Most of us who have feasted on cholesterol laden foods - French fries, crispy fried chicken, pork chops – have high cholesterol values. When that lab results comes, it doesn’t surprise us much. The cholesterol levels are at an all time high. This is a risk for cardiovascular disease such as stroke and heart attack. Or worse, you’re already there. Now, what to do? For a quick fix, your doctor will prescribe a statin, a cholesterol lowering drug. Does that count as good news?

But here’s the bad news. Most statins have a side effect of muscle injury or myopathy. You’ll feel muscle weakness and tenderness on your limbs. Some persons may also feel exquisite pain and aren’t aware that it is an adverse reaction to the drug. That’s one reason why statins are prescribed before bedtime. The US Food and Drug Administration discovered that the drug simvastatin at high levels carries more risk than other statins.

Just recently the US FDA reported that a higher dose of simvastatin has a greater risk of developing the most serious form of myopathy called rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis can cause kidney damage. Kidney failure may occur and this can be lethal. Simvastatin is approved at 80 mg dosages, hence, the warning. When muscles are injured, myoglobin, a protein from the injured muscles is released into the blood stream. As blood is filtered out by the kidneys, they consequently damage them and the result can shut down the kidneys. Patients may complain of dark or red urine.

A high risk of rhabdomyolosis occurs in people 65 years and older, poor kidney functions and low thyroid levels.

Health care providers are advised to prescribe the drug judiciously. Patients and health care providers are additionally counseled to determine the benefits before deciding on treatment as a single dose or in combination. This includes the dose that should be prescribed. Simvastatin is also sold mixed with ezetimibe and niacin.

If you’re one of those prescribed with simvastatin, do the following:

· Don’t stop your medications

· Ask your physicians any concerns you may have

· Regularly visit your health care provider

· Watch out for signs of muscle weakness, muscle pain and tenderness, tea colored or red urine.

Scared of the side effects of simvastatin? Modify your diet and lifestyle to lower your cholesterol values. You can start eating foods that naturally lower your cholesterol such as oats or flax seeds. Eat more fruits and vegetables instead of cholesterol laden burgers and steaks. Start a regular exercise regimen and lose weight. The rewards are tremendous. You’ll feel healthier and prevent heart attacks and strokes. Accordingly, you’ll never need to swallow a tablet of simvastatin ever again. You’d be happier too.