Zocor Medicine Side Effects
Zocor, a cholesterol-lowering medicine, is associated with many side effects. About 1 to 2 percent of people who use Zocor experience severe side effects. Doctors prescribe this medicine to people with dangerously high cholesterol levels to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. Zocor also can halt the progression of heart disease.
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Identification
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Zocor is the brand name of the generic drug simvastatin, and is in a class of drugs which inhibit a liver enzyme necessary for producing cholesterol.
Common Side Effects
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The most common side effects linked to Zocor are headaches, muscle pain, elevated liver enzymes, abdominal pain, indigestion, nausea and diarrhea.
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Liver Enzymes
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Because of the potential for elevated liver enzymes, people with liver problems should not use Zocor. People who drink large amounts of alcohol should have regular blood tests if using Zocor.
Myopathy
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Zocor sometimes causes myopathy, a condition which has symptoms of muscle weakness or pain, along with fatigue.
Rhabdomyolysis
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Another condition linked to Zocor is rhabdomyolysis, where skeletal muscle cells break down and release a protein called myoglobin into the person's blood. Myoglobin can obstruct the kidneys and cause renal damage.
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