Baycol Claims Settled >
Side Effects of Baycol
Baycol:
Side Effects of Baycol
Side
Effects of Baycol - In
2003, there have been a number of Baycol claims settled in the U.S.
- These settlements have been involving injuries related to a condition
called rhabdomyolysis, which the patients developed after taking the
drug.
Baycol is a prescription
drug manufactured by Bayer A.G. Pharmaceutical. Baycol (cerivastatin),
which was initially approved in the U.S. in 1997, is a member of a
class of cholesterol lowering drugs that are commonly referred to
as "statins." Statins lower cholesterol levels by blocking
a specific enzyme in the body that is involved in the synthesis of
cholesterol. While all statins have been associated with very rare
reports of rhabdomyolysis, cases of fatal rhabdomyolysis in association
with the use of Baycol have been reported significantly more frequently
than for other approved statins.
Fatal rhabdomyolysis
reports with Baycol have been reported most frequently when used at
higher doses, when used in elderly patients, and particularly, when
used in combination with gemfibrozil (LOPID and generics), another
lipid lowering drug. As of the date of the recall of Baycol, August
8, 2001, the FDA had received reports of 31 U.S. deaths due to severe
rhabdomyolysis associated with use of Baycol, 12 of which involved
concomitant gemfibrozil use.
Rhabdomyolysis
is a condition where the muscle cells are damaged, thus releasing
a pigment called myoglobin into the bloodstream. The myoglobin becomes
entrapped in the kidneys, clogging up the filtering process of the
kidneys, leading to kidney or renal failure and other organ system
disorders.
According to
the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Encyclopedia,
symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include:
abnormal urine
color (dark, red, or cola colored)
muscle tenderness
weakness of the affected muscle(s)
generalized weakness
muscle stiffness or aching (myalgia)
Additional
symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
weight gain (unintentional)
seizures
joint pain
fatigue
