General Information and Indications:
Pravastatin is used with diet changes
(restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of
cholesterol and certain fatty substances 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. Buildup of cholesterol
and fats along the walls of the blood vessels (a process known as
atherosclerosis) decreases blood flow and, therefore, the oxygen supply to
the heart, brain, and other parts of the body. Lowering blood levels of
cholesterol and fats may help to prevent heart disease, angina (chest pain),
strokes, and heart attacks.
Information For Users:
Pravastatin comes as a tablet to take by mouth.
It is usually taken once a day with or without food. To help you remember to
take pravastatin, take it around the same time every day. Follow the
directions on your prescription label, ask your doctor or pharmacist If you
have any questions. Take pravastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more
or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your health care
provider.
Your doctor might start you on a low dose of pravastatin and slowly increase
your dose, not more than once every 4 weeks.
Continue taking pravastatin even if you feel well. Do not discontinue taking
pravastatin without informing your doctor.
Other uses for this medicine
special precautions:
o Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have
allergy to pravastatin or any other medications.
o Inform your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription
medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are
taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: cimetidine (Tagamet);
erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); ketoconazole (Nizoral);
medications that suppress the immune system such as cyclosporine (Neoral,
Sandimmune); other cholesterol-lowering medications such as fenofibrate (Tricor),
gemfibrozil (Lopid), and niacin (nicotinic acid, Niacor, Niaspan); and
spironolactone (Aldactone). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your
medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
o if you are taking cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Cholestid),
take them 4 hours before or 1 hour after pravastatin.
o Inform your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol and if you have
or have ever had liver or kidney disease.
o Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are
breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking pravastatin, stop taking
pravastatin and call your doctor without delay. Pravastatin may harm the
fetus.
o if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, Inform your doctor or
dentist that you are taking pravastatin.
o if you have a severe infection, surgery, an injury, low blood pressure, or
seizures while taking pravastatin, talk to your doctor about stopping to
take the medication for a while.
Eat a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. This kind
of diet includes cottage cheese, fat-free milk, fish (not canned in oil),
vegetables, poultry, egg whites, and polyunsaturated oils and margarines
(corn, safflower, canola, and soybean oils). Avoid foods with excess fat in
them such as meat (especially liver and fatty meat), egg yolks, whole milk,
cream, butter, shortening, lard, pastries, cakes, cookies, gravy, peanut
butter, chocolate, olives, potato chips, coconut, cheese (other than cottage
cheese), coconut oil, palm oil, and fried foods.
What should I do if I forget a dose?
Take the missed dose at the earliest possible moment. However, if it is
almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue the regular
dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Possible Adverse
Effects:
Pravastatin may cause adverse effects. Inform your doctor
if either of these symptoms is severe or does not go away:
o heartburn
o headache
Some adverse effects could be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon,
but if you experience any of them, call your doctor without delay:
o muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness
o lack of energy
o fever
o yellowing of the skin or eyes, jaundice
Brand Name(s):
o Pravachol®
o Pravigard® PAC |
