Zetia Side-effects

Patients taking Zetia may experience some common side-effects. Most of the common side effects associated with this drug usually go away and do not require any medical intervention. Some of the common side-effects associated with the drug are:

Tired feeling
Headache
Numbness or tingly feeling
Dizziness
Depressed mood
Cough
Joint pain, back pain
Runny or stuffy nose, cold symptoms
Mild stomach pain

Serious side-effects of Ezetimibe which require immediate medical attention include:

Loss of appetite
Dark urine
Clay-colored stools
Jaundice
Low fever
Unusual muscle weakness, tenderness or pain
Pancreatitis
Headache with severe blistering, peeling and red skin rash

Drug Interactions

Before taking Ezetimibe, it is prudent that patients tell their doctor about all prescription, non-prescription, herbal or natural medications that they are taking or planning to take. Patients must avoid taking Zetia, if they are allergic to its active or inactive ingredients. The following medications may interact with Ezetimibe and hence, the patients are recommended to consult their doctor prior taking any of them:

Colesevelam (Welchol)
Cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran)
Colestipol (Colestid)
Gemfibrozil (Lopid)
Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf)
Blood thinner like Warfarin (Coumadin)

Disclosure about these drugs their doctor or pharmacist is important as these drugs may interfere with the normal working of Zetia.

Ezetimibe is contraindicated in patients with the following conditions:

Patients suffering from following disease are advised not to take the drug without doctor's consultation:

Liver disease
Kidney disease
Thyroid disorder
If you use steroid medicine or hormones
If you are pregnant or planning for the same or breastfeeding
If you are taking cholesterol lowering medicines called statins
If you have ever experienced any kind of allergies and unexplained tenderness, muscle pain or weakness.
Even if any person is suffering from same condition, do not advise him to take the medication.

Ezetimibe Warning

Patients prescribed with Zetia must keep the following warnings in mind while taking the drug:

Patient taking Ezetimibe along with a statin must get their blood test done on regular basis to ensure proper functioning of the liver.
Patients are advised to have low-cholesterol diet while taking Zetia.
This drug should not be prescribed to children below the age of ten years.
This drug rarely affects the muscles, so patients taking this drug should immediately report to the doctor upon experiencing any muscular symptoms like pain or weakness while taking this drug.
Individuals with decreased liver function are not recommended to take Ezetimibe.
Alcohol should be strictly avoided while taking this drug.