Crestor

The cholesterol lowering drug Crestor (rosuvastatin) is reported by the consumer group Public Citizen to be implicated in cases of kidney damage and rhabdomyolysis, an adverse reaction involving the destruction of muscle tissue that can lead to kidney failure.

FDA records indicate at least 25 patients already have been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis following use of Crestor, with 11 of those patients reporting the condition in a relatively short period between late February 2004 and early May 2004. With reports of additional injuries from Crestor, Public Citizen reemphasized its belief that the FDA should remove Crestor from the market.

The manufacturer of Crestor, AstraZeneca, originally filed its application with the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the drug in June 2001. The application was delayed following reports of kidney damage and muscle weakness in patients taking daily doses of 80 milligrams.

Thereafter, Crestor was approved for doses not to exceed 40 milligrams. Public Citizen charges, however, that these FDA-approved dosage restrictions will not adequately protect patients. As a result, Public Citizen issued a "Do Not Use!" warning about Crestor in its October 2003 issue.

Cholesterol lowering drugs, known as "statins," should be used only under careful medical monitoring for well-known health risks. Another statin drug, Baycol, was earlier removed from the market.

Crestor Side Effects - Rhabdomyolysis

Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include:

• muscle pain
• muscle weakness or tenderness
• malaise
• fever
• dark urine
• nausea
• vomiting

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