Pravastatin Side Effects

Common side effects of pravastatin include indigestion or heartburn, flu, fatigue, and gas. While most pravastatin side effects are generally minor and do not require medical attention, there are also a number of potential side effects that should be reported immediately to a healthcare professional. These more serious side effects include unexplained muscle pain, nausea or vomiting, and unexplained rash.

 

Pravastatin Side Effects: An Introduction

As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with Pravastatin tablets ("pravastatin"), but not everyone who takes the medication will develop problems. In fact, most people tolerate pravastatin well. When side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor, meaning they require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or a healthcare professional. In previous research studies, up to 1.7 percent of people taking pravastatin stopped their medicine because of side effects.
 
If you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while taking pravastatin (especially if you also have a fever or feel ill), it is important to contact your healthcare provider immediately.
 
(The side effects discussed below are not a complete list of side effects reported with pravastatin. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of pravastatin side effects with you.)
 

Common Pravastatin Side Effects

Pravastatin has been studied extensively in clinical trials, with thousands of people having been evaluated.
 In these studies, side effects are always documented and compared to side effects that occur in a similar group of people not taking the medicine. Based on these studies, the most common side effects of pravastatin include:
 
  • Nausea and vomiting -- up to 7.3 percent of people
  • Common cold -- up to 7 percent of people
  • Headache -- up to 6.2 percent of people
  • Diarrhea -- up to 6.2 percent of people
  • Unexplained rash -- up to 4 percent of people
  • Constipation -- up to 4 percent
  • Fatigue -- up to 3.4 percent of people
  • Gas -- up to 3.3 percent of people
  • Indigestion or heartburn -- up to 3.5 percent of people
  • Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 2.7 percent of people (see Pravachol and Muscle Pain)
  • Flu -- up to 2.4 percent of people.
     
The pravastatin side effects mentioned below also occurred in more than 1 percent of people, and more often in the group taking pravastatin. These side effects included, but were not limited to:
 
(Pravastatin Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;