Which is better and safer Zetia or Zocor? - High Cholesterol Message Board

eternal sanctum · 01-26-2007, 03:25 AM

Any advice on these meds?

Thanks!

jkhh · 01-26-2007, 06:49 AM

Both (or neither) depending on your view of cholesterol drugs

. They both go together into Vytorin. Vytorin allows you to take 10 mg of Zetia (works in intestines/stomach-at least that's the manufacturer's name)and less of Zocor (works in liver) so that you get a good result with less statin (Zocor). Most feel that Zetia alone is good only for those who barely need a reduction in Total and LDL cholesterol. As my prior doctor put it to me, any reduction is better than none at all. This would be the most common impact of Zetia although some on this board have good results with Zetia alone. I would say that Vytorin is a better route (than either of these alone) but I'm just going from personal experience.

. I'm able to take Vytorin 10/20 and get the good numbers (actually, a bit better) than I had on Crestor 5mg (a potent statin). Some on this board are able to split the Vytorin and reduce the potency even further with good or great results (not that I would know anything about this practice

).

Good luck.

Connie122516 · 01-26-2007, 09:15 AM

Here's a different perspective:

I'd never take Zetia or Vytorin if I could avoid it, especially Vytorin. The drug trials for Vytorin were not as long as the FDA usually requires because the two drugs it contains had been tested and previously approved separately. But, there could be health and safety effects of compounding a pill that contains two different drugs that are different than if a person were just taking the two drugs separately (and I'm not even sure they've done decent trials with someone taking both Zetia and Zocor as separate pills). So I think anyone taking Vytorin is participating in an unmonitored drug trial without informed consent.

Plus, Zetia pulls cholesterol and fats you eat out of your digestive tract (along with the healthy plant sterols)...I'd rather put my emphasis on minimizing the amount of that I put in my mouth. Why take a pill if I can have a similar effect by eating a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat?

Zocor has been around long enough to go generic and has a decent safety record....I'm a believer in Worst Pills advice to try to stick with drugs which have been used for at least 7 years. So on that criteria alone, it would be Zocor over Zetia and Vytorin.

Imacarbuff · 01-26-2007, 06:34 PM

I agree.....Zocor over Zetia. I would add that I would start with 5-10mg and see how that works for you. It seems like many Drs want to start with 20mg and go from there. 20mg could be too much for your system and cause problems down the road.....while 5-10mg may be more compatible for your system and still offer the needed results.

NHone · 01-27-2007, 12:49 AM

THe zetia trials consisted of ONLY 12 weeks in humans, before they were put on the open market. Of course one of the requirements was that there would be post-marketing reports..... Yeah, right!