Does Zetia Cause Depression?

Zetia is a medicine prescribed to lower high cholesterol levels when people have been unable to do so through diet. Lowering cholesterol levels reduces the risk of cardiovasular disease, stroke and heart attack. The brand name for ezetimibe, Zetia can cause depression as a side effect, but this is rare.

Identification

• Zetia, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002, works by reducing absorption of dietary cholesterol. Doctors prescribe Zetia by itself and also in a combination drug called Vytorin, which includes the statin Zocor.

Clinical Trials

• Zetia has no common side effects. In clinical trials, as detailed by eMedTV, fewer than 4 percent of the patients experienced back pain, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle aches, coughing, runny nose or nasal congestion; depression was not reported as a side effect.

Depression

• Canada and Australia both issued warnings as early as 2005 about the potential for Zetia to cause depression. The manufacturer added the information to product inserts and marketing materials in 2008.

Post-Approval Reporting

• Because depression has only been reported anecdotally since the drug was approved, it has not been possible to estimate the percentage of patients experiencing this side effect.

Risk Factors

• Because previous episodes of depression or a family history of depression are strong risk factors for this condition, patients with these situations may need to avoid taking Zetia.