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Ezetimibe User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

Brand names: Zetia

Ezetimibe has an average rating of 4.0 out of 10 from a total of 178 reviews on Drugs.com. 25% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 58% reported a negative experience.

Reviews for Ezetimibe

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Eun...
  • January 12, 2016

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol, Familial Heterozygous "It is January 2016 and I just had to pay $267.00 for a 30-day supply of Zetia at the pharmacy - the preferred pharmacy for my United prescription policy. I have never had to pay this much before. Whoever markets this drug is greedy and evil!"

1 / 10
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  • Sha...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • November 14, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I've been using ezetimibe for a bit over 6 months. It didn't seem to have any side effects except my urine looked like it does when I'm dehydrated, but not dark enough to concern me (dark urine = liver damage). However, a blood test showed it's been damaging my liver. The doctor had me stop, and the morning a day after stopping, I found my shoes are loose. Which means my feet had been swollen, an issue I noticed once in a while when my shoes would be tight but attributed to just being fat. I also seem to be able to concentrate better. I can tell you I'm confident that stopping the drug relieved these side effects I didn't even know I had. Not worth the slight reduction of bad cholesterol, imo."

4 / 10
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  • Bat...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 23, 2020

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "I have taken 10 mcg Zetia for 8 weeks. Around the 6-week mark, I started to notice I had very light pink urine. I actually did not think anymore about it since I had no other issues. On week 8, I went 3 days forgetting to take the Zetia and noticed my urine color was normal again, still not connecting the dots. Anyway, when I finally remembered to take Zetia on day 4, all became bad again. My urine was pink again, and now I had left side back pain that would’ve taken an elephant to his knee. It was monstrous and left me unable to function for 2 days. I stopped Zetia, and my urine color is normal, and my back pain disappeared. This was 2 weeks ago I stopped, and I have no more issues."

4 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 11, 2021

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "I am in perfect health except for my cholesterol, and my numbers have remained the same for 15 years. After the second day of taking Zetia, I knew I would destroy my health. I felt like my face had been beaten by a baseball bat, I was sick with fever, chills, and had labored breathing. I flushed the bottle down the toilet and went online to these patient testimonials to discover the side effects that are not mentioned in the guidelines. I have had a nasty sweat all day today. I cannot wait for this horrible drug to get out of my system. Why would I take something that's going to clog my sinuses when I can't breathe, and I have clogged sinuses, or take something that's going to give me respiratory distress? I always get respiratory illness if I'm sick."

1 / 10
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  • Wil...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 13, 2022

For High Cholesterol "I'm only on day two, and my stomach is a wreck! Nausea, belching, bloating, and burning. Diarrhea on top of that. I had a crazy night's sleep the first night I took it, and from the looks of some reviews I've read, others have experienced insomnia as well. I work a full-time job, so I give this one more night, then I'm done. I'd rather take my chances of high cholesterol or go full-on vegan than put up with this."

1 / 10
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  • jac...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • April 18, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I put up with night pains for the first 6 months. Now I have chest pain and arm pains when working and moving my arms. Memory and concentration seem to have become an annoyance. Just know, when you suddenly stop using ezetimibe, the side effects do not suddenly stop."

2 / 10
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  • BAN...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • October 6, 2014

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "Combining the Zetia with low dose Atorvastatin has produced good results with my cholesterol numbers. My Cardiologist added it to my regimen about 4 years ago and it has not added any side effects other than in the wallet."

9 / 10
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More FAQ

  • Nic...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 26, 2023

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "46 yrs old. I had high cholesterol of over 300 and have been taking Lipitor 40 mg for 7 years. A cardiologist added Zetia 10 mg to my Lipitor to bring down my overall cholesterol. Started taking it on July 7th, 2022. I didn’t have side effects right away. By August, I developed a pain on the left side of my neck that over time nothing I took would get rid of the pain, only dulled it. During that time, my menstrual cycle was not consistent, and I became very fatigued over time. To the point, I was exhausted by the end of the day, which caused me to gain weight. In November 2022, I just stopped taking it to see if my neck pain would go away, and two weeks later it was gone. A month later, my menstrual cycle was back to normal, and within the last 30 days, I’m not as fatigued as I used to be while working. Yes, it did lower my LDL and brought my overall cholesterol number down within 3 months. But keep in mind I have had high HDL and perfect triglyceride numbers prior to taking this and still do!"

3 / 10
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  • Hap...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • May 7, 2025

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "This medicine was fine until I had to take a hormone cream. The pain in my shoulder, arm, and spine was terrible. This was at Christmas. Couldn't get to a doctor. Rang pharmacist, he said it was not the cream. Waited three weeks, went to a physio, cost £100 pounds. Rang pharmacist again, told him he said to stop taking Zetia, this would exacerbate the pain, so stopped just after Christmas. Just tried again two weeks ago, pains all over, so stopped again. Waiting for the pains to stop. Never again."

8 / 10
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  • Won...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • June 5, 2024

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "With Crestor, 40mg, my APOB was still in the high 90s. I'm very fit and eat well. Doc added Zetia and my APOB went down to 49. Miraculous. Zetia helps cholesterol “absorbers” as statins help “producers”. There is a blood test by Boston Heart Diagnostics that your doc could order to find out if you are a producer or absorber (or both). If your doctor doesn’t dig this deep before prescribing meds, you need a new doctor."

10 / 10
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  • Geo...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 17, 2020

For High Cholesterol "I am a 68-year-old female. Four days ago, I started this drug, ezetimibe, with Rosuvastatin because of diabetes type 2 and a heart problem. I immediately experienced severe stomach pain, bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhea, lightheadedness, painful urination, and muscle cramping. As of today, I will cease the use of this drug, the pain in my lower abdomen is horrendous. I just looked up the side effects of this drug, and all of the above are listed!"

1 / 10
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  • mol...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 11, 2021

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "I was put on Zetia when I could not take statins because of severe muscle pain. Three weeks in, I started having pain in my elbow and both shoulders. I stopped the medication, so I ended up taking it for less than one month. Six months later, after stopping the medication, still the pain did not go away."

1 / 10
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  • Gar...
  • August 24, 2017

For High Cholesterol "Multiple statins over the years caused severe muscle aches in the lower body, fatigue, stomach pain, and scary loss of memory and focus. Took months but dramatic improvement after stoppage. Have talked to many people with identical experiences. Been on ezetimibe for two months. Experiencing pain and swelling in the left hand, wrist, and forearm, body fatigue, sudden short bouts of liquid diarrhea, waking up during the night sleep absolutely drenched and awash in perspiration, loss of muscular strength, and increasing loss of mental focus. Talked today to a friend having comparable symptoms. Stopping this drug immediately."

2 / 10
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  • Pat...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 9, 2019

For High Cholesterol "Doctor put me on this to lower cholesterol. I'm a person with 3 heart stents. Second day I took it, got all kinds of side effects: trouble breathing, stomach pain, terrible swelling, headache, cramping of muscles. Don't understand why he would do that, as it says it doesn't mix well with blood thinners. Stay away from this drug if possible, very dangerous."

1 / 10
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  • Jan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • March 27, 2023

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "I was hoping this would work as I am statin intolerant. I began belching nonstop and had chest pain. I have never felt like this before. Quitting my one cup of coffee a day and anything else known to aggravate GERD had no impact. I also had leg pain starting from the buttocks all the way down through the arches of my feet. I rarely get ocular migraines but started to get them frequently. I’m off of it and feeling much better. A glass of wine or coffee does not bother me. It was the medication."

1 / 10
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  • KT...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • March 29, 2016

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol, Familial Heterozygous "I have been on Zetia for a number of years. The retail price has now gone over the one thousand dollar amount for a three-month supply. $12 for each tiny capsule. What is the deal? My doctor has recently told me to take one every other day to cut the cost. I am on Social Security, but it still costs me over $5.50 in cash. That is prohibitive for a drug that has been on the market for years and years. I think the makers of it are out of their minds. My last refill, the retail was $899. Please tell WHY has it gone up almost $200."

10 / 10
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  • Mar...
  • July 3, 2021

For High Cholesterol "I started on ezetimibe 4 weeks ago after trying 5 different statins. Since starting this med, I keep telling my doc I get very dizzy and sleep for England, i.e., slept 15 hrs today and extreme dizziness. Think I will leave the tablet off from tonight as I can’t tolerate the way I feel. Since my heart attack 2 years ago, I have not felt right, all down to medication. Think I’d rather have a shorter life with no meds as all these meds cause more problems. Does anyone else feel dizzy constantly on these meds?"

1 / 10
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  • Gra...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 18, 2020

For High Cholesterol "Had high cholesterol for over 40 years and runs in the family. Statins for 12 months took a year out of my life. Even when given different ones, the side effects were intolerable. A recent blood test showed still too high LDL, so prescribed ezetimibe as told not a statin, and only side effects in less than one percent of the population, and possible only side effect would be diarrhea. Day 1, all good. Day 2, some diarrhea in the morning, by afternoon headache which got worse all through the night and into day 3. Day 3, pains in upper shoulder, legs, nausea, and still really bad headache. Ginger tabs eased the nausea, but nothing fixed the headache, and stayed awake all night. Day 4 worse than day 3, so have stopped. I have always reacted to prescription meds, always get the side effects, but would rather have a quality of life with high LDL than feel like this. Have not heard of any other alternatives."

1 / 10
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  • Rob...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 16, 2021

For High Cholesterol "Started taking Ezetimibe about two months ago. Terrible side effects to start with, but just thought my body would get used to it. What a mistake, as I never felt so ill in my life. Shoulder pain, stomach pain, chest pains, most of all, it's the feeling of being ill, fuzzy head, not just with it. Stopped taking it now for two days, still getting symptoms. Hope I can get back to my normal self soon. I would rather have high cholesterol than take this pill that makes you feel like rubbish."

1 / 10
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  • Sue...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 2, 2018

For High Cholesterol "My doctor recommended I try ezetimibe and said I might experience some joint/muscle pain. Within 10 days, I had severe lower back pain and needed physio and a chiropractor for 3 weeks of therapy. I stopped this medication and returned to my doctor who assured me that this medication does not cause localized pain in one specific area. So I agreed to restart ezetimibe, and within another two weeks had severe knee swelling and pain, and again my doctor does not believe ezetimibe is the cause. However, from reading some of the above comments, it sounds as though others have experienced similar localized pain. I now have to get an X-ray of my knee and more medical treatment. I’m not 100% sure ezetimibe is the cause, but I’m not convinced it isn’t either."

2 / 10
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  • Cha...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 28, 2019

For High Cholesterol "Ezetimibe caused serious insomnia problems, with resulting tiredness all day. I also had a constant low level of anxiety and mild depression while taking it. My brain didn't function as well-forgetting to do routine things (like putting the milk back in the refrigerator as an example). It took me a while to realize that it was the medication causing these symptoms because they can be caused by simple increases in stress, etc."

1 / 10
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  • Jak...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 12, 2021

For High Cholesterol "After 2 or 3 days, I became so dizzy and/or lightheaded. Didn’t think it was the new med, I went to the ER thinking it was a sinus infection and was prescribed amoxicillin for 7 days-nothing, as I was the same, if not worse. Went to the primary’s office and was told to discontinue ezetimibe, and what do you know? I'm getting better. I’ll be reading this site much more before starting new meds."

1 / 10
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  • Mry...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • December 5, 2016

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol, Familial Heterozygous "I have been taking Zetia off and on since it first came out in 2002. But now the price has gotten prohibitive. There is no generic for it because Merck is greedy and still holds the patent. There has been a generic drug available since 2015, but Merck wants to be the sole source for this drug, and it has not been allowed on the market. I've paid a co-pay of $25 per month due to a secondary card I got from my doctor's office, now my insurance has jacked the co-pay to $100 for 30 tabs. I went to the Merck site, and they no longer offer a discount card. They have a form for applying for a free prescription online, but apparently you must be destitute to get it. Since they're the only guy in town for this drug, this is just ridiculous..."

9 / 10
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  • EAa...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 5, 2020

For High Cholesterol "I have decided to stop taking this horrible medicine. I have been taking this medicine for my cholesterol, and my joints, hands, legs, and feet hurt so much that I can't even sleep. This medicine should not be prescribed if the quality of life is going to be this poor."

1 / 10
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  • Mar...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • August 5, 2021

Ezetimibe for High Cholesterol "I was diagnosed with PAD and given statins, which caused severe brain fog and confusion to the degree that my spouse thought I had dementia. I changed to ezetimibe to reduce high cholesterol, but even though it is not listed for Zetia, I still get the brain fog, although not quite as bad. I am afraid to stop taking them. Has anyone suffered the same effects? I am also taking clopidogrel and high blood pressure medication. I am 79 years old."

3 / 10
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