Leo Loveridge,

Thanks for your question.

Yes, zocor can cause shoulder discomfort.  A common side effect seen with statin medication is muscle pain.  Joint pain, or arthraligias, can also occur with this class of medication.  It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether it's the muscles moving the joint cause the pain, or the joint itself.  But both have been described in the literature.  These symptoms usually disappear with when the medication is discontinued. 

Just because one statin causes this problem does not mean they all will.  Your doctor may substitute a different drug within this class.  Should that be a problem also, there are other classes of medication that can also be tried.

You have to discuss this with your physician for his input before stopping the medication.  I'm sure he/she will work with you to find the right medication with least side effects.

Best wishes.

Martin Cane, M.D.