Zocor and muscle pains

I'm a 52 year old female and have been taking Zocor for about a year. During the past few months, I've noticed increased muscle pains in my upper legs. It's to the point that I actually hurt when walking, even for short distances. I have also gained about 15 pounds in the past year. It could just be "middle age spread" but I can't help but wonder if this drug is the cause of it. I've also had some visual disturbances in the past month or two, like something that just won't clear out of my eye.....like a film across my eye. Anyone else with similar symptoms? I go back for a physical in a few weeks and am going to ask my MD about another medication. I have genetically elevated cholesterol and low cholesterol diet has not helped previously.

I'm 40 year old male and I'v been taking ZOCOR for almost 2 years. I am very active ,working out 3-5 times a week both lifting weights and either running or eliptical training. MY cholesterol was a genetic issue and 20mg of ZOCOR at night has lowered it to normal some what normal ranges. I have noticed that my stools in the morning have been irregular. I have noticed more muscle pains in my legs when I lay down at night. I just recently had had my first ECG and now it appears there may be some sort of irregularly. After reading all the postings, it appears that alot I have a lot of the same side affects and just brushed them off. I now have a consult with a cardiologists. Has anyone else had abnormal ECG's after taking ZOCOR ?

richard

55 yo male. I started Vytorin (20mg zocor) in Jan of 2007 until May of 2007. I lowered the dose to 10mg in March but am still suffering side effects (3/29/08) It did lower my cholesterol dramatically but at what price?
I began having tingling/burning in my feet and shins. Also, muscle pains in my calves and something like shin splints. I had been very active but have not fully recovered. B-12, methylcobalimin, has helped the tingling. I was taking as much as 10mg per day. Also, L-carnitine for the muscles, CoQ10, and Ribose. I do feel like I am gradually improving. The tingling is much less but my legs are weaker than before.

My parents have been prescribed Zocor but are not going to take it because three different friends and one of their friend's neighbor now have great difficulty walking after taking Zocor. It began with muscle pains which progressed... It's great that the grapevine works, at least, none of them being computer savvy...

Glad that i found this page today... now a Zocor death story (i am from Hungary, Europe btw). My mother died in Dec 2004, cause of death was Zocor induced rhabdomyolisis (muscle breadown) of course the doctors are not willing to write down the connection . She was 61, and had been taking Zocor for cca 3 years, the reason was relatively higher blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels... so her cardiologist put him on 20mg. Her physical condition was excellent, an energetic woman, was on a healthy diet for several years, exercising regularly (10 km running 3x week) , apperance looked like someone in the age of 47-52, everything predestined her to live until age 80 (just like my grandmother who died 5 months before that....)

Two weeks before her death she started drinking fresh grapefruit juice (one small glass only, as GPs advise this during winter time, everyone knows that ...) . First she had muscle pain in the arms, which progressed further in 3 days (GP said it is rheumatic cause) . Then after 1-2 days she was hardly able to move her legs / arms. At the hospital she was examined for all kinds of other possible causes (trombose etc), then it was finally discovered the ultimate and very serious side effect of statins (muscle breadown) was the cause. CK levels were around 180.000 (!) (doctors didnt believe first) , then the treatment started but it progressed so quickly, in 5 days she died. As the autopsy reported, the cause was complete liver function stop caused by muscle breadown and internal bleedings.

As my father later told me, she had the usual side effects for a year now (dizziness / memory loss / muscle pain / sleeping problems) , but of course cardiologist denied all of these being related to Zocor .

I hope one day this killer drug will be withdrawn and a lawsuit will happen...

PLEASE everyone make sure that if you experience serious muscle pains and you are on Zocor - there is a connection and this might be fatal, ACT quickly. Brown urine tells that muscle is breaking down, and tell your doctor that a blood test for CK level is the first to do...

thats it :(

any comments to ******

Leg muscle pains.Shortness of breath after walking upstairs.

I have taken simvastatin 40mg for about a year over the past three months I have had very bad effects from this medication I was very very fit before taking this medication

I HAVE STOPPED THE TABLETS BUT I AM NOW HAVING TO HAVE HEART TESTS FOR SUSPECTED ANGINA

I'm a 64 year-old retired pilot. I've had a form of rheumatoid arthritis for years. Recently I had chest pains & breathlessness when walking the dog & going uphill. Cholesterol was 6.8 so, prior to an Angiogram next month, I was put on 20 mg of Simvastatin about 5 weeks ago. The Cholesterol went down to 4.4 but I gradually began to feel quite ill with dreadful tiredness & lethargy, feeling low & depressed, not wanting to do anything, With chest pains & breathlessness worse than before. Joint & muscle pains were now really bad and I felt tender all over. Yesterday I felt very nauseous, with stomach tightness, dizzyness and a strange feeling of "unreality" and restlessness. I had lost interest in life, couldn't sleep & was quite ill. I could barely walk!

The last time I felt anything similar was 20 years ago when I got Shingles and the doctor (not the same one) prescribed Zovirax tablets. Boy, I was nearly suicidal then and "afraid" to hear the doorbell or the phone go. This was not good in an Airline pilot so I flushed the tablets away, saw my doctor (who only then read me the side-effects) and vowed to be very careful in future.

I saw my (excellent) doctor today; he immediately took me off Simvastatin, agreed that I was quite normal but probably just on one side of the bell-shaped curve of human responses to this drug. He took blood for a liver function test, checked blood pressure (normal) and listened to my heart and chest (all OK). He recommended a "Statin holiday" and said he may try me on another, different form (much fewer side effects) of the drug. I slept a lot all day today, couldn't eat at all except for an orange (still nauseous), felt the lower back pain still and was generally fairly ill. However, I think now (at nearly midnight and without taking my nightly pill) that I am beginning to feel a whole lot better!

I can live with the high Cholesterol (since all other factors in my life are good) but I cannot live with Simvastatin. Simple as that. You are not alone!

I've been on Zocor for two years 20 mg after having a heart attack. I've had muscle pains recently and I stopped taking it after consulting with my doctor. Now, I am on pravachol which is similar to Zocor but less side-effects on muscles iad to me. After reading these complains here I am on dilemma to carry on using this medicine or not! If anyone tell me another option exist? ******

Am 53 yo and was diagnosed with high cholesterol of 410 when I was 27 yo back in 1967 and have tried every cholesterol lowering drug recommended by my doctors including Zocor. Zocor gave me muscle pains, mental fuzziness, disturbed sleep. So I stopped taking the drug 2 months later. I stopped worrying about cholesterol several years ago, after reading the research done by Swedish doctor Uffe Ravnskov in his book "The Cholesterol Myths" (see www.ravnskov.nu )and also visiting the website of German doctor Matthias Rath ( See www.drrath.com ) These doctors are brilliant and you should read their works. When you look at the research on cholesterol done by these world leading doctors, you realise elevated cholesterol is not a big deal. l had a CT Scan done recently and they cant find any cholesterol deposits in my arteries. I dont take any medication these days. Yet every time I visit my family doctor, I get a earfull on the dangers of high cholesterol, and the hype about statins. As a successful businessman, I have learned to listen to people and act only on good advice. Sadly, the average doctor has little understanding of cholesterol and so I ignore their advice. Hope this helps.

I've been on Zocor since 1994 both 20 & 40 mg. I've had muscle pains, twiching, elevated eye pressure, etc. I've gone off one week now and the pains have gone away. I've also noticed that my bad cough and congestion has also gone away (I also stopped taking Zertec-D for cough and congestion). The Zocor must have also been causing my bad cough and congestion.

I have been on Zocor for 3 months and I have bad muscle pains. The real question is, if I don't have high cholesterol then why am I on Zocor?

I have been on zocor for three months and am experiencing the most severe muscle pains and weakness in my legs, to the point where I may need a walker. The pain is intense and constant. Walking has been recommended but I am too weak to walk and I felt fine prior to this even though my cholesterol was high. On this board is the first hint I have had that it may be a side effect of Zocor.