Medicines That Increase the Risk for Muscle Pain
While serious muscle problems are more common when
Zocor is first started or when the
Zocor dosage is increased, problems can develop at any time. There are also certain medicines that can increase the risk of serious muscle problems when taken with Zocor. These medicines include:
- Cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®)
- Danazol (Danocrine®)
- Diltiazem (Cardizem®, Cardizem CD®, Cardizem LA®, Cartia XT®, Dilacor XR®, Dilt-CD®, Diltia XT®, Dilt-XR®, Taztia XT®, Tiazac®)
- Fibrates, such as:
You should also avoid grapefruit juice and grapefruit products (including grapefruit supplements) while taking Zocor.
Some of these medications should not be combined with Zocor at all, while others can be taken as long as the Zocor dosage is reduced
(see Zocor Drug Interactions for more information).
Keep in mind that the risks increase with higher Zocor dosages and appear to be highest in the first year of use. The highest Zocor dosage (80 mg a day) should be reserved only for people who have already been on that dosage for a year or more without any muscle problems. For everyone else, the maximum dosage is 40 mg a day (or even less, in some situations).
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