EZETIMIBE

(ez ET i mibe) Brand: Zetia

What is the most significant information I must know about ezetimibe?

• Ezetimibe is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercice, and weight control. Follow your diet, medicine, and exercice 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 till you take ezetimibe. You may also take ezetimibe 2 hours till taking any of these another 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 medicine can reason 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.

What is ezetimibe?

• Ezetimibe reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body.

• Ezetimibe is used to treat tall cholesterol. Ezetimibe is sometimes given with another cholesterol-lowering medications.

• Ezetimibe may also be used for another purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking ezetimibe?

• You must not use this medicine if you are allergic to ezetimibe, or if you have liver disease.

• If you have any of these another conditions, you may need a doze adjustment or particular trials to safely use this medication:

· kidney disease;

· a thyroid mess; or

· if you use steroid medication or hormones (including birth control pills).

• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether ezetimibe is deleterious to an unborn child. Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

• It is not known whether ezetimibe passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

• Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from this medicine.

How must I take ezetimibe?

• Take this medicine exactly as it was predesigned for you. Do not take the medicine in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• Ezetimibe is generally taken once a day, with or without food. Try to take ezetimibe at the same time every day.

• It may take up to 2 weeks of using this medication till your cholesterol levels improve. For excellent results, hold using the medicine as directed. Your cholesterol will need to be measured using blood trials at regular intervals. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

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

• Store ezetimibe at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. If it is nearly time for your following doze, skip the missed doze and take the medication at the following regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention if you think you have used too many of this medicine.

• An overdose of ezetimibe is not expected to manufacture life-threatening symptoms.

What must I avoid while taking ezetimibe?

• Avoid eating foods that are tall in thick or cholesterol. Ezetimibe will not be as effective in lowering your cholesterol if you do not follow a cholesterol-lowering diet plan.

What are the possible side effects of ezetimibe?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, 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, quick heart rate); or

· fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· numbness or tingly feeling;

· mild stomach pain, diarrhea;

· weary feeling;

· headache;

· dizziness;

· depressed mood;

· runny or stuffy nose, cool 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 message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect ezetimibe?

• Till taking ezetimibe, speak your doctor if you are using any of the next drugs:

· cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran);

· colestipol (Colestid);

· colesevelam (Welchol);

· gemfibrozil (Lopid);

· cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf); or

· a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin).

• This list is not complete and there may be another drugs that can interact with ezetimibe. Speak your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start using a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about ezetimibe.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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