1. A Good Combination to Fight High Cholesterol
Doctors prescribe Zetia to help manage high cholesterol. You can take Zetia alone or along with other cholesterol-reducing medications such as Mevacor (lovastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Baycol (cerivastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin) or Lescol (fluvastatin). Combining Zetia with these "statin" drugs, which work to prevent cholesterol from forming, should lower high cholesterol levels more effectively than using the statin medications alone.
2. Do the Work With Diet and Exercise
You need to follow your physician's recommendations for diet and exercise while taking Zetia. Diets low in fat and cholesterol are best in order to see positive results from Zetia. Patients who take Zetia should strictly adhere to the exercise plans their doctor prescribes. Zetia reduces the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs and passes along its system. A proper diet and exercise routine assist Zetia in lowering high cholesterol levels by making less cholesterol available.
3. Keep Your Doctor in the Loop
Zetia is the brand name of the drug ezetimibe, so let your doctor know if you have an allergy to the medication. Dosage adjustments or further testing can make Zetia safe for you to take if you take birth control pills or any other hormones, or if you have kidney disease, an overactive thyroid or diabetes. Note that Zetia can cause harm to unborn children, so talk to your doctor about alternative medications if you are pregnant or want to become pregnant while taking cholesterol medicine.
4. Zetia Can Cause Negative Side Effects
Side effects of Zetia can include tiredness, pain in muscles or joints, a cough or headaches. More serious side effects that require you to contact your physician include pain in the chest or stomach, pain or tenderness in the muscles, low-grade fever, nausea or jaundice. Allergic reactions to Zetia require immediate medical attention. Allergic reactions can be swelling of the tongue, face or in the throat, hives or labored breathing.
5. It's All About the Timing
Zetia can combine with medications called bile acid sequestrants. These drugs, commonly known as Welchol, Colestid or Questrant, lower cholesterol levels on their own by eliminating increased amounts of bile acid in the body's solid waste. The liver then converts cholesterol into bile acid to replace what the body loses through excretion of stool. If you take Zetia at the same time as a bile acid sequestrant, make sure to take Zetia 2 hours before taking the other medication or 4 hours afterward in order to keep Zetia working at its full potential to lower cholesterol levels.
Member Comments