Ezetimibe (Zetia) tips from pharmacists

• You should take ezetimibe with or without food around the same time every day. You won’t be able to tell if this medication is working. Your doctor will routinely check your cholesterol levels to determine if it’s working.Let your doctor know immediately if you start feeling muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, as this can be symptoms of muscle breakdown, resulting in kidney damage.

• Typically, ezetimibe is taken with another cholesterol medication. Check with your pharmacist to see if they can be taken together. If you are taking ezetimibe with colesevelam (Wellchol), cholestyramine (Questran), or colestipol (Colestid), you will need to take ezetimibe 2 hours before or 4 hours after these medications. Talk to your pharmacist if you are unsure what type of cholesterol medication you are taking.

• If you take ezetimibe with a statin, your liver enzymes may be elevated. This condition is rare but serious. Let your doctor know if you experience symptoms of liver injury, including right upper stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

• You should keep all your doctor and blood test appointments because ezetimibe can increase your risk of liver problems and elevation of liver enzymes.