Life Threatening Rhabdomyolysis Following the Interaction of two Commonly Prescribed Medications

Alireza Fallah, Maitri Deep, David Smallwood, Peter Hughes

Abstract

We report an interaction between erythromycin and simvastatin resulting in life-threatening rhabdomyolysis in an elderly patient. Drugs that inhibit CYP3A4 enzyme can cause elevated serum levels of statins which amplifies the risk of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis. Physicians should be aware of potential drug interactions of statins, which are widely used in the community.
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