Patient/caregiver was educated on contraindications for using zetia as follows:
- Avoid drinking alcohol with zetia. Alcohol, by itself, carries the risk of elevating the bad cholesterol and triglycerides, thus compromising the therapeutic benefit of zetia intake. In addition, alcohol with zetia can increase the risk for hepatitis and damage to the liver function.
- Overall body metabolism slows down in hypothyroidism, which slows down the metabolism of zetia by the liver. Slowing down of the drug metabolism can result in increased risk for compromised therapeutic benefits and toxicity with the medication.
- Use of zetia carries risk for skeletal muscle injury and breakdown. Protein molecules released into the blood from this skeletal muscle injury enter the kidney to be eliminated in urine. But, as these molecules are large, they will not be filtered through the kidneys into the urine and get blocked, thus damaging the kidneys and leading to kidney failure. Individuals with history of muscle damage are at increased risk for this side-effect with zetia and so, must be cautiously used and renal function closely monitored.
