Zocor & Leg Pain

Zocor is the brand name of the generic medication simvastatin. A type of statin drug, Zocor is prescribed for lowering high cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Statins block a liver enzyme necessary for manufacturing cholesterol, and the drugs are associated with many side effects.

Common Side Effects

• The most common Zocor side effects include headaches, elevated liver enzymes, stomach pain, indigestion, nausea and diarrhea. Zocor also can cause muscle pain, including leg pain.

Myopathy

• Rarely, Zocor causes a condition called myopathy, which has symptoms of progressive muscle pain or weakness. When myopathy affects the legs, it makes walking difficult. The sufferer also may feel fatigued.

Myopathy Time Frame

• Statin-induced myopathy can occur from days to months after a person starts taking Zocor, but it usually resolves by itself once the medication use is discontinued.

Warning

• Even more rarely, a serious disorder called rhabdomyolysis can develop as a result of taking Zocor. Rhabdomyolysis involves skeletal muscles breaking down and releasing the protein myoglobin into the blood. Myoglobin can block kidney structures, and the condition is sometimes fatal.

Considerations

• People who experience severe leg pain or other muscle pain, or muscle weakness, should stop taking Zocor and contact a doctor. This is particularly important if they also have dark urine, a fever or flu-like symptoms.