When my doctor wanted to put me on statins, I said, "No." He was sort of surprised. People tend to trust their doctors without question. Whenever a medication is recommended, the first thing I do is research it. And I don't research the self-serving blather of the drug companies.
My father experienced the same thing. He has been using Zocor 40mg for the period of almost 2 months and he lost 18 pounds of mostly muscle mass. What is he to do next? How to recover his muscle mass? He is 68 years old.
Thanks
My father experienced the same thing. He has been using Zocor 40mg for the period of almost 2 months and he lost 18 pounds of mostly muscle mass. What is he to do next? How to recover his muscle mass? He is 68 years old.
Thanks
Muscle wasting while on lipid-lowering medications is a rare but serious side effect called myolysis, where the muscles become inflamed and breakdown. Worst case this can progress to the muscles cells dying, releasing their contents and causing kidney damage. If you are taking any statins, niacin, or fibrate medications to lower cholesterol and you get symptoms of muscle weakness or pain you need to 1. stop taking them and 2. go to your doctor to see if the medication is truly the cause of your problem, or if its something more serious.
However, it is also important to note that as people age, they naturally loose muscle mass even with regular exercise. Only a doctor can determine what is causing the problem!
My father has been having the same problem of muscle loss while taking zocor. He has been very fit his whole life and was a marathon swimmer - and at 84 years old he still exercises regularly. However, he finds his doctors are very UNsympathetic to his complaint that the cholesterol lowering medications are stripping his muscles away. Dad makes the important point that he would very likely be healthier if he kept his muscles and ability to be active than if he took the medicine and kept his cholesterol levels low!! Best wishes and blessings to you.