Simvastatin and Muscle Weakness

One of the most common side effects of simvastatin is muscle weakness (myositis). Recent studies have shown that simvastatin (Zocor) related muscle weakness is occurs due to activation of the gene atrogin-1 gene that plays a key role in oxidative damage to muscle tissue, resulting in muscle fiber impairment and muscle atrophy. Other muscle related complaints from patients taking simvastatin include soreness, pain, tenderness, tiredness. Muscle weakness experienced by patients taking simvastatin is not such a bad warning sign as muscle pain and is not yet a sign of muscle damage, because muscle weakness from simvastatin is generally not associated with high creatinine kinase levels. Creatinine kinase is an enzyme contained in skeletal muscle, heart, brain and other tissues. When the tissue is damaged, this enzyme is released into the blood stream, which helps detect muscle damage with a blood test. Creatinine kinase is an enzyme that signifies that the energy in the cells is being generated by the means of fermentation because mitochondria which is responsible for supplying the sell with energy by breaking up food with the help of oxygen. becomes dysfunctional. Please, note that the blood test showing high creatinine kinase levels is not necessarily a sign of simvastatin muscle damage: raised creatinine kinase levels are observed after muscle traumas, surgeries, traumas, intensive workouts (Remember that pain in your muscle day after workouts? In occurs due to micro-damage to muscle during heavy workouts your body is not yet accustomed to).

Administration of Simvastatin with Colchicine

However, patients should be particularly carful about taking simvastatin together with colchicine, especially those with with renal or hepatic impairment. And any signs of muscle weakness or other problems should be immediately reported to the physician. Progressive muscle weakness leading to shortness of breath and even respiratory failure, followed by death was observed in an elderly patient who had a heart transplant and has been continuously been taking colchicine, cyclosporine, prednisone, and mycophenolate. If you are taking simvastatin together with colchicine you may be recommended to do regular checks of creatine kinase levels. High creatine kinase levels may be an indication for discontinuing the medications so as to prevent rhabdomyolysis (muscle cells breakdown) called. If you discontinue simvastatin, it may take up to several weeks for muscle weakness to be gone.

What are the dangers of muscle weakness from statin drugs?

If you are taking statins, muscle weakness is not just a problem of discomfort, feeling tired and sluggish because of flabby skeletal muscle. The most dangerous thing about it is that good muscle tonus is required for the normal work of vital organs, like respiratory muscles for the lungs or heart muscle. Muscle weakness in the lungs from simvastatin can cause breathing difficulties; weakened heart muscle may cause heart failure. In addition, muscle impairment increases the risk of kidney failure which may occur because of “muscle debris” - myoglobin from the muscle cells, in large amounts circulating in blood stream to the kidneys and overloading them.