Zetia is used to reduce the amount of total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B (a protein needed to make cholesterol) in the blood. It is used with a low cholesterol diet and, in some cases, other cholesterol lowering medications.

Before taking Zetia tell your doctor if you:

• have liver disease;
• are using another cholesterol-lowering medication; or
• have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness.

Talk with your doctor first if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant as it is not known whether Zetia will harm an unborn baby. The same rule applies with breast-feeding as it is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk.

Take each dose of Zetia with a full glass of water. It can be taken once a day with or without food. Zetia should be taken 2 hours before or 4 hours after a bile acid sequestrant such as cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colestipol (Colestid), or colesevelam (Welchol).

To get the best results eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Your doctor may want to monitor cholesterol levels, liver function, or other factors with blood tests before starting and during treatment with Zetia. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require. Unless otherwise directed by your doctor do not stop taking Zetia.

Does Zetia have any side effects?

Stop taking Zetia immediately and seek medical help if you experience an uncommon allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives). Other, less serious side effects have also been reported, such as:

• abdominal pain;
• diarrhea; or
• tiredness

Tell your doctor if you are taking other meds to lower cholesterol such as gemfibrozil (Lopid), fenofibrate (Tricor), clofibrate (Atromid-S), atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altocor, Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), or simvastatin (Zocor), or any immunosuppressants like cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf) before taking Zetia.

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