What is ezetimibe?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Zetia Ezetrol
Ezetimibe, an anti-lipid agent used with dietary therapy for the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and sitosterolemia, a rare disorder. In combination with other agents it is used for familial hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased lipids in blood (hyperlipidemia) | 34 | 27 | |
| High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) | 14 | 3 | |
| General health | 6 | 2 | |
| Support heart health | 5 | 3 | |
| Congenital muscular dystrophy | 1 | 0 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 5 | |
| Moderate | 7 | |
| Mild | 8 | |
| None | 56 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with ezetimibe
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle and joint pain | 3 | |
| Diarrhea | 2 | |
| Dry mouth | 1 | |
| Elevated blood pressure | 1 | |
| Eye muscle twitching (fasciculations) | 1 | |
| Headaches in morning | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking ezetimibe
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor's advice | 10 | |
| Side effects too severe | 5 | |
| Expense | 4 | |
| Other | 4 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 3 | |
| Personal research | 3 | |
| Did not seem to work | 2 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 1 |
Duration
Stopped taking ezetimibe
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 2 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 3 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 9 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 1 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 10 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 2 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking ezetimibe after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Atorvastatin (Lipitor) | 10 | |
| Rosuvastatin (Crestor) | 2 | |
| Simvastatin (Zocor) | 2 | |
| Colesevelam (Welchol) | 1 | |
| Lovastatin-Niacin (Advicor) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking ezetimibe and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Atorvastatin (Lipitor) | 2 | |
| Rosuvastatin (Crestor) | 1 |
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