Simvastatin monotherapy as a potential option for statin‐associated muscle symptoms: a case report

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES: Choosing an alternative statin is recommended when managing statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) and new hydrophilic statins are often suggested. We report on a case of statin-associated muscle damage that was successfully managed by simplifying the patient's combination therapy with simvastatin-ezetimibe to simvastatin alone. CASE SUMMARY: The patient experienced SAMS when he was successively treated with atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, Xuezhikang capsule and combined simvastatin/ezetimibe therapy. However, the patient tolerated simvastatin therapy well even at a dose of 40 mg/day. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Our case suggests that patients with SAMS who are intolerant to a wide variety of statins may be successfully managed with simvastatin monotherapy.