Substitute for Zocor

A substitute for Zocor may be used if side effects occur during treatment with the drug. Among the medications often used as Zocor substitutes are other statins like rosuvastatin calcium, lovastatin, and atorvastatin calcium. Besides statins, there are also four other major classes of medications that can be used to treat high cholesterol. Some factors that can affect which medication your healthcare provider prescribes include your cholesterol levels, heart disease risk factors, and other medical conditions you may have.

 

Substitute for Zocor: An Overview

Lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment for lowering cholesterol. However, for some people, treating high cholesterol with diet, weight control, and exercise is not enough. If lifestyle changes alone are not enough, your doctor can prescribe cholesterol medications. One such medicine is Zocor® (simvastatin). For most people, Zocor is quite effective at lowering cholesterol. It is also generally well-tolerated. However, Zocor side effects can occur and people may wish to consider a substitute for Zocor. These substitutes could include other statins or other cholesterol medicines.
 

Substitute for Zocor: Other Statins

Zocor is part of a class of drugs called statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors).
 Statins work by blocking a particular enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. This causes the liver to make less cholesterol. Zocor also:
 
There are several statin medications available that could be considered a substitute for Zocor. These include:
 
There are also several generic versions of these prescription statins, including a generic for Zocor (see Generic Zocor). To see if a generic statin would make sense in your situation, talk to your healthcare provider.
 
(Substitute for Zocor Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;