Pravastatin Sodium
Pravastatin sodium is a statin, and is generally prescribed to people with high levels of LDL in their blood. However, it’s important to know that pravastatin and other cholesterol-lowering medications aren’t a substitute for a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet.
Pravastatin is only ever given to patients when exercise and a healthy diet have failed to improve cholesterol levels, and the risk of heart attack and stroke remains high. Cholesterol lowering drugs should always be used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle so that they can work to their full potential.
Is Pravastatin safe?
The NHS website states that pravastatin is “a very safe medicine”. Most people are able to take it without any ill effects and find that it improves their condition, helping them to live a healthier life. However, as it’s a prescription medicine, it might be dangerous for some people with certain conditions.
Before you buy pravastatin online, you should check if you fall into any of the categories below, as it might not be suitable for you. Always ask the advice of your doctor before starting a new medicine, especially if you have other conditions that might increase your risk of adverse reactions.
People that should avoid pravastatin and speak to their GP before buying it online include those with/that are:
• Liver disease
• Allergic to pravastatin or its ingredients
• Pregnant or breast feeding
• Trying to conceive
• Increased liver enzymes in the blood
• Kidney disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Alcohol problems
• Personal or family history of hereditary muscle disorder
• Muscular side effects with other cholesterol treatments
• Taking fusidic acid
• Severe respiratory failure
The most important thing is your health, and if your doctor thinks that pravastatin could negatively impact other conditions you might have, they might not want to prescribe it to you. Always take your doctor’s advice and look at all other available treatments before making a decision.
How do statins work?
The ultimate goal of taking statins is to lower the amount of LDL cholesterol in your blood. LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries, making it more difficult for blood to flow properly and putting you at risk of heart attack, stroke, and even certain blood vessel diseases.
Statins help to stop your liver from producing the LDL cholesterol, therefore lowering levels of it in your blood and helping the “good” HDL cholesterol levels to rise (which helps to clear the arteries of any fat that might have built up).
Statins such as pravastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin work by blocking a certain enzyme, called HGM-CoA-reductase, which is responsible for the production of cholesterol. By blocking this enzyme, the liver isn’t able to produce as many low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol), and your levels should drop to a healthy amount.
Statins are generally taken on a long-term basis, as without them, LDL levels will rise again and your risk of heart attack and stroke will increase with them.
What not to take with pravastatin
Pravastatin is a widely used medicine for the treatment of high cholesterol and the prevention of certain blood vessel diseases, but it still has the potential to interact with certain other medications.
Whilst most people can take pravastatin without having to adjust their other medicines, you should speak to your GP or local pharmacist if you take any of the other treatments on the list below:
Fibrates
Ciclosporin
Erythromycin
Clarithromycin
Nicotinic acid
Colestyramine
Colestipol
Anticoagulants
Diltiazem
Verapamil
Itraconazole
Ketoconazole
Protease inhibitors
Fluconazole
Vitamine K antagonists
Fusidic acid
There are also some warnings about taking pravastatin if you regularly drink grapefruit juice. If you’re concerned about this, you should speak to your local pharmacist about the effects that grapefruit juice might have on pravastatin.
Pravastatin side effects
As mentioned earlier, the NHS website states that pravastatin is a “very safe medicine” and that it’s not common to experience any side effects. However, as it’s a prescription medicine, there’s always a potential that you might notice some symptoms whilst taking pravastatin.
Because most people don’t notice any adverse or unwanted effects, it’s advised that you inform your doctor if you do experience any of the following symptoms:
Dizziness
Insomnia
Headaches
Sleep disturbances
Vision disturbances
Dyspepsia
Abdominal pain
Nausea/vomiting
constipation
Diarrhoea
Flatulence
Skin reactions
Disturbed sexual function
Abnormal urination
Scalp and hair problems
Fatigue
Nightmares
Memory loss
Depression
Constant muscle weakness
Breathing issues
Pancreatitis
Inflammatory autoimmune disorder
Increase in transaminases
As with any medicine, if the side effects outweigh the benefits of the treatment, you should talk to your doctor about alternative treatments that might suit you better. Never stop taking pravastatin without your GP’s advice, even if you feel better, as this could be because the drug is working.
Some side effects are more serious than others, and require urgent treatment. Whilst these are incredibly rare, it’s still important to know about them so you’re able to recognise them if they do happen. If you experience any of the following, you should seek immediate medical help and state that you may be having an adverse reaction to pravastatin:
• Allergic reaction
• Problems with sense of touch
• Muscle wasting or inflammation
• Tendon disorders
• Jaundice
• Hepatitis
Does pravastatin cause constipation?
Constipation can be a side effect of pravastatin. Whilst a majority of people find that they don’t have any bowel issues whilst taking the drug, there are certain things you can do if you find that you’re experiencing constipation.
You should always tell your GP about any changes in bowel habits anyway, but you can also visit your local pharmacy to ask about treatments for constipation. There are various medicines you can take to make your stools softer and easier to pass, including lactulose and senna, along with other laxatives.
Alternatively, your doctor might want to try you on a different cholesterol lowering drug to see if it improves your stools.
Pravasatin dosage
The recommended dose for treatment of high cholesterol is 10-40mg a day. This usually equates to one tablet a day in whichever dose you’ve been prescribed. it’s a good idea to ask your GP’s advice on how much of the drug you’ll need to take for your condition before you buy pravastatin online.
It’s generally recommended that you take pravastatin in the evening. This is because the liver tends to produce most of your body’s cholesterol at night, so taking it in the evening allows pravastatin to work to its full potential and block as much of the “bad” LDL cholesterol as possible.
Another benefit of taking pravastatin at night means that you’re less likely to suffer from side effects, as you’ll be asleep for most of the time that the drug is working.
Pravastatin can be taken with or without food, whichever you prefer, but you should always swallow tablets with a glass of water to prevent them becoming lodged in the windpipe and causing irritation.
Buy pravastatin online
It’s now possible to buy pravastatin online from reputable websites such as Doctor4U. There’s no need for a face-to-face appointment, you just need to complete a consultation form for your condition at a time and place that suits you.
If you do decide to buy pravastatin online from us, your consultation form will be sent to one of our GMC-registered doctors who’ll be able to review your answers and decide whether pravastatin is right for you. If it is, your order will be approved, and your treatment will be shipped to your door from our partner pharmacy.
It’s fast, safe, easy and discreet to buy pravastatin online. If you have any further questions about the ordering process, please contact our customer service team.
Advice on Addiction and Medication Restrictions
If you are at all worried or concerned about an addiction to any type of medication, we urge you to speak to a professional for help and advice. Below are links to organisations that can help.
Talk To Frank
NHS Help & Advice On Drug Addiction