Index
It is a type of medicine known as a fibrate. It is also available without a brand, as a generic medicine.
What is this used for?
It lowers high fats (lipids) such as triglycerides and blood cholesterol ( hyperlipidemia ).
How does Bezafibrate work?
For the sake of simplicity, there are two types of cholesterol; a “bad” type called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and a “good” type called high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
LDL is deposited in the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease by clogging and narrowing the arteries (atherosclerosis), while HDL protects the arteries against this.
Triglycerides are another type of “bad fats” that increase the risk of hardened arteries.
The Bezafibrate functions primarily by stimulating the action of two enzymes that break down triglycerides. These are called lipoprotein lipase (found in muscle and adipose tissue) and hepatic lipase (found in the liver).
Stimulating these enzymes increases the breakdown of triglycerides in the blood.
In turn, it also decreases the production of triglycerides by the liver. As a result of these two actions, it reduces triglycerides in the blood.
In addition, Bezafibrate decreases the production of LDL cholesterol in the liver, which causes the liver cells to absorb excess LDL cholesterol from the blood.
It also increases HDL cholesterol levels.
The overall effect is to reduce “bad fats” and the high “good fats” levels in the blood.
Fibrates have an essential role in preventing coronary disease, reducing the risk of excess cholesterol and triglycerides deposited in the heart’s main blood vessels (atherosclerosis).
Atherosclerosis limits the amount of blood and, therefore, the oxygen transported to the heart muscle. This can cause chest pain (angina) and, in severe cases, can cause a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Fibrates are used to lower triglyceride levels and cholesterol in people who have significantly altered values due to genetics or diet and lifestyle.
This helps reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, angina, and heart attacks (coronary heart disease).
It is essential to follow a diet to lower cholesterol and exercise while consuming Bezafibrate.
Discuss this with your doctor
How do I take Bezafibrate?
- One tablet should be taken once a day, either in the morning or night. Always try to take your tablet at the same time of day.
- The tablets should be taken with or after the food; the tablets should be swallowed whole with a drink and not broken, crushed, or chewed.
- You will have to take Bezafibrate every day in the long term (unless your doctor tells you otherwise). If you stop taking it, your lipid levels will rise again.
Warning!
You must continue to eat healthily and exercise regularly while taking this medication. Discuss this with your doctor.
- This medicine may cause dizziness. If affected, be careful when driving or using machines.
- If you have a problem with your kidneys, you should regularly monitor your kidney function while taking this medication.
- It is recommended to avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol while taking this medication, as this may increase the risk of liver problems or side effects on the muscles.
- This medication can rarely have side effects on the muscles. For this reason, you should inform your doctor immediately if you experience any muscle symptoms, such as pain, tenderness, cramping, or weakness while taking this medication, especially if accompanied by fever or malaise.
- Your doctor may need to check for side effects on your muscles with a blood test to measure the level of a compound called creatinine kinase in your blood.
If this is the case, the test should not be performed after a strenuous exercise.
It is scarce that this medication causes gallstones. For this reason, you should inform your doctor if you experience upset stomach pain or any yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice) while taking this medication.
They should use with caution:
- People over 65 years
- People with decreased liver function.
- People with an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
- People with other hormonal alterations.
- People who have previously experienced muscle side effects while taking a statin or Fibrate medicine.
- Personal or family history of hereditary muscular disorders.
- People with an alteration in the levels of salts (electrolytes such as sodium and potassium) in the blood.
- People who drink large amounts of alcohol.
- People with serious infections or injuries.
It should not be used in:
- People who are allergic to other medications Fibrates, for example, ciprofibrate.
- People with decreased renal function (the dose of bezafibrate in Bezalip mono tablets is too high for people with kidney problems).
- A syndrome caused by kidney inflammation is characterized by a large amount of protein in the urine, swelling, weight gain, and high blood pressure (nephrotic syndrome).
- People with severe liver disease.
- Gallbladder disease, with or without gallstones.
- Pregnancy
- Lactation
- Rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency, or glucose-galactose malabsorption (Bezafibrate tablets contain lactose).
- The use of this medication in children is not recommended.
- This medication should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have had an allergy before.
If you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and lactation
Certain medications should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
However, other medications can be used safely during pregnancy or breastfeeding, as long as the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the fetus.
Before using any medication, always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Talk to your doctor right away if you think you might be pregnant while taking this medication or if you want to try a baby.
It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. However, because it could cause side effects in an infant, the manufacturers of Bezafibrate indicate that it should not be taken by women who are breastfeeding.
