PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

ezetimibe vs gemfibrozil

Side-by-side comparison of ezetimibe and gemfibrozil. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

major Known Drug Interaction

Cyclosporine, Danazol, or Gemfibrozil Clinical Impact: The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of cyclosporine, danazol, or gemfibrozil with ezetimibe and simvastatin. Gemfibrozil may cause myopathy when given alone. Intervention: Concomitant use of cyclosporine, danazol, or gemfibrozil with ezetimibe and simvastatin is contraindicated [see Contraindications ( 4 )].

Recommendation: You should not take these two medications together; ask your doctor for a safer alternative.

Drug Class
ezetimibe Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor
gemfibrozil Fibrate
Type
ezetimibe Prescription
gemfibrozil Prescription
Summary
ezetimibe

No summary available.

gemfibrozil

Gemfibrozil is a medicine that helps lower high triglyceride levels in your blood. It can also help reduce the risk of heart disease in some people.

What It Treats
ezetimibe

Information not available.

gemfibrozil

This medicine is used to treat very high triglyceride levels in adults when diet alone doesn't work. High triglycerides can increase your risk of pancreatitis. Gemfibrozil can also lower the risk of heart disease in some people with specific cholesterol problems.

How It Works
ezetimibe

Information not available.

gemfibrozil

Gemfibrozil belongs to a class of drugs called fibrates. It works by decreasing the amount of triglycerides your body makes. It also helps to increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

Common Side Effects
ezetimibe
  • Headache
  • Upper respiratory tract infection
  • Muscle pain
  • Diarrhea
gemfibrozil
  • Upset stomach
  • Indigestion
  • Abdominal pain
FAERS Reports
ezetimibe
  • Tiredness 4,662
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 4,195
  • Muscle pain 4,191
  • Diarrhea 3,661
  • Feeling lightheaded 3,337
gemfibrozil
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 882
  • Feeling tired 826
  • Loose stools 726
  • Aches 692
  • Feeling lightheaded 617
Serious Warnings
ezetimibe

No specific warnings noted.

gemfibrozil

This medicine may increase your risk of gallbladder problems, including the need for surgery. Before taking gemfibrozil, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. You should not take this medicine with simvastatin, repaglinide, dasabuvir, or selexipag.

Pregnancy
ezetimibe

No pregnancy information available.

gemfibrozil

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if gemfibrozil can harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if gemfibrozil passes into breast milk.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

Compare gemfibrozil with

How to Read This ezetimibe vs gemfibrozil Comparison

ezetimibe is classified in the Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor drug class, while gemfibrozil sits within the Fibrate class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, ezetimibe has 20,046 submissions while gemfibrozil has 3,743. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these medicines can harm your muscles, and using them together makes the risk of severe muscle damage much higher.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between ezetimibe and gemfibrozil - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.