Zocor

Zocor

Drug uses

The lipid-lowering drug Zocor is prescribed as an adjunctive hypercholesterolaemia therapy to patients with increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis. Zocor has a significant lipid-lowering effect and slows atherosclerosis progression. This hypolipidemic agent is highly effective in reducing the level of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein.

Zocor is used in adults and adolescents aged 10 years or older in:

• hypercholesterolaemia
• increased risk of CHD*
• heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH)
• prevention of cardiovascular disease

* Coronary heart disease

Zocor advantage over other lipid-lowering drugs is its high efficiency, safety and well tolerance.

The therapeutic Zocor dose for the hypercholesterolaemia treatment ranges from 5 mg to 40mg per day. The recommended starting dose is 10 mg or 20mg of Zocor per day. The recommended daily dose for patients with high CHD risk is 40 mg.

The starting Zocor dose for the treatment of adolescents aged 10 to 17 years with HeFH is 10mg/day. The maximum Zocor dose for teenagers should not exceed 40mg per day. Elderly patients (65 years and above) should avoid high doses of Zocor, since using the dose of 80 mg per day increases the risk of myopathy in geriatric patients.

Missed dose

If the patient has missed a single dose of Zocor, he or she should take it as soon as remembers about it. Skipping the missed Zocor dose is recommended, if the time for taking the following dose of the lipid-lowering drug is soon to come. Do not double Zocor dose to make up for the missed dose.

More information

The patients are recommended to start a standard hypolipidemic diet before they start using Zocor, and they should stick to it throughout the entire treatment course. An increase in liver enzymes is possible in some patients, using Zocor. Hepatic enzymes levels gradually return to baseline values upon termination of Zocor treatment.

Storage

Zocor tablets should be stored in a dry place, below 30°C, in the original packaging (blister, glass bottles, or polypropylene bottles).

Zocor safety information

Warnings

If the patient is taking Diltiazem, Verapamil or Dronedarone, the therapeutic dose of Zocor should not be exceeded 10 mg per day. When using Amlodipine, Ranolazine or Amiodarone, the patient should not exceed the daily Zocor dose of 20 mg. The patients with severe kidney deficiency are recommended to start treatment with the lowest daily dose of Zocor 5 mg.

Disclamer

Information about the regulator of lipid metabolism Zocor is provided for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to replace medical advice, offered by the specialists in cardiology and vascular medicine. The online pharmacy bears no responsibility for any omissions or errors for the results, obtained from the use of information on the lipid-lowering agent Zocor.

Zocor side effects

The lipid-lowering therapy with Zocor may increase the risk of upper respiratory infections. Abdominal pain or headaches are less common in Zocor use. In some patients, Zocor may cause gastrointestinal disorders, including constipation, flatulence, nausea, or diarrhea. All listed adverse effects are usually short-lived and almost always not serious.

The lipid-lowering drug Zocor rarely causes any serious adverse effects. Clinical studies have shown that no more than 1.5% of patients with dyslipidemia stopped Zocor due to adverse effects. The most common reasons for Zocor abolition are muscle pain, joint pain, digestive disorders. The majority of patients, taking Zocor tablets, do not have these adverse effects or they are very mild.