Ezetrol

Ezetrol is a brand name for the generic medication ezetimibe, which is a lipid-lowering medication used to reduce cholesterol levels. Ezetrol is given in several different courses of treatment. It may be given as the only medication, in conjunction with a restricted diet. It may also be given in combination with a reductase inhibitor, along with restricted diet. It may also be given with either atorvastatin, simvastatin, or another statin. Ezetrol is administered in capsule-shaped tablets, and works by decreasing the amount of cholesterol that gets absorbed by your intestines.

The rate of adverse side effects with Ezetrol is very low. Some of the more common side effects can include diarrhea, arthralgia, back pain, headache, sinus infection, upper respiratory tract infection, and muscle weakness, though each of these reactions is experienced by less than ten percent of patients. Other less common side effects can include swelling, hives, nausea, liver infection, inflammation of the pancreas, rash, dizziness, chest pain, viral infections, and fatigue. If you experience an allergic reaction to Ezetrol, characterized by swelling of the lips, tongue, throat or face, hives, or shortness of breath, contact your doctor or seek emergency medical help immediately.

There are some precautions that must be observed if you plan to take Ezetrol. Before you take it, you should tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients of Ezetrol, its companion medications, or any other medications that you are may be prescribed. You should also make sure your doctor knows what other medications you are taking; this includes both prescription and non-prescription. This is especially true of blood thinners such as Coumadin, cyclosporine such as Neoral or Sandimmune, fenofibrate such as TriCor, or gemfibrozol such as Lopid. If you are taking cholesyramine such as Questran, colesevalam such as WellChol, or colestipol such as Colestid, you should take it either four hours before or two hours after you take Ezetrol. You should also make sure your doctor knows if you have ever had kidney or liver disease.

Ezetrol is in Pregnancy Category C, which means that there are no adequate studies to determine whether it is safe to take during pregnancy or not. There is no evidence in animal tests that it harms a fetus, but animal tests do not always correspond to human results. As with all medications, it is important to use caution and consult with your doctor before you take Ezetrol. However, Ezetrol is sometimes administered along with a reductase inhibitor, and reductase inhibitors should not be taken while you are pregnant; they have been shown to cause harm to a fetus. It has been demonstrated that Ezetrol passes into breast milk, so it should not be used while you are nursing a child. If you must continue taking Ezetrol, you should consider finding another means of feeding your baby. Ezetrol has been shown to act similarly in children ages 10 to 18 as it does in adults, but it is not recommended for children under the age of 10.

Ezetrol has the following structural formula:

Review published on: 04 April 2008