Zocor Settlements Sought by Plaintiffs

High cholesterol is a growing problem for Americans as waistlines expand and foods become faster and fattier. However, people who are in shape and watch what they eat can also have high cholesterol, as both food and family history are factors into a person’s cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can contribute to heart disease and other serious conditions that amount to some of the country’s biggest killers. Zocor rhabdomyolysis has recently been in the news for completely different reasons than helping patients reduce their cholesterol levels, however.

It has been linked to a rash of side effects that have impacted a large number of patients who used the medication, and some of these patients are filing Zocor class action lawsuits by Zocor lawyer. Most of the side effects of Zocor are related to muscle injury, whether it be muscle damage that can cause pain and soreness or the more serious condition called rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down, which releases a compound called myoglobin into the bloodstream. The kidneys, which would normally help to process the blood and remove certain impurities, cannot process myoglobin. Instead it builds in the kidneys until the kidneys fail if it is not detected and treated right away. Kidney failure can lead to permanent complications for a patient and can even be fatal in some cases if it is not treated immediately. A number of patients have turned to cholesterol-lowering medications in order to keep their cholesterol levels in check. One of the most popular of these medications is called Zocor..

Symptoms that might indicate muscle disease or rhabdomyolysis include unexplained fatigue, muscle weakness, dark colored urine—which can be red, brown, or cola-colored, joint inflammation, pain, stiffness, and pain in the joints and muscles. Patients who were prescribed the higher 80mg dose of Zocor (rosuvastatin) are more likely to experience these side effects than patients who were prescribed the lower 40mg dose, and therefore patients who were on the higher dosage are more likely to be successful in court, according to some legal experts. Of course, this does not mean that patients who took the lower dosage and experienced side effects cannot file.