Zetia

[Guest guest]

Dorla, here is a snip regarding Zetia. I have just started researching this medication. My husband has stopped the Lipitor, but does still take Zetia (and Welchol), which we believe do not have the same mechanism of action as the statin drugs. Whether or not they are really safe, remains to be understood by us at this point in time. I am only posting this "as is" for your information, regarding Zetia.

Judy

Zetia (Ezetimibe): Mode of Action

Ezetimibe reduces blood cholesterol by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol by the small intestine. In a

2-week clinical study in 18 hypercholesterolemic patients, ZETIA inhibited intestinal cholesterol absorption by

54%, compared with placebo. ZETIA had no clinically meaningful effect on the plasma concentrations of the fat soluble

vitamins A, D, and E (in a study of 113 patients), and did not impair adrenocortical steroid hormone

production (in a study of 118 patients).

The cholesterol content of the liver is derived predominantly from three sources. The liver can synthesize

cholesterol, take up cholesterol from the blood from circulating lipoproteins, or take up cholesterol absorbed by

the small intestine. Intestinal cholesterol is derived primarily from cholesterol secreted in the bile and from

dietary cholesterol.

Ezetimibe has a mechanism of action that differs from those of other classes of cholesterol-reducing

compounds (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, (bold text, mine) bile acid sequestrants [resins], fibric acid derivatives, and plant

stanols).

Ezetimibe does not inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver, or increase bile acid excretion. Instead,

ezetimibe localizes and appears to act at the brush border of the small intestine and inhibits the absorption of

cholesterol, leading to a decrease in the delivery of intestinal cholesterol to the liver. This causes a reduction of

hepatic cholesterol stores and an increase in clearance of cholesterol from the blood...

http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2002/21445lbl.pdf

Re: What is CoQ10?

Thank you....I have stopped taking the Statin's and the Dr. put me on Zetia...Two doctors have told me that zetia is safe and doesn't cause any side effects but the counseling paper I received with it said otherwise....When I found your group and read all the posts I stopped taking the Zetia and purchased CoQ10.....I'm taking 50 mg's of it daily now....Is that all that I need to do....I had been on the Zetia for 7 months. I was on Statin's for 8 years...I had so many complaints that the Drs. just ignored me.....I was diagnosed with COPD and blamed my symptoms on COPD...then I had a cancerous tumor in my kidney so I blamed the symtoms on that....But the Drs. kept saying neither the COPD or the Cancer should cause such symptoms.....Finally the Dr. said that he had other patients that had reacted to the statin drugs...I was changed from Zocor to Pravacol to Lipitor and finally Zetia...I am still having aches and pains and muscle weakness...Swelling in my hands and feet and problems with short term memory. The aches and pains are so severe at times that I just feel like I can't stand it.. I keep reading that the longer you were on it the worse the symptoms are and will take such a long time to ever get over them...I'm very angry that the Drs. kept me on them so long and that I wasn't aware of the damage they were doing..I'm having a hard time understanding a lot of the information as to what I should do to help myself.. Should I be taking something other than the CoQ10? and what dosage should I be using?

D-Ô¿Ô¬O