Health problems such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and strokes have one thing in common and that is high level of cholesterol or more specifically, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Let’s talk about this condition in detail. When the level of bad cholesterol or LDL increases in the bloodstream of your body, it narrows down the arteries making the task more difficult for heart to supply blood to all parts of the body where it is required. The ultimate result of this condition will be hardening of the arteries, hypertension and other arterial ailments.

Though a number of treatment options such as restricted diet, proper exercises and weight control are available for lowering high cholesterol level, they are not adequate for your condition solely. You also need to have the support of various cholesterol lowering drugs such as Simvastatin that prove to be quite effective. Simvastatin under the brand name Zocor belongs to the class of drugs called “statins.” Studies have shown the drug can bring your cholesterol level down by up to 50%. LDL is generally produced by your lever with the help of an enzyme called 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Zocor inhibits the action of this enzyme and helps to reduce the LDL level.

As it is mentioned earlier, any single treatment option can not decrease your cholesterol level alone. It has to be a combination of several alternatives. So when your physician prescribes you Zocor (Simvastatin), it is not intended to be a cure all. It is just an aid and must be continued in conjunction with diet changes and exercise regimen. Simvastatin is taken orally approximately 3 to 4 times a day or as directed by your healthcare provider.

As with any other drug, patients are generally concerned about the possible side effects of Zocor. These include allergic symptoms like hives, swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty in breathing, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain. Even in rare cases, you may experience hair loss and depression while continuing the treatment. However, it is almost impossible to diagnose which side effects are going to affect you as they vary from person to person.

While using Zocor (Simvastatin), you should bear one thing in mind that it may interact with any other medications you’re presently taking to have damaging effects on your health. For this reason, your doctor must be aware of other drugs before recommending you Simvastatin. As a matter of fact, if you feel any untoward symptoms like shortness of breath, weakness, pain and many more while continuing the drug, you should report to your doctor instantly.

Zocor can also react with certain food and beverage items like alcohol, grapefruit, and grapefruit juice. Taking alcohol alongside Zocor can be fatal. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should be careful and not use Simvastatin without consulting their doctor.