Simvastatin is a prescription drug used to control elevated cholesterol.
Last week, the FDA recommended that doctor not start patients on an 80 mg dose of simvastatin – the highest approved dose of the drug — because of the risk of a condition known as myopathy, characterized by unexplained muscle weakness or pain.
The FDA further recommended that the 80 mg dose of simvastatin should only be used by patients who have been taking it for 12 months or longer without ill effect. New patients should be started at 40 mg, and if a doctor finds that patients taking 40 mg of simvastatin aren’t meeting their LDL cholesterol goal, the doctor should choose a different statin drug rather than raising the simvastatin dose to 80 mg.
About the Author
Tom D'Amore is the founder of D'Amore Law Group and a trial attorney with over 30 years of experience representing injured people and their families across the West Coast, securing more than $325 million in recoveries. He handles cases involving
car accidents,
trucking accidents,
construction injuries,
medical malpractice, and
sexual abuse. Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom is the only NBTA board-certified truck accident attorney in Oregon. He is a national Board of Governors member, past Executive Committee member, and past Budget and Audit Chair of the American Association for Justice, as well as past President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice.
