Side Effects of Statins: Rhabdomyolysis – May 23, 2002

Side Effects of Statins: Rhabdomyolysis – May 23, 2002

Simvastatin (Zocor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), cerivastatin (Baycol), atorvastatin (Lipitor)—since the introduction of these drugs, their remarkable lipid-lowering efficacy has made them widely popular worldwide. However, the biggest drawback of these medications is that they can cause myalgia, myositis, and rhabdomyolysis, the latter often leading to renal dysfunction and failure, resulting in death when the condition worsens. There was once a fatal incident in the United States caused by Baycol, prompting the FDA to order Bayer Pharmaceutical Company to compensate for losses and ban the use of cerivastatin, which was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in 2001. Additionally, when this drug is used in combination with gemfibrozil, the occurrence of such incidents is significantly higher than when used alone, so pharmacopoeias explicitly prohibit its use with fibrates. The most representative fibrate is gemfibrozil, an effective lipid-lowering agent.