Ezetimibe Oral Tablet

Name: Ezetimibe Oral Tablet

Highlights for ezetimibe

Ezetimibe is used to reduce high cholesterol levels. It’s used alone or in combination with other cholesterol-lowering drugs.

This drug comes in the form of a tablet you take by mouth every day.

Ezetimibe is available as a brand-name drug called Zetia. It’s not available in its generic form.

More common side effects of taking this drug include diarrhea, stuffy nose, infection of the nose, throat, and airways, and joint pain.

In some cases, ezetimibe can cause serious side effects. These include liver enzyme problems and unexplained severe muscle problems.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
  • Liver problems See Details

  • Severe muscle problems See Details

What is ezetimibe?

This drug is a prescription drug. It’s available as an oral tablet.

This drug is available as a brand-name drug called Zetia. It’s not available in its generic form.

This drug may be used as part of a combination therapy. This means you may need to take it with other cholesterol-lowering medications.

Why it's used

This drug is used to reduce levels of cholesterol in people with high cholesterol levels in the blood.

How it works

This drug belongs to a class of drugs called cholesterol absorption inhibitors.

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Ezetimibe Side Effects

Most Common Side Effects

Some of the more common side effects that can occur with use of ezetimibe include:

  • diarrhea

  • stuffy nose

  • viral infection of your nose, throat, and airways

  • joint pain

If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious Side Effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 9-1-1 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

  • liver problems. This usually doesn’t cause symptoms. Your doctor will measure your liver enzymes in your blood while you’re taking ezetimibe.

  • severe muscle problems. Symptoms include:

    • unexplained muscle pain in your shoulders, thighs, or lower back
    • trouble moving your arms and legs because of weakness
    • dark-colored urine
    • producing less urine than normal
    • joint pain
    • fever
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history.

Ezetimibe May Interact with Other Medications

Ezetimibe can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.

To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Medications that might interact with this drug

Blood thinners

Certain blood thinners can be affected by ezetimibe. This can cause the blood thinner to work too well or not well enough. Your doctor may watch you more closely if you take a blood thinner with ezetimibe.

These drugs include:

  • warfarin
Cholesterol-lowering drugs

Certain cholesterol-lowering drugs can decrease the amount of ezetimibe in your body. This means that ezetimibe may not work as well. You can avoid this interaction by taking your ezetimibe at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after taking your other cholesterol medicine.

These drugs include:

  • cholestyramine
  • colestipol
  • colesevelam

These medicines may cause gallstones when taken with ezetimibe:

  • fenofibrate
  • gemfibrozil
Rheumatoid arthritis/organ transplant drugs

Taking these medications together increases the levels of both drugs in your body. Your doctor may watch you more closely if you take an organ transplant drug with ezetimibe.

These drugs include:

  • cyclosporine
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking. Drug warnings

People with liver disease

You shouldn’t take this drug if you have moderate or severe liver problems. If your liver doesn’t work well, this drug may stay in your body longer. This can cause the drug to build up in your body and lead to more side effects. Your doctor may monitor your liver enzymes before you start and during treatment with this drug.

Pregnant women

This drug is a category C pregnancy drug. That means two things:

  1. Research in animals has shown adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.
  2. There haven’t been enough studies done in humans to be certain how the drug might affect the fetus.

Talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. This drug should be used only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Women who are breast-feeding

It isn’t known if this drug passes into breast milk. If it does, it may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed.

Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your baby. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.

For seniors

The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This increases your risk of side effects.

For children

This medication has not been studied in children younger than 10 years or girls who haven’t started their menstrual cycle. It shouldn’t be used in people younger than 10 years.

When to call the doctor

Call your doctor if you are having symptoms of a heart attack or stroke.

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

  • crushing pain in your chest
  • pain in your arms, back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of your stomach
  • shortness of breath
  • nausea or vomiting

Symptoms of a stroke include:

  • face drooping or numbness on one side of your face
  • weakness in one arm
  • slurred speech and being unable to talk
  • sudden loss of vision or consciousness

Allergies

This drug can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:

  • swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
  • trouble breathing or swallowing
  • skin rash
  • hives

Call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room if you develop these symptoms.

Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).

How to Take ezetimibe (Dosage)

All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on:

  • your age
  • the condition being treated
  • how severe your condition is
  • other medical conditions you have
  • how you react to the first dose

What are you taking this medication for?

Reduce high cholesterol levels

Brand: Zetia

Form: Oral tablet Strengths: 10 mg Adult dosage (ages 18–64 years)

10 mg taken by mouth once per day.

Child dosage (ages 10–17 years)

10 mg taken by mouth once per day.

Child dosage (ages 0–9 years)

This medication hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in people younger than 10 years. Talk to your child’s doctor before giving this drug to your child.

Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)

The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This increases your risk of side effects.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always to speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. Important considerations for taking this drug

You can cut or crush the tablet

Store this drug at room temperature

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A prescription for this medication is refillable

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Travel

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Clinical monitoring

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Your diet

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Are there any alternatives?

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