Recently, the anti-cholesterol medication cerivastatin (Baycol) was voluntarily pulled from the market by the manufacturer because it has been linked with the deaths of 31 persons in the United States. The deaths were caused by rhabdomyolysis, an acute condition in which muscle is destroyed and released into the bloodstream. The condition causes severe pain and, in some patients, may lead to potentially fatal kidney or other organ failure.
While all of the popular cholesterol-lowering medications have been linked to very rare reports of rhabdomyolysis, cerivastatin has been linked to significantly more fatal cases than its competitors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knows of 31 deaths since cerivastatin was approved for use in the United States in 1997. About 700,000 Americans have used cerivastatin.
According to the FDA, the rhabdomyolysis side effect of cerivastatin was reported most often in elderly patients, at higher dosages, and especially when the drug was used in combination with another cholesterol-lowering medication, gemfibrozil. In 12 of the 31 deaths in the United States, the patients were taking both medications.
The FDA warns that patients who are taking cerivastatin should call their physician about switching to a different cholesterol medication. Patients taking cerivastatin who experience muscle pain and are also taking gemfibrozil should immediately stop the medication and contact their physician. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, fever, dark-colored urine, nausea and vomiting. For more information, contact the FDA at 888-INFO-FDA (888-463-6332) or the manufacturer at 800-758-9794.
COPYRIGHT 2001 American Academy of Family Physicians
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
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