Side effects
Zocor is a drug that is used to reduce cholesterol levels for patients with hypercholesterolemia and is classified under the category of Statins. It is very important to know everything about zocor side effects when you’re taking it. Zocor is used in both children and adults to help control the level of cholesterol in the body. It works by reducing the level at which cholesterol is produced, and in the process, it can also introduce different side effects to the body. Simvastatin has some common side effects as well as rare ones, if you experience any of those make sure to let your doctor know about it right away.
zocor dosage If your cholesterol levels are not in the normal range, then your doctor may recommend a statin cholesterol medication for this issue. A known effective cholesterol medication is Zocor and it lowers the LDL levels (The Bad Cholesterol) yet increases the amount of HDL or the good cholesterol. This will balance the cholesterol levels in the body where they are naturally produced. If cholesterol is naturally produced in a rate that’s not normal then this condition may be caused by a hereditary problem and it has to be treated as quickly as possible.
zocor and alcohol It is important that you discuss this matter with your healthcare provider. This can vary. The amount of alcohol that’s safe for you can be based on the present state of your liver and kidneys, your weight, gender, and other factors. There may be several tests required to determine the safe alcohol consumption. As a rule of thumb though, it is considered safe to consume 5-7 drinks each week. However, you should remember that patients are advised not to simultaneously take alcohol and Zocor. If you want to reduce the side effects of Zocor, then you better avoid alcohol.
zocor and grapefruit The combination of grapefruit and zocor is not recommended and this so goes with other products containing grapefruit since there can be a significant increase of the Zocor levels in the blood. A glass of grapefruit juice taken simultaneously with 40mg Zocor can increase the concentration of this particular medication four times. This means to say that taking a 40mg tablet of simvastatin is the equivalent of taking 160mg of it. The high levels of simvastatin in the blood may increase one’s risk of developing Zocor side effects such as muscle pain and other severe life-threatening like kidney failure or serious muscle damage like myopathy or rhabdomyolysis specially with much higher doses. Digestive problems while taking Simvastatin are not common. However, some Simvastatin side effects that may be experienced are nausea and constipation. Though it is very important that you drink fluids when you’re on Simvastatin, make sure that you do not drink grapefruit juices along with it. The reason is that when grapefruit is mixed up with statins, the elements of the grapefruit make it difficult for the enzymes to break down the drug, leading to the accumulation of high amounts of Simvastatin in your system. This can be very dangerous and may damage the liver.
There are many side effects associated with Simvastatin, but they are not fully confirmed as of yet. This is because there are some people who take it without experiencing any side effects, and even if those effects are experienced at all, they are very minor in nature. Most of the time, the Simvastatin side effects may not even require any treatment or medical help of some sort because they generally disappear on their own. This also applies in the case of muscle pain, which is one of the common Simvastatin side effects today.
Women also experience Simvastatin side effects like men, but the one which is commonly found in men is gynecomastia (development of the breast), which leads to enlarged breasts in men. Another common side effect is that some men are likely to experience impotence with Simvastatin. This is according to some studies which have been carried out recently in the US, Europe and Australia, in which some patients took the drug and were monitored for weeks. However, the impotence that can be traced to Simvastatin has proven to be reversible because the sexual function was restored immediately after the patients stopped taking the drug.
Your dosage of Simvastatin should be prescribed and determined by the doctor. You should not take a higher dose than what you have been recommended. Another thing is that you must not take the drug for a period longer than the doctor’s prescription. The use of Simvastatin in treating high cholesterol in adults usually ranges between 5-80 mg everyday. The dosage for children should also be according to the instructions of the doctor. You should also take every dosage with food specially if you take a higher dose of Simvastatin, but according to the prescription of the doctor. In case of a single dose, you may take it before going to bed.
