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.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with pravastatin. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of pravastatin side effects with you.)
Common Side Effects of Pravastatin
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. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group 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
- Headache -- up to 6.2 percent
- Diarrhea -- up to 6.2 percent
- Unexplained rash -- up to 4 percent
- Constipation -- up to 4 percent
- Fatigue -- up to 3.8 percent
- Dizziness -- up to 3.3 percent
- Gas -- up to 3.3 percent
- Indigestion or heartburn -- up to 3.5 percent
- Muscle pain, known medically as myalgia -- up to 2.7 percent (see Pravachol and Muscle Pain)
- Flu -- up to 2.4 percent.
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:
- Pain, including stomach pain
- Joint pain (see Pravachol and Joint Pain)
- Muscle cramps
- Vision problems, including blurred or double vision.
