Zetia is a cholesterol-lowering medication that works in the digestive tract as compared to statins, which work with the liver. Zetia helps block the absorption of food-based cholesterol into the blood stream. Whether it is taken alone or with a statin, the product's own website warns it has no proof that the medication prevents heart disease or heart attacks. Long-term adverse side effects have been found with Zetia use.
Liver Problems
Some side effects of long-term use of Zetia have not been released and are in doubt. A December 2007 New York Times article reported possible problems that drug companies Merck and Schering-Plough have uncovered in unpublished studies. The problems have to do with possible liver damage and its use with Zetia and statins, which are often prescribed with Zetia. The final results of the long-term study aren't expected to be released until 2011 or 2012, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Myopathy, Rhabdomyolysis
Zetia use over a long period can produce myopathy (muscle pain and tenderness). It can also create a breakdown of muscle tissue that can be life threatening called rhabdomyolysis. The National Institutes of Health warns muscle toxicity increases with higher doses, over time and with aging populations. Dr. Thomas Behrenbeck with the Mayo Clinic warns that if you feel muscle soreness or pain, muscle weakness or dark-colored urine, stop taking the medication. If the drug caused the symptoms, they should diminish and stop within two weeks. Your doctor might need to prescribe medications to reverse the progression of the disease and keep from damaging your kidneys.
Unknown Effect on Pregnancy, Breast Feeding
Zetia might harm the fetus of a pregnant woman or do harm to a newborn through breast feeding. Cholesterol-lowering medications have been known to cause birth defects and cause other problems in a baby during pregnancy, so Mayo Clinic staff warn against pregnant women or breast-feeding mothers using the drug. The Zetia website also warns against its use by pregnant women and new mothers who breast-feed.
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