Statins
- Crestor (generic name: rosuvastain)
- Lescol (generic name: fluvastatin)
- Altocor, Mevacor (generic name: lovastatin)
- Pravachol (generic name: pravastatin)
- Zocor (generic name: simvastatin)
Over 36 million Americans are currently candidates for statin drug therapy for high cholesterol. Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are a class of drugs used to lower blood cholesterol. In some people statins can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke when used in combination with a low-cholesterol diet and an exercise program to lower cholesterol. However, like all medications, statins have potential side effects. All statins act on an enzyme in the liver that controls production of cholesterol.
Some potential side effects of statins may include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Muscle aches and muscle pain
- Abdominal pain or cramps
The most serious known side effect of statin drugs is rhabdomyolysis, a wasting disorder of the muscles that can be fatal. Under current law, all new drugs need proof that they are effective, as well as safe, before they can be approved for marketing. But it is important to realize that no drug is absolutely safe. There is always some risk of an adverse reaction. When the benefits of a drug outweigh the risks, the FDA will consider a drug safe enough to approve. But all too often FDA-approved drugs are making their way to the market place only to be recalled later due to health risks that are simply unacceptable.
This was the case concerning the drug Baycol (generic name: cerivastatin) manufactured by Bayer AG and recalled from the market due to at least 31 reports of rhabdomyolysis, an adverse reaction involving the destruction of muscle tissue that can lead to kidney failure. Public Citizen, a national nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts, had warned patients not to use Baycol more than three years before it was removed from the market.
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin continually monitors reports on statins. If you or someone you love has suffered as a result of statin drug therapy, contact us today to learn about your options, including the possibility of filing a lawsuit in your personal injury case.
Learn more about the statins currently on our watch list:
Baycol
The FDA announced on August 8, 2001 that Bayer AG was voluntarily withdrawing Baycol from the U.S. market. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin was involved in a major class action campaign involving people injured by the drug Baycol. If a statin drug has injured you or someone you love, contact us today to discuss your options.
Crestor linked to fatal muscle disorder and kidney failure
Concern over the drug Crestor has been heightened due to the recent recall of Baycol, another statin drug, which was taken off the market in August of 2001 after it was potentially linked to more than one hundred deaths worldwide. One study of high-dose Crestor was stopped after the appearance of side effects similar to those produced by Baycol. Crestor is manufactured and marketed by AstraZeneca, whose original FDA application for Crestor was delayed after …
