Ezetimibe Information
Pronunciation
ez ET i mibe
What is this drug used for?
• It is used to lower cholesterol.
Frequently reported side effects of this drug
• Joint pain
• Diarrhea
• Loss of strength and energy
Other side effects of this drug: Talk with your doctor right away if you have any of these signs of:
• Muscle pain
• Muscle weakness
• Signs of a significant reaction like wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Medication Safety Issues
Sound-alike/look-alike issues:
Ezetimibe may be confused with ezogabine
Zetia may be confused with Zebeta, Zestril
Storage and Stability
Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions are permitted between 15°C and 30°C (59°F and 86°F). Protect from moisture.
Adverse Reactions
Central nervous system: Fatigue
Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea
Hepatic: Increased serum transaminases (with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; ≥3 x ULN)
Infection: Influenza
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Arthralgia, limb pain
Respiratory: Sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infection
Rare but important or life-threatening: Abdominal pain, anaphylaxis, angioedema, autoimmune hepatitis (Stolk 2006), cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, cholestatic hepatitis (Stolk 2006), depression, dizziness, erythema multiforme, headache, hepatitis, hypersensitivity reaction, increased creatine phosphokinase, myalgia, myopathy, nausea, pancreatitis, paresthesia, rhabdomyolysis, skin rash, thrombocytopenia, urticaria
