Pravastatin

What pravastatin is for

Pravastatin is used to treat high cholesterol. Having high cholesterol can cause problems with your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).

It's a type of cholesterol-lowering medicine called a statin.

Pravastatin can help:

• lower your cholesterol if you have high cholesterol
• prevent angina, heart attack, stroke and other complications if you have cardiovascular disease

How to take pravastatin

Pravastatin usually comes as tablets that you swallow.

How much you need to take depends on why you're taking it. Your doctor may prescribe a low dose to start with and then increase it, if needed, after 4 weeks.

Always check the packet or leaflet that comes with your medicine. Ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice if you're not sure how to take it or have any problems taking it.

When taking pravastatin:

• swallow tablets whole with a drink of water
• try to take it at the same time each day – usually in the evening
• you can take it with or without food

You usually need to take pravastatin for a long time, sometimes for life.

If you miss a dose of pravastatin

If you forget to take a dose of pravastatin, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose at the usual time.

Do not take 2 doses to make up for a missed dose.

If you take too much pravastatin

Taking an extra dose of pravastatin is unlikely to cause problems, but it's important to get medical advice if you take too much as it can sometimes be dangerous.

Side effects of pravastatin

Like all medicines, pravastatin can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects

Common side effects of pravastatin include:

• headache
• dizziness
• feeling sick (nausea)
• digestive problems, such as constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or farting
• muscle aches
• sleep problems

Pravastatin will not usually affect your ability to drive, ride a bike or use machinery, but if you feel dizzy after taking it, wait until the dizziness stops.

Serious side effects

Pravastatin can sometimes cause serious side effects, although most of them are rare.

Possible serious side effects of pravastatin include:

• inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), which can cause yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes – yellowed skin may be less noticeable if you have brown or black skin
• inflammation of the pancreas (acute pancreatitis), which can cause severe stomach pain
• inflammation and damage to the muscles, which can cause muscle cramps, severe pain and weakness – you may also have other symptoms such as a high temperature and red or brown pee
• an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), which can cause symptoms such as a swollen throat or tongue, a raised, itchy rash or difficulty breathing

Who can and cannot take pravastatin

Most adults can take pravastatin.

It's sometimes also prescribed for children aged 8 years or older.

But pravastatin is not suitable for everyone. For example, it may not be suitable if:

• you've had an allergic reaction or other serious side effects from pravastatin or another statin
• you have liver or kidney problems
• you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• you or a close family member have a condition that affects the muscles, such as myasthenia gravis
• you've had a bleed in the brain
• you regularly drink a lot of alcohol

Before taking pravastatin, tell your doctor if you have any medical conditions.

Breastfeeding and pravastatin

You can usually take pravastatin while breastfeeding, but check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

It's rare for breastfed babies to get any side effects from medicine you're taking, but speak to a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about your baby.

Pregnancy and pravastatin

Tell your doctor if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Pravastatin is not recommended during pregnancy because it can affect how your baby develops.

If you're planning to get pregnant, stop taking pravastatin 3 months before you start trying to conceive.

Find out more about taking statins during pregnancy on the Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) website

Taking pravastatin with other medicines, food and drink

There are some medicines, remedies and supplements that may not mix well with pravastatin.

This includes:

• some other medicines for lowering cholesterol, including fibrates such as bezafibrate
• some antifungal medicines, such as itraconazole or fluconazole
• some antibiotics such as fusidic acid, erythromycin or clarithromycin
• medicines for viral infections including HIV and hepatitis C
• ciclosporin, a medicine given after an organ transplant
• colchicine, a medicine to treat gout
• rifampicin, a medicine to treat tuberculosis

Before taking pravastatin, tell your doctor if you're taking any other medicines, herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

Food, drink and alcohol with pravastatin

You can eat as normal while taking pravastatin.

Try to limit how much alcohol you drink while taking pravastatin, as it can increase the risk of side effects like liver problems.