Statins are drugs used to treat high LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. Simvastatin, or Zocor, is one of the oldest and most frequently used statins. The most common side effects of simvastatin include upper respiratory tract infections, headache, abdominal pain and nausea, notes Drugs.com. These side effects tend to occur early in the course of treatment, and are usually mild or short-lived. Rarely, more serious side effects may occur with prolonged use of simvastatin.
Myopathy/Rhabdomyolysis
Like other statins, simvastatin can cause myopathy, a muscular condition characterized by muscle pain, weakness or spasm. Rarely, this myopathy can progress to muscle breakdown, called rhabdomyolysis, releasing toxic substances into the bloodstream that may result in severe kidney damage, kidney failure and death. The FDA issued a safety alert in March 2010 that, although rare, rhabdomyolysis occurs more frequently with the highest dose of simvastatin, or 80 mg a day. Taking simvastatin with certain other drugs--including other-lipid lowering drugs, calcium-channel blockers, some antibiotics and antiviral agents--increases the risk of rhabdomyolysis. When taking any statin drug, symptoms of muscle pain or weakness should be promptly reported to a health care provider.
Elevated Liver Enzymes
All statins, including simvastatin, can abnormally elevate some liver enzymes. Although concerning for liver toxicity and dysfunction, large-scale studies have not demonstrated a significantly increased risk of developing hepatitis or other life-threatening liver conditions with continued simvastatin use. Nevertheless, many health care providers will discontinue a statin drug if elevated liver enzymes are found on routine laboratory tests.
Diabetes
A "Lancet" study published on February 27, 2010 reports the results of a meta-analysis of 13 statin trials demonstrating a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes in association with statin use, including simvastatin. The risk of developing diabetes was highest in statin trials with older patients. The authors of this study, however, concluded the benefits of statin drugs outweighed the risk of developing diabetes in patients with moderate to severe cardiovascular risk.
Psychiatric Side Effects
In one simvastatin study, psychiatric symptoms were the second most frequent kind of complaints in patients taking the drug, noted Drugs.com. Simvastatin-associated side effects include depression, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, but large, well-designed studies have not confirmed that these psychiatric side effects occur more frequently with simvastatin use than with a placebo.
References
- "Lancet";The Safety of Statins in Clinical Practice; Jane Armitate; June 2007
- Drugs.com: Zocor Side Effects
- FDA Drug Safety Communication: Ongoing safety review of high-dose Zocor (simvastatin) and increased risk of muscle injury
- "BMC Clinical Pharmacology"; Effects of Simvastatin 40 mg Daily on Muscle and Liver Adverse Effects; Jane Armitage et. al.; March 2009
- "Lancet"; Statins and Risk of Incident Diabetes; N Sattar et. al.; Feb 2010
