Medications and Drugs

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Brand Names: Zetia

Generic Name: ezetimibe (Pronunciation: ez ET i mibe)

• What is ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• What are the possible side effects of ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• What is the most important information I should know about ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• How should I take ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• What happens if I miss a dose (Zetia)?
• What happens if I overdose (Zetia)?
• What should I avoid while taking ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• What other drugs will affect ezetimibe (Zetia)?
• Where can I get more information?

What is ezetimibe (Zetia)?

Ezetimibe reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body.

Ezetimibe is used to treat high cholesterol. Ezetimibe is sometimes given with other cholesterol-lowering medications.

Ezetimibe may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Zetia 10 mg

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What are the possible side effects of ezetimibe (Zetia)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• unusual muscle weakness, tenderness, or pain;
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• chest pain;
• pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate); or
• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash.

Less serious side effects may include:

• numbness or tingly feeling;
• mild stomach pain, diarrhea;
• tired feeling;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• depressed mood;
• runny or stuffy nose, cold symptoms;
• joint pain, back pain; or
• cough.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is the most important information I should know about ezetimibe (Zetia)?

Ezetimibe is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

Some cholesterol medications should not be taken at the same time. Do not take ezetimibe with cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran), colestipol (Colestid), or colesevelam (Welchol). Wait at least 4 hours after taking any of these medicines before you take ezetimibe. You may also take ezetimibe 2 hours before taking any of these other medicines.

Ezetimibe may be taken at the same time with fenofibrate (Antara, Lipofen, Lofibra, TriCor, Triglide), or with any of the "statin" drugs such as lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin (Lipitor), or cerivastatin (Baycol).

In rare cases, cholesterol-lowering medication can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure. Call your doctor at once if you have unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine.