Benefits

• Zocor is a cholesterol-lowering medication used in addition to changes in diet and exercise. For patients with heart disease and high cholesterol, Zocor may help reduce the risk of death from heart attack. It also may make a patient less likely to need surgical cardiac procedures, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and angioplasty. Additionally, the drug could help lower the risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack. Patients must discuss with their doctors if the benefits outweigh the risk of joint pain caused by the drug.
  
  

Who Takes It

• Zocor is usually prescribed only if diet, exercise and weight loss fail to lower cholesterol levels. Medical professional warn patients that taking Zocor does not mean that diet and exercise may be discontinued. Zocor is to be used in addition to these measures. Although many patients taking Zocor don't experience adverse side effects, other patients may have joint pain ranging from minor to significant.
  
  

Joint Pain Concerns

• According to clinical studies, muscle pain occurred in up to 1.2 percent of people taking the drug. This is especially true while beginning phases of treatment or when increasing your dosage. If you experience muscle cramps, aches, pain and weakness in your joints, these should be discussed with your doctor.
  
  

Untreated Pain

• Join pain by itself is not the only concern of taking Zocor. A less frequent side effect of Zocor can result in the breakdown of muscle tissue. Although this happens in less than 0.01 percent of cases, report any joint or muscle pain to your doctor. This condition can lead to kidney failure.
  
  

Prevention

• Blood tests will help your doctor assess side-effect risks. Image supplied by Morguefile.com
  
  Doctors will perform blood tests to determine risk levels before starting treatment. Patients should inform their physicians right away if they experience joint pain. Sometimes changes in dosage can resolve the side effect. In other cases, your doctor may choose to have you stop taking Zocor in favor of another medication. However, patients should be aware that other statin drugs are reported to have the same joint pain side effect as Zocor.