Pravastatin Effects

Pravastatin is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of various heart diseases, including high levels of triglycerides, high cholesterol levels and various heart problems and diseases. It is also often used to treat children with genetically high levels of cholesterol. There are effects, both positive and negative, from using Pravastatin.

Positive Effects

• Pravastatin reduces risks of various health conditions, including death due to blood vessel or heart issues (like cardiovascular disease), heart attack, stroke, transient ischemic stroke and the need for open heart surgery or angioplasty. Pravastatin does this by decreasing LDL (low density lipoprotein, also known as the bad kind of cholesterol) and raising HDL (high-density lipoprotein, which is the good, healthy kind of cholesterol).

Common Side Effects

• Common side effects of Pravastatin tend to be minor. These side effects usually fade as the body gets used to the medication. If you have any of these side effects, and find them to be particularly problematic or persistent, discuss them with your physician. These common side effects include headache, common cold, nausea, throwing up, constipation, diarrhea, unusual skin rash, dizziness, exhaustion, gas, muscle ache, influenza, heartburn and indigestion.

Less Common Side Effects

• Less common side effects of Pravastatin include double or blurry vision, joint pain, stomachache and muscle cramps. If you experience any of these side effects, tell your doctor.

Serious Side Effects

• Although serious side effects of Pravastatin are rare, they can happen. If you experience any of them, seek emergency medical assistance as soon as possible. These side effects include weakness, pain, or tenderness of the muscles (often accompanied by a general feeling of malaise or fever), large changes in the amount of urine produced (either more or less), loss of memory and muscle aches. Serious allergic reactions are also possible. Signs of these reactions are trouble breathing, wheezing, skin rash, breaking out into hives, itchiness, and swelling of the throat, tongue, or mouth.

Liver Damage

• Pravastatin may also cause liver damage. If you experience any of these signs, get immediate medical help. These include pain in the upper right of the abdomen, the skin or the eyes becoming yellowish in color (jaundice), and increased levels of liver enzymes.

Uncommon Side Effects

• There are a few very rare side effects of Pravastatin, all of which call for immediate medical attention, as they could produce serious consequences. These rare effects are sexual problems (like lowered sex drive), hair loss, vertigo, changes in taste, dry mouth, sleeplessness and erectile dysfunction.