There are 339 ratings for the drug: ZETIA in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for zetia: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

Page: 1  2 3 4    Results are sorted by Gender with males listed first.

Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
				F  M
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5	lower col.			M		90 days		4/18/2006
5	cholesterol	Muscle cramps in arms and legs. Mach elbow pain on the inside of both arms! Muscle spasms. Throbing headache which came and went. Elevated liver enzymes according to blood work! Don't let anyone tell you that Zetia dosen't casue muscle pain!	Although it did lower my cholesterol and without the side effects I would still be on it!	M	42	15 months		3/18/2007
5	cholesterol	Muscle cramps in arms and legs. Mach elbow pain on the inside of both arms! Muscle spasms. Throbing headache which came and went. Elevated liver enzymes according to blood work! Don't let anyone tell you that Zetia dosen't casue muscle pain!		M	42	15 months		3/18/2007
5	High Cholesterol and Triglycerides	So far the only side effect has been a benefit. For the first time in years i'm sleeping through the night. It works better then Ambien.	It's too soon to tell if it's helping. Will find out in two weeks with next blood test. But i am enjoying my sleep.	M	63	2 weeks		6/4/2006
5	High cholesterol	Occasional odd sensation in upper GI tract, though not painful.	Dramatic improvement then leveling off in LDL cholesterol levels, though doc is keeping after me to reduce intake of meats & other cholesterol high foods. Am continuing to exercise regularly.	M	43	12 months		3/8/2007
5	cholesterol reduction	NONE.	Was taking simvastatin at 20mg/day. Needed to reduce LDL further and went to 40mg/day - but no additional effect. Went back to 20 mg of simvastatin but added 10 mg/day of Zetia and was able to meet my LDL target within a month. Liver tests all normal.	M	61	120 days		11/27/2007
5	High Cholesterol - Total At 293	I experience sharp pain in the area where you would normally feel heartburn. I have only experienced it twice so far. I am fatigued but I don't exercise at this moment in time. I am eating healthy.	I will start exercising soon to see if that will boost my energy levels. I recently took a non fasted Cholesterol check and my total cholesterol was 189. so 293 to 189 is a very nice drop in points. The first check was fasted and i will go in Feb to do another fasted cholesterol check. This site scares me a little but every person is different and will react differently.	M	31	2 weeks		1/21/2009 Email
5	Lower Cholestero	No side affects from Zetia at all. All the statins gave me leg pains and memory problems. Zetia reduced my total cholesterol from 270 to 230. Did not improve HDL though. Slo-Niacin and Flax oil bumped HLD from 30 to 50.	There is a genetic test called APO-E. It was well worth the ~$80 to find that my genetics predict statins are not a good choice. Zetia is still working well for me after three years.	M	57	3 years		7/6/2008 Email
4	Taking Vytorin to keep lipids down.	none at all	dropped all lipids.CL 179,LDL 79,TRI 56,HDL over 80, but this may be due to 500mg Niaspan. Ratio 1.9. I have to note that they have been dropping modestly for 10years on zocor alone befofoe switch to Vytorin. But this last panel was best ever. I had stroke 17yrs and by-pass 16yrs ago. I have recently had a stent done but this was on a leg vein all other arteries clean includin neck.	M	67	3 years		1/16/2008
4	Extremely high Triglicerides	Nothing major - occasionally a bit more tired than usual - unable to sit in the hot tub more than about 15 minutes without feeling lightheaded.	What a great site... thanks. My Tri count was at 2000 (yep.. two thousand).. couldn't take statins as they made me blow up like the pillsbury doughboy and unbelievable muscle pain throughout entire body... Zetia has lowered my counts down to 650... still way too high, but much better. I've been tired, but nothing extreme. For me, it's been a great alternate to the statins (I've tried lipitor and zocor - both with same results)	M	45	6 months		1/16/2008
4	high hereditary cholesteral of 340	I have used zetia for 7 or 8 years and my numbers reduced to 240's. Ultrafast crt of heart was normal. I believe zetia caused inflamation of my gall bladder which had to be removed after 6 years on this drug. My stomach lining is also inflamed. heartburn is frequent. I also have the following happen after 4 years on the drug. Knee surgery, rotator cuff injury, tennis elbow. Pain in right side of my neck. I believe long term use of zetia caused most of these problems. My doctor disagrees. I can not use statins due to muscle side effects. I want to come off this drug before I have more problems, but doctor said I have to go on a statin again which I refuse to do. It should be stated that all my relatives have cholesteral over 300 and lived well into their 90's without drugs. I am only 56 and do not want to be on any drugs that long.		M	56	8 years		1/14/2008
4	Lipitor	I haven't really noticed any yet.	Gotta be better than liver targeted statins. Major muscle problems and abnormal liver test results from Lipitor.	M	57	1 weeks		6/5/2007
4	High Chloresterol	No side effects	Lowered overall chloresterol, had to add niaspan to raise good chloresterol, very mild "flushing" from that.	M	59	1.5 years		7/30/2007
4	High Cholesterol	Mostly gas. For a while I was having muscle aches. I don't know if they were from the Zetia or from exercising at Cardio Rehab (had bypass surgery in Jan).	Zetia definitely got my cholesterol down but I have more gas than a Saudi Prince. I was originally having muscle pains but started taking CoQ10 (100 mg from Wal Mart) and the pains quit. Still got the gas though and GasX doesn't touch it. I'm going back to natural red rice yeast to see if that fixes it and the cholesterol stays down.	M	61	4 months		5/31/2007
4	High Cholesterol	2 days after starting zetia, felt like a constant lump and tightness in the throat which passed after about 5 weeks. My lower back feels sore and weak when I wake in the am. Tore a muscle in right ribcage few wks ago with no explanation (rib cage very sore), not sure if it's related or not.	Has definitely lowered cholesterol and triglycerides. Overall down 86 points which is pretty phenomenal. Also started taking 1000mg of fish oil and flax oil about the same time which is also supposed to help with cholesterol. If my muscle damage is not related, I am well pleased with the zetia.	M	49	5 months		8/21/2006 Email
3	to lower ldl below 70	Sinus congestion, white mucus from lungs, throat closing/tightening, abdominal swelling, difficulty sleeping, increased angina (I have congestive heart failure)	WOW, after reading all of your comments, I think I just stumbled upon my recent problem. I started taking Zetia only 3 times a week, about 3 or so weeks ago. Since that time, I have a marked increase in my Congestive Heart Failure symptoms, water retention, abdominal swelling and facial, wrist and ankle swelling, angina. I have also seen a tightening/closing feeling in my throat along with sinus congestion and running and fluid build up in my lungs. I have CHF so I assumed that this was related to an increase in the symptoms of this progressive disease. Now, I am not so sure. I will stop taking this medication immediately and am seeing the prescribing DR. this week. Hope this is the cure as the advance of CHF is even scarier! Thank you all for your comments.	M	55	25 days 1X O		7/31/2010
3	High cholesterol and triglycerides	Zetia was added to my meds (Lovastatin) about 9 months ago. My cholesterol and triglyceride levels dropped significantly and I thought this was a miracle drug. For the past few months, though, I've had pain and weakness in my right arm. At one point, for no apparent reason, my right hand became painful and weak. I couldn't even hold and pour a carton of orange juice. About a week ago, I felt a pain on the right side of my neck that felt like a stiff neck. I assumed I had just slept on it oddly. It has not resolved, though, at all. Last night I realized that it was very similar to a shoulder pain I had when taking Simvastatin. When I stopped the Simvastatin, the pain was gone with a few days. I've decided to stop the Zetia to see if my pain goes away. I had a regularly scheduled blood test today (the first in 6 months) and I see the doctor next week. I have a hunch my blood numbers will look great, but it's not worth the pain.	I've had some other symptoms that I'm not ready to say were caused by the Zetia, but very well might have been. I've been more gassy the past few months. I've gained about 6 pounds with no change in my diet. I've had some erection issues, I've had aches and pains to a much greater degree with moderate exercise (enough to cause me to stop going to the gym a few times).	M	59	9 months		12/6/2007
3	High Cholesterol	Difficulty ejaculating and maintaining erection.	Quit taking Zetia - it had lowered my cholesterol by a good margin so it did its job - but the side effects I did not like. I am taking Fish Oil, Red Rice Yeast and Garlic now. Sexual dysfuntion has cleared up greatly since stopping Zetia but has not cleared completely after 2 months.	M	53	4.5 months		11/13/2006
3	Lower LDL	Within a week I had lower libido and difficulty maintaining an erection. Previously I would regularly get an erection while asleep.Not anymore. I am 56. I have stopped taking. 1 week and no improvement. It's like I have gone numb.	Zetia reduced by total cholesterol from 230 to 180. I had same symptoms with Lipitor.	M	56	10 days		12/5/2006
3	High Colestrol	Can't take other drugs because of liver problems. Been taking Zetia 10-mg daily for 4 or 5 years or so. Last 2-3 years getting joint and muscle pain and weakness. Blew a calf muscle while sleeping 2 summers ago. Dr. said he never heard of such a thing. I'm losing muscle strength and get cramps all the time. Neck, shoulder pain is bad. Also taking Nexium and Tenorman. I just started searching the web to find out the side effects from what I'm taking and found this interesting site. All this could be from the Zetia. I see another doctor shortly and will find out if this is the problem and if there is another non liver type reducer.	It did lower my colestrol some. It is now better than it was.	M	57	5 years		4/13/2007 Email
3	cholesterol	After about 3 months began getting sciatica and pain in piri formis muscle. Went of Zetia and symptoms slowly went away. I tried to go back and within 2 days returned. Had more problems with statins.	Greatly reduced cholesterol.	M	45	90 days		1/13/2007
3	Elevated Cholesterol	Cold night sweats (pillow and sheets can become sopping wet), altered sleep patterns (which can explain why I am so tired during the day), unexplained weight gain, abdominal discomfort that can be mild (gas) to severe cramping followed by diarrhea, reflux, and after reading all this information unexplained mood swings, and a few episodes of leg cramps.	If you think for one moment that all physicians are knowledgable about all medication side effects, think twice, most of us base that knowledge on pharmaceutical literature and journal articles. There is an old saying (which many new MDs seem to have forgotten)...... Take a moment and listen to your patient they often can tell you a lot more of what you do not know. I have been on Zetia for about 18 months and as of this morning discontinued it's use (good riddance). I will return to an exercise routine and a better diet and increase my dose of fish oils. niacin and garlic extracts (they do seem top have a positive effect on lowering my choleterol numbers)	M	54	18 months		8/22/2007
3	high cholesterol	Weakness, tiredness and increased musculoskeletal injuries. Tendonitis, torn rotator cuff, other torn muscles with moderate trauma. I used to be a vigorously active person, now, I'm afraid of getting hurt.	I found this site today. I have been a vegetarian for 20+ years. I am on other blood pressure meds, but Zetia sounds like the culprit. I am going to discontinue it for a few weeks and see what happens.	M	49	1 years		6/21/2007 Email
3	high cholelstrol...260	had a physical a month ago and asked my dr. if any of my aches and pains, muscle weakness, dizziness, cramps, heavy legs, back and neck pains could be associated with Zetia. He absolutely gave it no recognition of the possibility. Then I started to do some research on my own and found this site. Now we maybe among the 5% who have problems with it, but maybe we all are in the 5%. After associating with all your comments...I went of Zetia yesterday and am going to see if I start feeling better in a week or so.	One thing I would like to see is postings from those who went off the drug and how long it took them to feel better. My mother had high cholostrol and lived to 95. I used to run marathons...10 altogether...and I had high numbers then. I would rather have a 240 number than a 220 number and feel better.	M	64	1 years		10/25/2007
3	High Cholesterol	I had NO side effects	I stopped taking Zetia today due to the "Enhanced Drug Study" results released by the manufacturer. It shows "no medical benefit" from Zetia even though Zetia does lower the total cholesterol numbers. In combination with Zocar the study shows an INCREASE in arterial plaque growth. See article in The New York Times Jan 14, 2008 business section. Per the article, "Dr. Steven Nissen, the chairman of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, said the results were “shocking.” Patients should not be prescribed Zetia unless all other cholesterol drugs have failed, he said."	M	60	2 years		1/14/2008
3	Cholesterol/can not take statins	Somewhat upset stomach. I feel as though I need to eat something to settle my stomach. Have dropped to taking 20 mg three times a week and 200 mg of Q-10. I tolerate that level well.	A hint for all who have joint/muscle pain with Zetia or any of the statin drugs: 200-300 mg of co enzyme Q-10 a day helps considerably. It takes 2-3 weeks of Q-10 before most people begin to feel some relief.	M	77	6 months		1/11/2008
3			just started	M	70	5 days		2/2/2008
3		Anxiety, Fatigue & Loss of concentration. Also felt like my throat was swollen all the time which added to the anxiety.	I tried other Satins and experiences muscle pain. My Dr. put me on Zeitia and told me that this was our last option as far as statins go. My cholesterol dropped from 225 to around 180 with no change in diet. I recently lost 14 lbs and eating better. My cholesterol is now around 145 but my good cholesterol is still a little low at 39. With the above noted side effects, I going to stop taking Zeitia and see if this improves without increasing my overall cholesterol to much. I expect some increase but since I changed my diet I should be able to maintain under 200. I left my email address so if anyone has any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me.	M	47	3 years		12/7/2008 Email
3	Can not tolerate statins	After about 6 months I have developed surface numbness and deeper pain in all of my fingertip and toes.	I gave it a three, because it lowered my LDL, so it did work. BUT I experienced these side effects. It started with an extreme burning in the tip of my left index finger when using computer mouse. Switched to mousing with right hand and felt same thing on that hand. It quickly developed into pain in all fingertips when touching things, for example moving hangers on the rack at a clothing store was very painful. There is discomfort even typing on a keyboard. I stopped taking Zetia a week ago and the pain is starting to subside. Hopefully in a couple weeks I will be back to normal. As an aside, I was on Zocor for almost two years. The doctor had told me to be on the lookout for muscle pain, but side effects crept up on me over such a long time that I didn't realize it. I was feeling aches and pains after about a year, and they got progressively worse. I thought it was just that I was getting old. I was only 47, but I was groaning when I bent over to tie my shoes or when I g	M		180 days		2/24/2008
3	high cholesteral	bad, really bad gas when taken in morning with light breakfast	better results when taken in the middle of the day (1:15 or so). at this time have had breakfast, mid morning fruit and lunch. the full stomach is the key. know people who take at end of day with no gas side effect	M	53	15 days		4/14/2009
3	High Cholesterol	I started 4 months ago with Crestor, I stopped that since my throat was closingafter 2-3 weeks. I then switched to Lipitor which gave me chest pains, tight muscles in my chest and back. I a bad pain when I would cough of take a deep breath this was after only 2 weeks. * Dont take Crestor or Lipitor if you feel anything like this * ZETIA so far has only given me joint pain now Im on my 3rd week. I told my doctor if this doesnt work then 3 strikes I will persue something else. Im not a testing ground for drugs.	I will see the doctor in a few weeks we will see then if its helping or not. I have found that exercise and staying active has made me feel better then I ever felt when I was taking Crestor and Lipitor. I must say taking Zetia has made me hungry more so then not. Good Luck.	M	33	3 weeks		10/16/2009
2	High Triglyceride Level	Lack of energy, muscle aches all over, burning sensation across the back of my shoulders, vision blurriness at times.	The product did correct levels, but the side effects were unbearable. I did fine on it for the first year or so. I've had the same problem with Zocor and other similar drugs after about 12-18 months.	M	55	18 months		1/20/2010
2	high cholesterol	I took Zetia for about 3 months and experienced painful aching deep in my bones, especially in my arm and hand joints. I also noticed that swallowing became difficult, like I had a swelling in my throat. I developed a sharp twinge in my chest near the left side and woke up in the most quiet hours of the night with a racing heart. Worst was the change in emotions: forgetfulness, temper flares, unfocused worry. It was all so gradual that I kept thinking these symptoms were just "old age" or some faint, lingering flu. I went on vacation, accidentally leaving the pills behind, and felt better in a day or two than I have for months.	The medication's instructions say to contact physician if patient experiences any muscle or joint pain, and I certainly will, making certain not to take this one again! I was on a statin before, and had even more horrible side effects, so this was supposed to be my salvation pill. I guess I am back to homemade cinnemon pills, garlic, red wine (not so bad!), oatmeal, exercise.	M	51	3 months		3/30/2009 Email
2	high cholesterol	joint/muscle pain in legs. Clogged sinus, constant draining from sinus for months. Rash and extreme itching in arms and especially back of hands and fingers. Strange skin eruptions of white scale patches on back, arms, chest and legs.	I went off this drug several weeks ago and the side effects are slowly receding. Haven't had attack of itching since I stopped using. I suspect that I became allergic after several years use. Doctors should be made aware of the severe side effects when used more than one year.	M	66	4 years		8/11/2009
2	Lower LDL	I am an otherwise healthy (very active) 41 yr old. I sampled the drug at my doctors recommendation to try and lower marginal LDL. Took the drug 1 day. Experienced muscle soreness and tired feeling over entire body (despite me being a runner, cycler, weight lifter and in total fitness). That night, I had a fever and cold symptoms. Ended up waking in the middle of the night with soaked clothes and sheets with the shakes.	Not what I expected and will not continue sampling the drug. Will try and do better on my oatmeal and cheerios diet.	M	41	1 days		9/26/2009
2	Couldn't tolerate statins	Join pain in shoulders (left is the worse). Muscle weakness, tiredness.	I'm gonna stop using this stuff today. Guess I'll try some red yeast rice and CQ10. I just tired of feeling likr Sh*t every day!	M	57	1000 days		3/20/2008
2	High cholesterol level, 257	Fatigue and lack of motivation. Stiffness and pain in knees & lower back. Bloated feeling and weight gain.	Initially, Zocor was suggested but caused extreme muscle fatigue and only lowered total cholesterol to 231 from 250 , Pravachal was next, but same result. Now I'm on Zetia for 9 months and total cholesterol is at 164, with LDL at 104. However, under each med whether it was a statin or Zetia, fatigue was/is a key side effect. Joint pain in knees and back are evident with Zetia along with stiffness. I was far more active a year ago than I am now. I still exercise regularly, but it is not something I readily want to do, it's something I force myself to do - motivation and energy have been greatly reduced.	M	50	9 months		3/31/2008
2	zSomewhat high cholesterol	After about 2 years of taking Zetia, I am experiencing the same side effects of taking Zocor and Lipitor...but now some symptoms are worse. Common to all three were my leg pains, knee pains, back pains, shoulder pains, etc. After stopping talking Zorcor and Lipitor, all side effects disappeared within one week. With Zetia, I have intense fatigue and lack of sex drive. I feel so tired all the time, that I can hardly function. This has never happened before in my life and there is no logical other reason for it to happen to me now. Will stop taking Zetia today. It just seems that my body repels the statins or Zetia around the 2nd year of taking the drugs. Every time I quit taking a statin, I returned to normal in less than a week and I hope the same is true after quiting taking Zetia.		M	74	2 days		4/4/2008
2	High LDL level	Severe fatigue, as well as heightened pain in right hip ( I have failed back surgery syndrome), muscle ache in both shoulders and upper arms, and, finally, mild gastric distress. It all adds up to reduced quality of life!	I am very disappointed in this medication, especially due to a projected intolerance to statins, according to my doctor, for I have a sensitive G.I. tract. Thank all of you for your comments. I had not realized the extent of my discomfort due to this drug - I was baffled before being enlightened by this website.	M	58	5 months		12/17/2007
2	high cholesterol	Dizziness, muscle pain, chest pain, stomach pain, lower back pain. Sometimes feel disoriented and as if my ears are experiencing pressure changes similar to when you fly. Also, extremely tired and fatigued much of the time. I've been napping lately much more than I ever have.	I was on zocor for almost a year. It lowered my cholesterol significantly but I was feeling horrible while I took it. A few days after stopping the zocor I began to feel much better but after a few months my cholesterol was back up to 250+. My doctor said I should give zetia a try and have been taking 10mg for about six weeks. I began to experience the mentioned side effects but did not attribute them to zetia until I checked out this website and saw how many people were feeling exactly as I was, obviously due to zetia. I am convinced that these drugs are simply bad for many people and that I'd rather feel well with high cholesterol than horrible with lower cholesterol. What's the poing of having lower cholesterol if you can't function and feel well.	M	57	6 days		8/4/2007
2	cholesterol reduction - post MI	CPK 2500 (15x upper limit), 3 days in hospital to make sure kidneys didn't get destroyed by Rhabdomyalysis. Brown urine, Back pain other muscle pains. OK for more than a year, but this is clear it's going to kill you event with no other suspects to blame.	I am not able to take statins. More details in history below. 13 mo ago I restarted zetia (vytorin blew me up) which I was on for 13mo, with no obvious problems. 2 week later, I am back to very active with weekly tests. history: Post very bad heart attack when I was dying and then recovering from blown mitral valve I was OK on statins, and I believe it's because I had no muscle activities as they make my lungs fill with fluid. When I was OK to exercise after valve replacement I had clear statin problems week2 rehab, and in 2 day I tanked 30% strength as measured by exercise ability in rehab program. I had joint pains, muscle pains and had previously un-blamed on statins memory problems so bad I thought I had a stroke. I stopped activities thinking maybe too much exercise (10mo dying and lots of muscle loss). Nothing so I dropped med. No CPK prob. Retried Vytorin 3 mo later (zocor+zetia new patented mix). Blew up from 5th day cycling at 15mi the before I started to	M	43	13 months		9/1/2007
2	high cholesterol	Mild stomach pain. Bloating, gas and frequent bowel movements. Occasional extreme right hip pain. Pain between shoulder blades. Occasional shooting pain in right middle finger where it joins my hand. Fatigue.	After finding this site I was somewhat relieved to see that so many other people had similar symptoms as me. I exercise at least 4 days a week and I noticed I have not been able to improve my performance. I will stop taking med today and keep a daily record of results, if any. If symptoms disappear I will make another posting at this site. ( I have tried statins but they cause extreme fatigue and muscle pain.) Zetia did reduce my Cholesterol from 205 to 157. Although I rated this drugs effectiveness as 2; in all fairnes,I still don't know if it is the cause of the symptoms.	M	61	8 months		11/12/2007
2	Cannot tolerate statins	Extreme fatigue, memory loss, sleepiness. I thought this was being caused by beta blockers but when I stopped them, the symptoms persisted. I'm also on Questran but when I was taking that alone, I had no adverse symptoms. That left Zetia as the culprit but my doctor refuses to recognize that it could be causing these things. In any case, I stopped taking it in September and in about 10-12 days my energy returned and I feel much sharper mentally. It was as if a curtain had been lifted. I did not make the decision to drop zetia until I read the comments on this site.	Zetia did produce marginal results for me when taken in conjunction with Questran and Niaspan. However, the side effects were too great. It may be useful for some. Everyone is different. Since I cannot tolerate statins, I'll rely on Questran and Niaspan for the time being.	M	60	3 years		12/6/2007
2	High cholesterol	These are suspected. Right after starting Zetia, my golf game went to h*ll; weakness. My doc said this happens with age(not over a month!?). I don't sleep well anymore. I have developed anxiety. It hasn't really helped my cholesterol.	I'm seriously considering quitting. It only stops you from absorbing cholesterol, not making it. If you become a vegan, it would become useless.	M	56	26 months		6/29/2007
2		I was first prescirbed Tricor and other atatin type drugs to lower both cholestrol and tryglycerides. They gave me the worst stomach and other various pains throughout my body after no more than a week so I was prescribed Zetia.	I have taken it for 4 years, it lowered my cholsterol with no stomach and associated pains I had before. But after reading this forum my eyes opened up wide. I have been so tired, lethargic, and lately been experiencing leg cramps that actually feel like they damaged the calves in my leg that I put two and two together. I am going to stop the Zetia tomorrow and will make another post in a few weeks to see if there is any improvement. I thought since I didn't experience the side effects I did from the statin drugs that it was a miricale drug, maybe I was wromg.	M	42	4 years		6/21/2007 Email
2	high cholesterol	i am not 100% positive, but i am starting to suspect that Zetia has something to do with a difficulty i am having ejaculating and maintaining a good erection during vaginal sex. does this ring a bell with anyone? i do not seem to have any other side effects that people talk about on this page.		M	53	100 days		7/19/2006 Email
2	High Cholesterol	Stomach feels bloated and appetite has been curbed. Always feel full and uncomfortable.Pain in upper back comes and goes. Libido is still strong but climax and ejaculations are not as enjoyable. Feel as if there is a constricted and reduced flow of semen.	I am going to visit with my Doc and review the numbers. I don't feel the side effects are worth the minimal incremental reduction in cholesterol. Currently taking Lipator 40 mg and seem to tolerate it OK.	M	57	8 months		1/10/2007
2	High Cholesterol	muscle pain on the insides of both elbows. sometimes severe pain almost like the muscle has been torn also have pain that shoots down my forearms when trying to pick up things	Cannot give a satisfied rating since I don't know if it helped with lowering the Cholesterol in the short period in taking the drug the pain started shortly after i started taking the drug but can't take the pain any longer. stopped taking it today.	M	48	2 months		2/17/2007
2	High chol.	terrible pain in my arms and shoulders	I do not know if zetia is to blame for all of the pain I am experiencing. I was on zolcor for a long time and had quite a bit of pain in my legs. I have been in very good physical condition and did not know that zolcor side effect was muscle pain. Dr took me off of it 6 mo ago and put me on zetia, I have been to Dr several times with terrible pain in my shoulders and arms. I had to start taking 400 mg of motrin frequently to deal with the pain so I could sleep. Dr cant find out why I have the pain so I looked this drug up and am amazed at how many other people have been experiencing this. I will say my cholesrol has been fantastic but man I can not deal with the pain so I am going to go off of this drug and see how long it takes for the pain to go away. If that works I am going to have a talk with my Dr....	M	50	6 months		8/8/2007 Email
2	high total chol-trig-ldl	headache, sleeplessness, joint pain, muscle weakness especially the legs, general weakness/fatigue, lower back pain	Side effects similar to, but less severe than statins (zocor, lipitor). Did lower chol levels to acceptable levels, except for ldl (at 129) which has a new, lower limit of 100. Reduced dosage to 5 mg daily, but side effects are only slightly less severe. Am discontinuing zetia as I cannot function with the side effects.	M	62	2 months		10/9/2006
2	High Cholesterol	Severe shoulder pain, would wake me up in the middle of the night, took for 5months Zetia 10 mg, will discontinue today.	Will let you know in a few days if pain in shoulder subsides now that I quit.	M		5 months		4/25/2007
2	heart attack	salt craving, weak,		M	55	3 months		10/31/2006
2	to keep cholesterol under 180	After reading all these comments, I am scard now. I have trouble breathing and taking a deep breath. I feel like crap and have muscles pains and now3 knots are coming out under the skin near elbows. I am on 5mg Zetia and have been for about 6 months. Byr Bye, Zetia. I hate Chi\Olesterol lowering drugs.		M	60	180 days		3/23/2007
2	high cholestral	took for four months and started experiencing loss of libido and inability to maintain an erection. quit taking them and sexual function returned to normal within 2 weeks. Also, woke up every night with burning in gut, maintained a bloated feeling most of the time.	worked on cholestral, but not willing to pass up a sex life for it.	M	53	4 months		8/22/2006
2	Marginal high total cholesterol	Tinitus - profound ring in my ears. Subtle feeling of nasuea and blotting. Both disappear when I stop the drug. I restarted a couple of times, but with same effects.	It did lower my cholesterol, but I'm not convinced it's a wise choice over diet and exercise.	M	55	2 months		11/30/2006
1	lower LDL	After about 1 month I have developed nightly extreme leg cramps, these I also developed with Zocor but it took about 6 months.	Did not take it long enough to test for lowering cholesterol	M	62	30 days		10/14/2006 Email
1	hypercholesteremia	Had spells of extreme fatigue, day-long headaches, and insomnia	Took this because statin side-effects were intolerable. But so is this. I have yet to find any cholesterol med that lets me feel OK. And I normally feel great with high cholesterol. Nothing can be good for you that makes you feel like an old man.	M	51	7 days		12/27/2006
1	High Cholesterol	Trouble maintaining an erection, difficulty ejaculating, anorgasmia		M	38	3 weeks		1/23/2007 Email
1	To push bad Chlor below 70	Took 1 pill on Tuesday morning. Triggered vertigo & vomiting attack Wednesday morning. Felt bad Thursday and Friday. OK by Saturday.	I will live with 90 -> 100 bad cholesterol and risk my artery blockages getting larger. I tried Zetia, but will not take again.	M	60	1 days 10 1X D		6/27/2010
1	cholesterol and triglycerides	Nervous, feels like an anxiety attack. Twitching muscles and pain and pressure in my chest. Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing. Slight breaking out on my face, and it feels like my nasal passages have narrowed.	This is some pretty insidious stuff, if you have a reaction. I'm not one prone to anxiety, but this really brings that on, along with twitch muscle and palpitations, blurring eyesight, chest pains and bloating. Other than that, it's just fine.	M	58	20 days		8/15/2006
1	cholesterol and triglycerides	Nervous, feels like an anxiety attack. Twitching muscles and pain and pressure in my chest. Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing. Slight breaking out on my face, and it feels like my nasal passages have narrowed.	This is some pretty insidious stuff, if you have a reaction. I'm not one prone to anxiety, but this really brings that on, along with twitch muscle and palpitations, blurring eyesight, chest pains and bloating. Other than that, it's just fine.	M	58	20 days		8/15/2006
1	cholesterol	been on this for almost 2 years--had foggy thinking-backaches-legs below the knee burning --no sex drive or interest--been on depression meds for years--no energy --been off of it for 3 days now---then found this site --wow- im mad at my docs. now		M	57	2 years 10mg 1X D		4/3/2010
1	lower cholesterol	muscle aches in hips/knees/ankles/feet and in right arm.	Each morning I woke with aches/pains/muscle cramps.Uncomfortable to even sit in a chair. Pain/aches in hips,knees,ankles & feet.Thought I had reinjured my sciatic nerve in right hip- NOT! Had to remove my wallet from pants to even sit in a chair. Had to sleep with a pillow under my hips.... Just one day off the drug and I felt 1000% better. I'll live with high cholesterol rather than this.	M	57	60 days 10 mg 1X D		5/13/2010 Email
1	high LDL	Pain in lower back and lags, loss of memory etc, slightly blurr vision sometimes and diffculty concentrating. All these disappeared after I stopped taking the drug. BUT -- I took this drig for almost two years and guess what -- sex life has gone to the dogs - no improvement after I stopped taking the drugs. Doctor of course said that ALL these were purely co-incidental and I was a fool to believe him.	This is the worst drug I have taken - just like any other cholesterol lowering drug.	M	52	2 years		4/5/2007
1	High Cholesterol	Pain in ribcage on both sides and abdominal pain. Pain comes and goes with tenderness to touch at times. Left hand cramping. Some minor memory delays. Dr says I can not take statins and will have to put up with side effects. Cholesterol level at 223 prior to treatment. Also have developed some nervousness muscle twitches in left eyelid.	Not sure if occasional numbness in arms and legs are affiliated with drug> Probably going to stop taking and seek alternative solution to keep cholesterol down.	M	42	4 months		4/5/2007 Email
1	High Cholesterol	Pelvic pain. Went through numerous tests only to find that once I discontinued Zetia all the pain disappeared. I would not recommend this drug to anyone with other drug allergies. I never had such burning and discomfort in the pelvis. What a nightmare.		M	43	4 months		3/4/2007
1	high colest.	abdominal distress;gas,cramping,change in color and stool habits.		M	47	2 weeks		3/25/2007
1	high cholesterol	stuffed nose, pain in hands,	i am discontinuing this drug.	M	77	4 weeks		2/13/2007
1	high cholesterol	Extreme tiredness, stomach upset, dissorientation, anxiety, depression, severe joint pain. This after only 3 days. The drug was combined with 10mg Lipitor and the results were nothing short of disaster. This drug is a major hazard in the making.	Suggest avoiding this drug until further tests are performed. It is dangerous, in my opinion, when combined with statins. I discontinued it immediately after only three days. Think twice before taking this product, as the FDA researchers sited warnings about combining the drug with statins. I concur.	M	54	3 days		6/27/2006
1	hi/chorst.	Lower back,right leg pain especially at nite, running nose, heavy legs, gas,bloating, this stuff is a lawsuit		M	57	3 months		2/6/2007
1	High Cholestoral	Loss of energy, depression, lethargy, pressure in chest, pain on left side, headaches, dizziness, lack of sex drive, headaches	Due to extreme muscle weakening while taking Lipitor, my doctor switched me to Zetia. I experienced several weeks where I had no quality of life. I am of slim build, eat very healthy and exercise. We are researching famiial hypercholesterol and ways to treat that. Zetia is not an option.	M	61	3 months		3/3/2007
1	HIGH CHOLESTEROL	BACK PAIN , UPPER AND LOWER , WEAKNESS , TIRED GENERAL MUSCLE SORENESS, FLUID RETENTION IN ANKLES,,,,,,,,	ON ZETIA FOR OVER A YEAR , JUST CAN'T TAKE THE MUSCLE PAIN ANYMORE , IT DID LOWER MY CHOLESTEROL ABOUT 35 POINTS BUT AT A TERRIBLE COST TO MY WELL BEING......	M	61	15 months		9/15/2007 Email
1	High Cholesterol and Triclycerides	My mind was very jumpy. It became very hard to concentrate and focus. Muscle weakness also occurred. I was on many other statin drugs such as Zocor, Vytorin, Crestor, Provachol and I will never take another statin drug again. Doctors need to stop pushing these prescriptions on their patients.	I was on 10mg of Zetia for about 6 months before I stopped completely taking any statin drugs. The total years on Statin drugs were about 5 years. By the way, my family has a genetic history of high cholesterol and yet, no heart disease spanning 10 generations in the USA.	M	52			9/26/2007
1	high cholesteral	I wake up with extreme lower back pain. Not until I get up out of bed does it even get a little bit better. Usually after I am up and around and have urinated does it seem to subside. Not until I read some of these listings had I thought about this, but I am also without any energy and I am the type of person that is always on the go with multiple projects and work related programs. I have been on Zetia for almost three years and these problems have just appeared in the past six to eight months. I am also experiencing extreme shoulder pain for no apparent reason.	Stopped the Zetia two days ago and for the first time in months, last night I slept through the night without waking to back pain. I just hope the energy level returns.	M	38	3 years		7/7/2007 Email
1	high cholesterol	lower back pain; joint soreness; chest pain; gas; nasal congestion; headache; eyeache or pressure on eyes; frequent bowel movements	After reading all of the other comments that support my sense that this drug has caused several side effects, I am stopping this medication today and will maintain my diet, exercise and CoQ10. I appreciate everyone's comments.	M	60	7 days		7/2/2007
1	Need to further lower LDL	Severe muscle pain.	I've been on stains for 25 years. Mevacor, then Zocor, and for last 5 years or so Liptor. Started at 33 years old with 335 chol and only 35 HDL. After recent tests showed modest blockage, Doctor decided to add Zetia. I had experenced some muscle weakness with liptor, but my cholesterol dropped to 150 and I really feel I would have had a heart attack by now if I wasn't on stains for 25 years. My father died at 55 and uncle at 46. I was willing to deal with minor muscle pain. The zetia turned the minor muscle pain into a nightmare! I could hardly walk up or down stairs. Legs and Arms felt terrible. I called my doctor and he said my liver was fine and my numbers looked great. LDL down to 80!! The muscle pain became unbearable and I called him back. I've stopped both Liptor and Zetia to see what happens. After 2 days much improvement!!! BE CAREFUL WITH ZETIA!! I felt so bad on it, I thought I had Bone cancer!! I need to take something with my family history and modest blockage. Any thoug	M		21 days		7/22/2007
1	Cholesterol/Trigilicerides	I only took this for 4 days, and now have been experiencing extreme abdominal pain, including bloating, gas, etc. This still is persisting 5 days after being off the medicine. I am not sure if I have a seperate condition or not, but I do know it did not start until after I started this medication.		M		4 days		6/5/2007
1	high cholesterol, family history,	severe IBS. Wake up in middle of the night sweating with abdominal pain. Extremely tired and dizzy. Tried all the other meds and this is the worst one.	gum acacia (completely water soluable fiber) is the only cure for the IBS caused by the Zetia. Will try new product on the market	M	57	7 days		5/8/2007 Email
1	high ldl	took it for one day; had been taking zocor for three years. But the zetia was terrible; heavy, exhausted feeling; legs felt like lead weight; no appetite; no sexual drive; light headed, nauseous. maybe I should continue taking it, but not with these side effects. I'd rather be dead than endure this.		M	67	1 days		7/1/2007
1	high cholesterol	Lethargy, Fatigue, mild depression and irritability.	I have been unable to tolerate statins due to their side effects so Dr. recommended Zetia. This drug does not seem any better so I stopped taking it today. If my mood and energy come back, will post an update.	M	49	7 weeks		5/29/2007
1	high cloresterol	same as lipitor effecs,musel tissue loss, pain in legs and all musels,especially calvs and neck	it is garbage and poison any body taking it after visiting this site deserves what they get	M	64	2 years		7/21/2007
1	High Cholesterol	It caused me to have excess motility with five or more bowel movements per day.	I returned to normal 3 days after discontinuing the drug. Although drug reduced my total cholesterol by almost 10 per cent, the side effects are not worth it.	M	66	90 days		1/7/2007
1	semi higher levels of cholesterol	My doctor prescribed Zetia 10mg once a day along with Simvastatin 20 mg also once a day. I am 54 years old and enjoyed having sex once to twice a week. After being on Zetia for three months I noticed that I could not maintain an erection prior to sexual intercourse.		M	54	3 months		1/7/2007
1	High Cholesterol and Triglycerides	I have been on Zetia for 6 weeks and for the past 4 weeks have had VERY painful cramps and stool like water. I don't know if it has lowered my numbers yet, but I'm DONE with this CRAP. this is no way to live!		M	54	6 weeks		1/6/2007
1	high clor	main fatique, zombie like effect,mussels turning to jello and heavy pain,unable to stand up,vertigo poss induced by neck and head muscel spasims minor hair loss,loss of sex drive,loss of vision one eye for 20 minutes	combined with lipitor it is poison to me no help from medical community medicos seem to be conspiring with drug co getting off it,mild continuous hydration,perhaps CQ10 helps with these kind of drugs we dont need enemies been off it almost three months last 2 weeks just weakness & tiredness persists but is slowly improving PRIOR PERIOD WAS PLAIN HELL, lost 6 months of living	M	73	3 years		1/19/2007
1	treat borderline cholesterol	Stomach bloating and discomfort, weakness and fatigue, night sweats with abdominal pain, floating pain and back and chest. Insomnia.	I have been off this poison for two weeks and the muscle pain that travels the back and chest like gas has subsided. The abdominal pain with night sweat stopped immediately. The fatigue and the insomnia keep hanging on. Can anyone tell how long before most symptoms went away or tips they used to recover?	M	47	6 months		7/7/2007 Email
1	To lower cholesterol	Sevear muscle pain in both legs.	I was unable to drive my car more than 10 minutes. The pain in my leg was unbearable. Lost all strength in my leg.	M	64	10 days		8/20/2007 Email
1	High Cholestrol	Dizziness, muscle pain, chest pain, stomach pain, lower back pain. At times breathing problems. Extremely tired and fatigued much of the time. My wife and I could not understand why, but then we remembered the doctor put me on this drug a week ago. Had problems with other statins with muscle pain, but nothing like this.	I stopped taking the drug today!	M	62	10 days		10/5/2008
1	to lower cholesterol	dizziness, higher blood sugar numbers	My husband has a bad heart. He was put on zetia because his numers were not bad but they were not low enough . Tried Vytorin, lipitor, zocor and now zetia. He is a type 2 diabetic. In 2 days on this he became very dizzy and his morning fasting blood sugar was up 30 points. I told him to throw this drug in the trash. I believe that physians are following a manual that says eveyone should be a specific number. What may be good for one person may not be good for eveyone.	M	67	2 days		11/2/2008
1	high cholesterol	Severe abdominal cramping,bloating, and night sweat.Also experienced shoulder pain.	This medication had adverse side efffects which occured very qiuckly.I believe more long term research is necessary regarding this med. It is being prescribed without reservation and may show serious side effects over the long haul.	M	61	2 weeks		1/16/2008
1	high cloresterol	vertigo,loss of support in several muscel grps,extreme fatique, made a zombi out of me,on lipitor also,quit all this junk 7 weeks ago,libido gone but is least of my problems, main problems still loss of energy, weak muscels,some vertigo	improvement in all symptons significat in first few days,a half percent a week there after after seven weeks improvement only 30% trying cq10 can not determine if it helps after the damage	M	73	2 years		12/22/2006 Email
1	cholesterol	primarily abdominal pain, loose stools	Abdominal pain, gas, and loose stools began within days of starting this medication. I never thought it could have been the drug. I went to two gastroenterologists who ran all sorts of tests on me to see what was wrong. One of the many tests involved drinking a chalky substance containing an agent that would be visible in an x-ray. The substance passed bthrough my system in 1/4 the slowest normal time surprising and shocking the radiologist. But, like all the other tests, they found nothing wrong and I was ultimately diagnosed with IBS--only because they could find nothing else wrong with me. But, in light of particularly the x-ray test I described, I am certain that this drug has permanently damaged me. I have been off the drug for more than two years now, and my abdominal problems persist. The normal steps recommended for IBS patients have not alleviated my condition. If anyone else has had this or a similar experience, please contact me.	M	37	9 months		4/17/2008 Email
1	High Cholesterol	Terrible bloating, gas, belching, abdominal cramps, tiredness, overall weakness, stuffy nose.	Most noticeable and annoying side effects I've ever experienced from any drug I've had to take. Only took it for 4 days and could not stand the side effects. Made it almost impossible to work.	M	45	4 days		3/15/2007
1	high cholestrol	Trouble maintaining a woody. I think i am having stomach problems to. Also experiencing leg muscle soreness.	Bad news to take this med.	M	26	4 days		10/6/2007
1	For High Cholesterol	Did the job of reducing cholesterol level, but caused severe insomia and anxiety.	I quit taking it and will change my diet and exercise more.	M	59	10 days		7/14/2007
1	borderline high cholesterol	Abdominal pain after eating beef or cheese, fatigue, depression, sexual dysfunction. I stopped taking Zetia five months ago, and still get abdominal pain several hours after eating beef, sexual dysfunction persists. My gallbladder and liver both checked out as healthy, so I don't know what the problem is.	My pharmacist won't take it.	M	56	1 months		8/30/2007
1	borderline high cholesterol	dizzy spells, bloating, discomfort, floating back pains, pain in shoulder blades, muscle spasms in ribs and chest, insomnia, nervousness.	I posted to this list on 7/7/07. I am now seven weeks off zetia. My MD was clueless about how to help. I declined the nuclear stress test he recommended. I took COQ-10 and a lot of fluids. An open minded nutritionist friend suggested a lot of fruit to replenish potassium levels. That helped most--I ate a banana per day and that seemed to help the most with getting energy levels back. Most symptoms are gone now. However, at 7 weeks, I still cannot exercise regularly or eat a big meal. If I exercise too much or eat a big meal, symptoms return briefly. You can survive the after-effects of this drug.	M	47	6 months		8/12/2007 Email
1	High Cholesterol	After one week, severe shoulder pain at night. The second week, shoulder pain, leg pain, neck pain and urine turned a deep brown. There were no apparent reasons for these symptoms so I looked up the side effects and found this web site with many complaining about the exact same thing. I called my Dr. and he took me off Zetia and said he wanted to try a change in diet along with omega 3 capsules. I go back in a month to see what this did. If no effect I guess we will go another route but I am through with Zetia.	Not working on the liver is a good thing because I have many friends who are on statins and their liver function tests are terrible. I can't understand why something that works on the digestive system causes muscle and joint pain but this certainly did.	M	64	2 days		9/12/2007
1	lower trigycerides	sore and weak legs, weakness in arms	I took this 3 days after trying Gemfribozel and Tricor which both also caused leg pains and weakness. This was the worst even though the pharmacist said I wouldn't have any leg aches.I quite taking it and am slowly getting rid of ache and weakness. I'm going to try diet and exercise.	M	48	3 days		6/6/2007
1	My MD insisted on lower cholesterol	Like many, I experienced embarassing gas, burning upper intestinal tract, abdominal night gas pains with sweating. I reported to my MD and included pain in the shoulder blade. Now I have to take a cardiac stress test to rule out heart problems.	Zetia is the 4th or 5th cholesterol drug my MD has insisted me trying. All but one, Tricorr, made me quite ill. The FDA apparently just pimps for the drug companies now. These drugs are not safe. Beware and decline them. Although my cholesterol will never go below 200 without them, I have a better chance of living longer without these drugs. How long before symptoms get better?	M	47	5 months		6/29/2007

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Average rating for drug: 1.5. This page is printer-friendly; use landscape print with background color turned on.

Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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