Health Canada is advising Canadians about a possible association between the cholesterol lowering drug Crestor®, and a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that results in muscle breakdown and the release of muscle cell contents into the bloodstream. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, fever, dark urine, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, rhabdomyolysis can result in kidney failure and can be life-threatening.
Rhabdomyolysis has also been reported with other cholesterol lowering drugs in the "statin" family. "Statins" are a specific type of cholesterol lowering medication. Between February 2003 and June 2004 there have been eight cases of rhabdomyolysis reported in Canadian patients taking Crestor®. In five of those cases the patients were taking the maximum recommended dose (40 mg) of the drug, in two cases the patients were taking the lowest recommended starting dosage (10 mg) and in the remaining case, the dosage was not stated. All of the Canadian reported cases were associated with predisposing risk factors, and no deaths have been reported.