The side effects of Simvastatin and Pravastatin are described. These include:

• about 7% of patients experience gastro-intestinal side effects, e.g. abdominal pain, constipation and flatulence

• less frequently, headache and musculoskeletal symptoms

• changed biochemical profiles - increased liver transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase or alanine transferase) and levels of the muscle enzyme creatine kinase

• myositis (muscle pain plus an increase in CK greater than 10 times the upper limit of normal) occurs in less than 0.2% of patients receiving simvastatin

• rhabdomyolysis:
• with resultant renal damage
• a rare side effect of simvastatin
• often the result of a drug interaction with cyclosporin A, gemfibrozil or nicotinic acid

The adverse effects profile for all statins are similar. Check the summary of products characteristics before prescribing a particular statin.