The Link Between Pravastatin & Muscle Spasms

Pravastatin, which is also sold under the brand name Pravachol, is a medication that is prescribed for lowering cholesterol. As with any prescription medication, there are side effects and risks associated with it. Although rare, some people might experience muscle problems like weakness, pain or spasm. If this does occur, you need to consult with your doctor immediately to determine whether you should stop taking the medication.

Definition

• Pravastatin is a class of lipid-lowering drugs often called "statins." Other statin drugs include Crestor or Lipitor. Prevastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase (rate-controlling enzyme) inhibitor, which means that it effectively slows down the use of cholesterol by the body. It prohibits the conversion of HMG-coA to mevalonate. By taking it orally, you can effectively lower total cholesterol.

Benefits

• Pravastatin is used to lower cholesterol and help reduce your risk of heart disease. It can be prescribed for those who have plaque buildup in their arteries, inflammation and a history of heart attacks, according to Stacy Freiss, a pharmacist at The Medicine Shoppe in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She said she believes that it is effective for reducing cholesterol, but not as effective as Lipitor or Crestor. However, for those who cannot tolerate other statin drugs or who do not need to lower their cholesterol as drastically, pravastatin is a good option.

Side Effects

• Typically, the side effects from this medication are headache and heartburn, according to Medline Plus sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. More serious side effects include: fever, reduction in energy, nausea, appetite loss, muscle pain or weakness, hives, itching, achiness, hoarseness, difficulty breathing and more. Muscle spasm is not as common as muscle pain or weakness, according to Freiss.

Muscle Spasms

• A muscle spasm is when your skeletal muscle(s) contracts on its own without your control. All of the statin drugs have the potential to cause muscle symptoms, according to Freiss. Pravastatin can contribute to a serious medical condition in which skeletal muscle tissue is damaged, according to Cigna. This can ultimately lead to kidney failure. The symptoms can be muscle pain, weakness, spasm, fever, flu-like body aches or abnormally-colored urine (dark). Rhabdomyolysis, the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, can also occur.

Statin Drugs and Muscle Symptoms

• There is a link between statin drugs and muscle pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. High doses of them can cause statin myopathy. With this condition, your muscles are affected by pain and tenderness. Once you stop taking the statin drug, this condition should clear up in several weeks. On the other hand, continued use of statin drugs can cause the more serious condition - rhabdomyolysis. According to Freiss, pravastatin is the least likely of the statin drugs to cause muscular side effects.