Cholesterol Side Effects

I'm a 43 year old male, and have been on atenolol and lotensin for 7-8 years for hypertension and nagging PACs.  Two years ago at my cardiologist's recommendation, I began taking 40 mg of Zokor (I have recently reduced it to 20 mg/day) since I have gotten regular readings of total cholesterol at 200-230, HDL 29-45, LDL 140-170.  There is a history of heart attack on my mother's side (herself at 48 and her father at 39 years old).  Tests from holter monitors, treadmills and echos indicate no signs of CHD in me yet.  I am considering stopping the Zokor even though it is doing the job, because I swear it is causing my hair to fall out which is a big deal to me since I have always had a lot of it.  My cardiologist says Zokor isn't the likely culprit. My question is this:  Could Zokor and/or the other two drugs be contributing to the sudden thinning, and would it do any good to switch to a non-statin?  I really hate taking so many medications.

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

Dear Kevin,  

It is unlikely that the hair thinning is caused by the Zocor.  However, anaectodally i have seen patients on Lipitor another cholesterol lowering medication have hair loss.  

I would suggest trying to stay on the ZOCOR ana maintain an LDL <130 and an HDL >45.

[kevin]

Woops - Zocor, not Zokor..

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

Don't worry. Understood that.

[Mae]

Dear Kevin
    I am a 44 year old female, had a 5way bypass 4 years ago and have been very distressed with the hair loss I have.  My doctor took me off of prevachol and put me on lipitor to try to reduce the loss to no avail it seems to be worse!  I was on zocor right after surgery and hair loss was not as bad.

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

this is a potential side effect form statins.  I hgave seen it most commonly with lipitor.  You may wish to switch back to zocor.

[keyzgirl]

A related discussion, ZOCOR was started.