Lipitor vs. Pravachol

• Are Lipitor and Pravachol the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Lipitor?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Pravachol?
• What is Lipitor?
• What is Pravachol?
• What Drugs Interact with Lipitor?
• What Drugs Interact with Pravachol?
• How Should Lipitor Be Taken?
• How Should Pravachol Be Taken?

Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Pravachol (pravastatin) are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors ("statins" used to treat elevated total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, and to elevate HDL cholesterol.

Side effects of Lipitor and Pravachol that are similar include diarrhea, nausea, headache, or muscle pain.

Side effects of Lipitor that are different from Pravachol include constipation, fatigue, gas, or heartburn.

Side effects of Pravachol that are different from Lipitor include vomiting, skin rash, dizziness, or abnormal liver tests.

Both Lipitor and Pravachol may interact with alcohol, antibiotics, or other cholesterol-lowering medications.

Common side effects of Lipitor include:

• constipation,
• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• fatigue,
• gas,
• heartburn,
• headache, and
• mild muscle pain.

Contact your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Lipitor including:

• muscle wasting and muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis),
• confusion or memory problems,
• fever,
• dark urine,
• increased thirst or hunger,
• drowsiness,
• loss of appetite, or
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).

Common side effects of Pravachol include:

• muscle tenderness or weakness,
• fever,
• tiredness,
• jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes),
• chest pain,
• dark urine,
• weight loss,
• confusion,
• memory problems,
• increased thirst, or
• clay-colored stools.

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a statin used for the treatment of elevated total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, and to elevate HDL cholesterol.

Pravachol (pravastatin) is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, also called a "statin," used to lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and death due to arteriosclerotic vascular disease. Pravachol is available as a generic. Common side effects of Pravachol include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, skin rash, dizziness, and abnormal liver tests.

Erythromycin (E-Mycin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), cyclosporine (Sandimmune), indinavir (Crixivan) and ritonavir (Norvir) decrease elimination of Lipitor. Lipitor increases the effect of warfarin (Coumadin) and cholestyramine (Questran) decreases the absorption of Lipitor. Lipitor should not be taken during pregnancy because the developing fetus requires cholesterol for development, and Lipitor reduces the production of cholesterol. Lipitor passes into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Breastfeeding while taking Lipitor is not recommended.

Drug interactions include cholestyramine, nicotinic acid, gemfibrozil, cholchicine and cyclosporine. Pravachol (pravastatin) should not be used during pregnancy. Breastfeeding mothers also should not use this drug because of the potential risk to nursing infants.

The recommended dose of Lipitor is 10-80 mg daily.

The usual dose of Pravachol (pravastatin) ranges from 10 mg to 80 mg daily.