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Pravastatin

About pravastatin

Pravastatin belongs to a group of medicines called statins. It's used to lower cholesterol.

It's also taken to prevent heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

The medicine is available on prescription as tablets.

Key facts

  • Pravastatin seems to be a very safe medicine. It's unusual to have any side effects.
  • Don't take pravastatin if you are pregnant or think you could be pregnant. This medicine can harm an unborn baby.
  • Take pravastatin even if you feel well, as you will still be getting the benefits. Most people with high cholesterol don't have any symptoms.
  • Pravastatin is also called Pravachol.

Who can and can't take pravastatin

Pravastatin can be taken by adults and children over the age of 8.

Pravastatin isn't suitable for some people. Tell your doctor if you:

  • have an allergy or intolerance to pravastatin
  • have liver or kidney problems
  • are trying to get pregnant, think you might be pregnant, you're already pregnant, or you're breastfeeding
  • have severe lung disease
  • drink large amounts of alcohol
  • have an underactive thyroid
  • have had muscular side effects when taking a statin in the past
  • have had a muscle disorder

How and when to take it

Take pravastatin once a day in the evening.

Pravastatin doesn't upset the stomach, so you can take it with or without food.

In adults, the usual dose is 10mg to 40mg once a day.

In children aged 8 to 13 years old, the usual dose is 10mg to 20mg once a day. In children aged 14 to 17 years old, the dose may range from 10mg to 40mg daily.

Your doctor will work out the amount of pravastatin that's right for your child.

Swallow pravastatin tablets whole with a glass of water.

What if I forget to take it?

If you occasionally forget to take a dose, take your next dose the next day at the usual time. Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take extra doses.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

What if I take too much?

Taking an extra dose of pravastatin by accident is unlikely to harm you.

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you're worried or if you take more than 1 extra dose.

Side effects

Pravastatin seems to be a very safe medicine. It's unusual to have side effects with it.

One rare but serious side effect is unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness.

Report any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness to a doctor straight away.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but less than 1 in 1,000 people taking pravastatin may have a serious side effect.

Stop taking pravastatin and tell a doctor if you develop:

  • unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps - these can be a sign of muscle breakdown and kidney damage
  • yellowing of the skin and eyes - these can be signs of liver problems
  • severe tummy pain - these can be a sign of inflammation of the pancreas
  • a cough, feeling short of breath and weight loss - these can be signs of interstitial lung disease

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it’s possible to have a serious allergic reaction to pravastatin.

A serious allergic reaction is an emergency. Contact a doctor straight away if you think you or someone around you is having a serious allergic reaction.

The warning signs of a serious allergic reaction are:

  • getting a skin rash that may include itchy, red, swollen, blistered or peeling skin
  • wheezing
  • tightness in the chest or throat
  • having trouble breathing or talking
  • swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat

These are not all the side effects of pravastatin. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pravastatin is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, as there's no firm evidence that it's safe.

Talk to your doctor if you want to get pregnant. It's best to stop taking pravastatin at least 3 months before you start trying for a baby.

If you become pregnant while taking pravastatin, stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor.

Pravastatin and breastfeeding

It's not known if pravastatin gets into breast milk, but it may cause problems for your baby. You may be able to stop pravastatin temporarily while you breastfeed.

Tell your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or if you're breastfeeding.

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines interfere with the way pravastatin works and can increase the chances of you having serious side effects such as muscle damage.

Medicines that may not mix well with pravastatin include:

If you're taking pravastatin and need to take one of these medicines, your doctor may:

  • prescribe a lower dose of pravastatin
  • prescribe a different statin
  • recommend that you temporarily stop taking your pravastatin

Mixing pravastatin with herbal remedies and supplements

Tell your doctor or pharmacist that you're taking pravastatin before starting or stopping any complementary medicines including herbal remedies and supplements. They will be able to check if there are any known problems.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

Common questions

How does pravastatin work?

Pravastatin acts on the liver to stop it making cholesterol. This lowers your blood cholesterol level.

How long will I take pravastatin for?

Usually, treatment with a statin, such as pravastatin, is for life. The benefits will only continue for as long as you take it. If you stop taking pravastatin without starting a different treatment, your cholesterol level may rise again.

Are statins safe?

You may have read negative stories about statins, but they're considered to be very safe, effective medicines with very little side effects. Sometimes the side effects reported are unrelated to the medicine.

If you're concerned about the safety of statins, talk to your doctor. Don't stop taking them.

Is pravastatin addictive?

No, there's no evidence that pravastatin is addictive.

Can I take pravastatin for a long time?

Pravastatin is safe to take for a long time, even many years. In fact, it works best when you take it for a long time.

What will happen if I come off it?

You may want to stop pravastatin if you think you're having side effects. Talk to your doctor to see if it really is a side effect of pravastatin or an unrelated problem. It may help to lower your dose or change your medicine.

Stopping pravastatin may cause your cholesterol to rise – this increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes. If you want to stop taking the medicine, it's important to find another way to lower your cholesterol.

Are there other cholesterol-lowering medicines?

Statins all work in the same way, but they differ in how well they lower cholesterol.

There are several other cholesterol-lowering statin medicines, including:

If you have a side effect with one statin, it may not happen with another. Some medicines don't mix well with one statin, but you can take them with a different one.

Your doctor will find the right statin and dose for you, depending on your medical history, cholesterol level and the other medicines you take.

Can I drink alcohol with it?

Yes, you can drink alcohol while taking pravastatin.

However, drinking a lot of alcohol may increase the chances of you getting muscle and liver side effects. Try not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

Is there any food or drink I need to avoid?

You can eat and drink normally on pravastatin.

Unlike with other statins like simvastatin and atorvastatin, it's safe to drink grapefruit juice with pravastatin.

Can I drive or ride a bike?

Occasionally, pravastatin can make you feel dizzy or have blurred or double vision. If this happens to you, don't drive or use machines or tools, until you feel better.

Will it affect my contraception?

For women, pravastatin won't affect contraceptive pills or the morning after pill.

Will it affect my fertility?

There's no evidence that pravastatin reduces male or female fertility.

Can lifestyle changes help?

Reducing your cholesterol may mean you don't need to be prescribed a statin medicine. There are lifestyle changes you can make that will help lower your cholesterol:

As part of a healthy diet, it can also help to include foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols. They are proven to help lower cholesterol. You can buy fortified spreads, cheese, cereals, granola bars, orange juice, wholemeal bread and yoghurt-style drinks from most supermarkets.

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