Uses
Pravastatin is used together with diet, weight-loss, and exercise to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and to decrease the chance that heart surgery will be needed in people who have heart disease or who are at risk of developing heart disease. Pravastatin is also used to reduce the amount of fatty substances such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (‘bad cholesterol’) and triglycerides in the blood and to increase the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (‘good cholesterol’) in the blood. Pravastatin is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body to decrease the amount of cholesterol that may build up on the walls of the arteries and block blood flow to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body.
Accumulation of cholesterol and fats along the walls of your arteries (a process known as atherosclerosis) decreases blood flow and, therefore, the oxygen supply to your heart, brain, and other parts of your body. Lowering your blood level of cholesterol and fats with pravastatin has been shown to prevent heart disease, angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks.
Side Effects Of Pravastatin
Pravastatin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- heartburn
- headache
- memory loss or forgetfulness
- confusion
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following side effects, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical help:
- muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness
- lack of energy
- fever
- yellowing of the skin or eyes
- pain in the upper right part of the stomach
- nausea
- extreme tiredness
- weakness
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- dark-colored urine
- loss of appetite
- flu-like symptoms
- rash
- hives
- itching
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- hoarseness
Pravastatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
Warnings & Precautions
Before taking pravastatin:
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to pravastatin, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in pravastatin tablets. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: antacids; antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan) and ketoconazole (Nizoral); boceprevir (Victrelis); cimetidine (Tagamet); clarithromycin (Biaxin); colchicine (Colcrys); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); digoxin (Lanoxin); diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Taztia, Tiazac); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); other cholesterol-lowering medications such as fenofibrate (Tricor), gemfibrozil (Lopid), and niacin (nicotinic acid, Niacor, Niaspan); ritonavir (Norvir) taken with darunavir (Prezista); spironolactone (Aldactone); verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan); and warfarin (Coumadin). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Other medications may also interact with pravastatin, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
- if you are taking cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid), take them 4 hours before or 1 hour after pravastatin.
- tell your doctor if you have liver disease. Your doctor will order laboratory tests to see how well your liver is working even if you do not think you have liver disease. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take pravastatin if you have liver disease or if the tests show that you may be developing liver disease.
- tell your doctor if you drink more than two alcoholic beverages per day, if you are 65 years of age or older, if you have ever had liver disease or if you have or have ever had low blood pressure, muscle aches or weakness, seizures, or thyroid or kidney disease.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You should not become pregnant while you are taking pravastatin. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods that you can use during your treatment. If you become pregnant while taking pravastatin, stop taking pravastatin and call your doctor immediately. Pravastatin may harm the fetus.
- do not breastfeed while you are taking this medication.
- if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking pravastatin. If you are hospitalized due to serious injury or infection, tell the doctor who treats you that you are taking pravastatin.
- ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking pravastatin. Alcohol can increase the risk of serious side effects.
Dosage Of Pravastatin
Pravastatin comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with or without food. Take pravastatin at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take pravastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may start you on a low dose of pravastatin and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 4 weeks.
Continue to take pravastatin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking pravastatin without talking to your doctor.
Other
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order lab tests during your treatment, especially if you develop symptoms of liver damage.
Before having any laboratory test, tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking pravastatin.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Source
All information has been provided courtesy of MedLinePlus from the National Library of Medicine and from the FDA.
