Pravastatin

Before starting pravastatin, you should be on a cholesterol-lowering diet. If appropriate, a program of weight control and physical exercise should be implemented.

The recommended starting dose of pravastatin is 20 mg daily, taken with or without food in a single dose at bedtime. Your doctor will do blood tests to tell how well this dose is working for you and may gradually increase the dose to get the desired response. The maximum recommended dose for adults is 80 mg taken once daily.

Many things can affect the dose of medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If your doctor has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here, do not change the way that you are taking the medication without consulting your doctor.

For best results in lowering your cholesterol, it is very important that you closely follow the diet suggested by your doctor. It is also very important that you take pravastatin exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

If you miss a dose of Pravastatin, take it as soon as you remember and continue with your regular schedule. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are not sure what to do after missing a dose, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Store Pravastatin at room temperature, protect it from light and moisture, and keep it out of the reach of children.

Do not dispose of medications in wastewater (e.g. down the sink or in the toilet) or in household garbage. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.

In addition to its desired action, this medication may cause some adverse effects, notably: it may cause headaches; it may cause diarrhea; it may cause muscle pain; it may cause nausea or, rarely, vomiting. Each person may react differently to a treatment. If you think this medication may be causing adverse effects (including those described here, or others), talk to your health care professional. He or she can help you to determine whether or not the medication is the source of the problem.

10 mg
Each rounded, rectangular, pink-to-peach, biconvex tablet, engraved "PRA" over "10" on one side and "APO" on the other, contains 10 mg of pravastatin. Nonmedicinal ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, and red ferric oxide.

20 mg
Each rounded, rectangular, yellow, biconvex tablet, engraved "PRA" over "20" on one side and "APO" on the other, contains 20 mg of pravastatin. Nonmedicinal ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, and yellow ferric oxide.

40 mg
Each rounded, rectangular, green, biconvex tablet, engraved "PRA" over "40" on one side and "APO" on the other, contains 40 mg of pravastatin. Nonmedicinal ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, D&C Yellow No. 10, and FD&C Blue No. 1.

Do not take Pravastatin if you:

• are allergic to pravastatin or any ingredients of Pravastatin
• are breast-feeding
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• have active liver disease or unexplained increases in liver function tests

There may be an interaction between pravastatin and any of the following:

• "azole" antifungal medications (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole)
• Carbamazepine
• certain HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., darunavir, letermovir, nelfinavir, saquinavir)
• Cholestyramine
• Colchicine
• Colesevelam
• Colestipol
• Cyclosporine
• daptomycin
• efavirenz
• Eltrombopag
• fibrates (e.g., Bezafibrate, gemfibrozil, fenofibrate)
• Hepatitis C antiviral medications (e.g., asunaprevir, daclatasvir, glecavir, ledipasvir, pibrentasvir, sofosbuvir, voxilaprevir)
• macrolide antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, erythromycin)
• niacin (nicotinic acid)
• niacinamide
• Paroxetine
• Phenytoin
• raltegravir
• Repaglinide
• rifabutin
• rifampin
• rupatadine
• Teriflunomide
• Tolvaptan
• Warfarin

If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:

• stop taking one of the medications,
• change one of the medications to another,
• change how you are taking one or both of the medications, or
• leave everything as is.

An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.

Medications other than those listed above may interact with Pravastatin. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription), and herbal medications that you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the Nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or Allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use Pravastatin.

Alcohol: People who drink large quantities of alcohol should be closely monitored by their doctor while they are taking Pravastatin. Alcohol can increase the risk of developing liver problems with Pravastatin. Tell your doctor if you drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks per day.

Diabetes: Pravastatin may cause an increase in blood sugar levels and glucose tolerance may change. People with diabetes may find it necessary to monitor their blood sugar more frequently while using Pravastatin.

If you have diabetes or are at risk for developing diabetes, discuss with your doctor how Pravastatin may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Pravastatin, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Diet: Pravastatin is not intended for use alone to reduce high cholesterol levels. It is important that a cholesterol-reducing diet along with appropriate exercise be attempted before taking any medication and continued while taking medication.

Grapefruit juice: Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you regularly drink grapefruit juice, because grapefruit juice may interact with pravastatin.

Kidney problems: If you have decreased kidney function or a history of Kidney Disease, discuss with your doctor how Pravastatin may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Pravastatin, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Liver function: Pravastatin may reduce liver function and can cause liver failure. Laboratory signs of harmful effects to the liver occur in about 0.5% of adults who take pravastatin for extended periods. When the medication is stopped, the laboratory tests usually slowly return to normal.

Your doctor may want to test your liver function regularly with blood tests while you are taking Pravastatin. Pravastatin should not be used by people with active liver disease or by people whose liver function tests are higher than normal. If you have a history of liver disease, discuss with your doctor how Pravastatin may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Pravastatin, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

If you experience symptoms of liver problems such as fatigue, feeling unwell, loss of appetite, nausea, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal pain or swelling, and itchy skin, contact your doctor immediately.

Lung inflammation: Lung inflammation (interstitial lung disease), causing difficulty breathing has occurred rarely in some people taking Pravastatin. This complication can be serious and sometimes fatal. If you experience new or worsening shortness of breath or cough (with or without fever) at any time while you are taking pravastatin, contact your doctor immediately.

Muscle effects: In rare cases, serious muscle damage has been associated with the use of statin medications (i.e., cholesterol-lowering medications whose names end in "-statin," such as Atorvastatin, Fluvastatin, Lovastatin, pravastatin, Rosuvastatin, or Simvastatin), especially at higher doses. Before taking Pravastatin, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:

• are over the age of 65
• are taking other medications, including prescription, non-prescription and natural health products, as drug interactions are possible
• are taking other cholesterol-lowering medication such as fibrates (Gemfibrozil, Fenofibrate) or Niacin
• are physically frail
• do excessive physical exercise
• have diabetes
• have a family history of muscular disorders
• have kidney or liver problems
• have uncontrolled Thyroid problems
• have undergone surgery or other tissue injury
• have had any past problems with the muscles (pain, tenderness), after using a statin
• regularly drink three or more alcoholic drinks daily

Report any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness, cramps, or any brown or discoloured urine to your doctor immediately, particularly if you are also experiencing malaise (a general feeling of being unwell) or fever.

Pregnancy: Pravastatin should not be taken during pregnancy, as it may cause harm to the developing baby. If you become pregnant while taking Pravastatin, stop taking it immediately and contact your doctor.

Pravastatin should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking Pravastatin, stop taking it immediately and contact your doctor.

Breast-feeding: Pravastatin passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking pravastatin, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding.

Children: There is limited experience with the use of Pravastatin by children. The safety and effectiveness of using Pravastatin have not been established for children under 16 years old.

Seniors: If you are over 65 years old, your doctor will likely monitor you closely for muscle-related side effects.

This medication is typically used only once a day. However, your pharmacist may have suggested a different schedule that is more appropriate for you. It must be used regularly and continuously to maintain its beneficial effects. Be sure to keep an adequate supply on hand. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember -- unless it is almost time for your next dose. In that case, skip the missed dose. Do not double the next dose to catch up. This medication may be taken with or without food. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption during treatment.