Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects… Zetia Side Effects by Likelihood and Severity COMMON side effects. They can include severe muscle pain and kidney damage, among other significant adverse reactions. If experienced, these tend to have a Less Severe expression. Headache; INFREQUENT side effects. My experience with Zetia… However, according to the Mayo Clinic, Zetia does have known side effects, one of which is dysphagia or trouble swallowing. Dr. said Zetia was different and would not cause these side effects, so I agreed to try it. A natural alternative for lowering LDL … These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Dysphagia and stomach upset were the two main side effects I experienced with Zetia, at both 5mg and 10mg doses. Zetia is a lipid-lowering compound used to treat high cholesterol.Common side effects of ezetimibe include diarrhea, abdominal pain, back pain, joint pain, muscle aches, and sinus infection ().. Serious side effects … Zetia was prescribed to me after a severe reaction to Provochol with debilitating muscle pain. Zetia side effects can be quite serious, especially in high doses. Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention.