was concerned enough to Google "statins and vivid dreams" and came to this web site.

I've just started taking the generic Zocor, only because my co-pay was cheaper than Lipitor. I asked the doc to start me at a low dose, so it's only 10 mg.

I read somewhere it was best to take a statin at night, so that's what I started doing. Half an hour later, I would be wide awake. When I finally did fall asleep, I had vivid, exhausting dreams. And during the day I would feel slightly anxious.

I'm still taking it, but will ask the doctor next week to switch me onto to something else.

Thanks!

Dan