Zocor Side Effects

Among the common side effects of Zocor are stomach pain, headache, diarrhea, and indigestion. A few rare problems include impotence, anxiety, insomnia, and joint pain. Some symptoms that you should report to your healthcare provider right away include unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness accompanied by a fever or feeling of sickness.

Zocor Side Effects: An Introduction

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Zocor® (simvastatin). However, not everyone who takes the drug will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it well. If side effects do occur, they are generally minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. In previous research studies, up to 1.4 percent of people stopped taking Zocor because of side effects.
 
If you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, along with a fever or feeling of sickness, while taking Zocor, it is important that you contact your healthcare provider immediately.
 
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Zocor. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Zocor side effects with you.)
 

Common Side Effects of Zocor

Zocor has been studied extensively in clinical trials, with more than 21,000 people having been evaluated.
 In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and are then compared to side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine. As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
 
Based on these studies, common Zocor side effects (occurring in more than 1 percent of people) include:
 
  • Headache -- in up to 3.5 percent of people
  • Abdominal pain (stomach pain) -- up to 3.2 percent
  • A general feeling of weakness, known medically as asthenia -- up to 1.6 percent
  • Constipation -- up to 2.3 percent
  • Diarrhea -- up to 1.9 percent
  • Indigestion, known medically as dyspepsia -- up to 1.1 percent
  • Gas -- up to 1.9 percent
  • Nausea -- up to 1.3 percent
  • Upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold -- up to 2.1 percent
  • Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 1.2 percent (see Zocor and Muscle Pain).
     
(Zocor Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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