husband on Zocor, but it's a LONG story

[questionsall]

Sure glad I found this website. Have had great difficulty getting doctors to listen to either my husband or myself regarding any meds, not just Zocor.

I'll try to briefly summarize events for the past three years, that lead to my husband being on Zocor.

August, 2003. Husband and self hit by druggie in rollover auto accident. Survived that. Primary doc put husband on Vioxx. Hubby had "reaction" and pharmacist advised to get off Vioxx. Did so and primdoc concurred. Primdoc transferred; we got "new" doc in same office. New primdoc put hubby on Vioxx again, over our objections, but also put hubby on bp med for "high bp".

July 2004. Hubby takes Vioxx dose; 30 minutes later develops shakes/chills, but NO CHEST PAIN. EMS stabilize hubby and take him to our small town hospital emergency. Our primdoc is on call there. He assumes hubby has heart attack and has him transferred to larger town hospital. There, cardiologist, advises that hubby ok; no heart attack. I relate the Vioxx dose and cardiologist says the Vioxx probably caused the episode. Cardiologist says tiny sliver of plaque loosened but did not penetrate heart artery. Puts hubby on Plavix and say he will be ok. Cardiologist's associate takes hubby off of Plavix and puts him off/on a series of other drugs. Hubby looks like walking death and I determine to get him out of there before they succeed in killing him. I make this assessment after witnessing a series of questionable medical judgments and hospital negligence that I reported to no avail.

August 2004. Hubby takes stress test. Week later we receive "form letter" from our cardiologist stating that stress test went ok and cardiologist will see hubby in September 2004 for follow-up.

September 2004. Office visit to cardiologist who informs hubby and self that, "as we knew", stress test results were not good. Hubby and I react with shock and hubby faints. Cardiologist assures me that this fainting has nothing to do with hubby's heart, then I show him the letter confirming test went ok, and suggest that the conflicting info might have shocked hubby (and me) and caused the fainting. Techs in office revive hubby, say he's ok. Cardiologist is obviously "upset" with the letter we received with erroneous test results and takes me to see office manager. Cardiologist elects to admit hubby to another hospital (not the same one as in July), and says he wants to place a stent in hubby's heart artery. He asks if hubby had been taking the Plavix and I inform him that his associate had taken hubby off of the Plavix back in July. Cardiologist is also "upset" at learning this news which he says he was not told of.

September 2004. Our cardiologist's schedule does not permit him to do the stent, but he refers us to another of his associates who performs the procedure. This associate does a good job and hubby's prognosis is deemed good. Both our cardiologist and his referring associate decide to put hubby on Zocor. Both advise that this will probably be for the duration of hubby's life. I question the Zocor. Associate cardiologist says it will help hubby's cholesterol and gives us a lecture on the "ideal" cholesterol levels of apes and that is what we are aiming for for hubby. I tell associate that hubby doesn't have questionable cholesterol levels and refer him to hubby's medical records for the past several years and recently, prior to the stent. Hubby's levels are EXCELLENT, BETTER than an ape's "ideal" levels. Associate cardiologist dismisses this info and says that the Zocor will benefit hubby's history of heart problems. I refer him again to hubby's medical records that indicate NO HEART PROBLEM prior to the Vioxx incident. He also dismisses this info and begins to lecture on the benefits of proper diet, exercise, no smoking, no alcohol, etc. I remind him to check my hubby's medical records that show that hubby does not smoke or use alcohol, we use the Mediterrean diet and both of us walk 30 minutes every day/seven days a week. Again, this info is dismissed.

September 2004 to June 2006. Have switched primary care doctors and have repeatedly questioned primdoc and our cardiologist about the Zocor usage. Hubby is fatigued, has marked memory loss, multiple aches and difficulty with mobility. None of these symptoms were present prior to his taking the Zocor. I've done considerable research on Zocor and questioned four different pharmacists about Zocor usage, all of whom have also questioned why hubby is even on it. After finding and reading the info contained on this website, I can finally say HALLELUJAH!!! Some common sense info that makes me even more determined to get hubby off of that Zocor before it contributes to the demise of a previously very healthy human being. Will follow the advice given and gradually take him off of it. Hubby had to wean himself off of Valium several years ago because our primdoc wouldn't do it.

Thanks for letting me vent this "soap opera-sounding" ordeal we've experiencing. Anyone I've related this to is amazed that we've gone through this.

Hubby's wife

[Darrell]

A few years ago I would have been amazed, but not anymore. In fact, not many of the regulars here are going to be amazed. Sympathetic, but not amazed. Good luck, questionsall. Keep us posted.