What Zocor is
Zocor, active ingredient simvastatin, is a prescription medication that commonly is prescribed to treat many conditions that are associated with heart disease and includes the treatment of high triglycerides and cholesterol.
Who is the maker?
Merck and Co. is the maker of Zocor.
Uses
Zocor has been licenced for the treatment of many things including:
- Lowering high levels of cholesterol
- Lowering high triglycerides
- Preventing blood vessel or heart disease
Additionally, Zocor has been approved to treat children that are between the ages of 10 and 17 to treat high levels of cholesterol.
What it does
Statins like Zocor work to block the enzyme that controls how much cholesterol the liver makes and releases into the body. Blocking the enzyme helps the liver to make lower amounts of cholesterol. Additionally, Zocor can help to increase how able the liver is to eliminate the bad cholesterol in the body. Zocor can also be beneficial in increasing the levels of good cholesterol and decreasing the triglycerides.
Benefits
Studies have found that those who were taking the 20 mg Zocor helped to reduce their LDL cholesterol levels by about 38%, total cholesterol levels by 28% and triglyceride levels by 19%. They were also able to increase the good cholesterol levels by as much as eight percent. The effects of this medication were even more pronounced in the 40 and 80 mg versions.
Possible Side Effects
Taking all prescription medications can carry the risk of side effects. There are potential effects while being treated with Zocor. Not everyone that is treated with this medication will have side effects however, as it is generally tolerated well. If you do experience side effects, they are most often mild and require very little treatment. Even if you do notice side effects, it is unlikely that you will have to stop taking this medication. In previous studies an estimated 1.4% of people quit taking this medication due to side effects.
Most of the commonly reported side effects include:
- Pain in the stomach
- Feelings of general weakness
- Diarrhea and or constipation
- Headache
- Gas and or indigestion
- Muscle pain
- Upper respiratory infection