GP and surgeon, Dr Shane Charles (MBBS, MRCS, PgDip SEM) provides a simple explanation of the medication below:

'Ezetimibe is a cholesterol lowering medication. '.

If you think Ezetimibe is a treatment that can help you, start an online consultation now for a registered prescriber to review. If treatment is deemed suitable, they can prescribe it, and we can deliver it to you from the comfort of your own home with a range of convenient delivery and payment options for you to choose from. If you have any questions about a medication, you should always consult your doctor with any questions prior to starting treatment, to ensure that it is safe and suitable for you.

Ezetimibe Uses

Ezetimibe is a medicine that is used to treat high levels of cholesterol in the blood, where a healthy diet alone hasn’t fixed the problem.

For more information on the prescription medication patients should refer to the Ezetimibe patient information leaflet.

The cholesterol in our bodies are both good and bad; “good” cholesterol is known as HDL cholesterol, while “bad” cholesterol is known as LDL cholesterol. The active ingredient in Ezetimibe not only reduces the bad cholesterol (plus fatty substances called triglycerides), but it also increases the levels of good cholesterol. This is done by preventing the absorption in your digestive tract, however it does not help you lose weight.

Ezetimibe is often used in conjunction with another kind of cholesterol-lowering medicine called statins, as it can increase their effectiveness.

LDL cholesterol is known as “bad” cholesterol because it can form plaque and build up in the walls of your arteries. Eventually, this build-up will become a narrowing, which can lead to other health problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.

HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because it works to counteract the LDL cholesterol; protecting against plaque build-up and protecting your heart and other vital organs.

If a healthy diet alone hasn’t helped your cholesterol levels, taking Ezetimibe will get this back to a normal amount.

Ezetimibe Tablets

Ezetimibe is a prescription-only medication. Always follow the advice of your doctor and read the patient information leaflet provided in the medication packet.

Before starting this medication, you should be following a cholesterol-lowering diet, which you should continue to follow once you begin treatment with Ezetimibe. Take the tablets by swallowing whole with a drink of water, with or without food.

Ezetimibe 10mg

Ezetimibe contains the active ingredient ezetimibe, at a strength of 10mg per tablet.

The recommended dose is 10mg taken once a day, at any time. However, if you are on another cholesterol-lowering medicine then you should take extra care regarding timings, as some of them have specific instructions about how close together or far apart the two need to be taken. If you’re ever unsure, consult your doctor.

If you forget to take your Ezetimibe tablet then you should skip the forgotten dose and move straight onto the next one. Don’t worry but don’t double up on your dose to make up for a missed one.

If you take more Ezetimibe than you should, then contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Ezetimibe Side Effects

Before taking Ezetimibe, you should always first consult your doctor. You should not take Ezetimibe if any of the following apply to you:

• you are allergic (hypersensitive) to ezetimibe or any of the other ingredients of this medicine
• If you are also taking a statin and have liver problems
• If you are also taking a statin and are pregnant or breastfeeding

Your prescription of Ezetimibe may also be affected by a number of other factors, so you should make your doctor aware if any of the following apply:

• If you have any medical conditions or allergies
• If you are also taking a statin
• If you have moderate or severe liver problems
• If you are taking fibrates.

Like many medications with active ingredients, Ezetimibe can affect or be affected by other medicines. Particular medications that you may experience this with include the following:

• ciclosporin (often used in organ transplant patients)  
• medicines with an active ingredient to prevent blood clots, such as warfarin
• cholestyramine (also used to lower cholesterol)
• fibrates (also used to lower cholesterol)

If you are taking any of the above medications, then you should make your doctor aware so that they can advise whether or not Ezetimibe will be the best course of action for you.

Like with all sufferers of high cholesterol, you should pair your medication with a cholesterol-lowering diet, as advised by your doctor or a nutritionist. This should begin before treatment with Ezetimibe and should continue alongside the medicine.

The most common side effects of using Ezetimibe include:

• abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
• Flatulence
• feeling tired
• elevations in some laboratory blood tests of liver function
• Headache
• muscle pain, tenderness or weakness

If you do experience one or more of these side effects and they persist or worsen, then inform your doctor right away. You should also contact your doctor if you notice any serious side effects.

You can safely buy Ezetimibe online at UK Meds. You will first need to have an online consultation with a pharmacist independent prescriber before your order will be supplied. The online consultation will ensure that Ezetimibe is the right medication for your medical condition.