Drug interactions
Niacin + Pravastatin
Severity: Moderate
Niacin and Pravastatin: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Lipid-lowering doses of niacin with pravastatin may increase the risk of myopathy and, rarely, rhabdomyolysis. The risk is greater in the elderly and those with renal impairment.
What this interaction means in plain words
Niacin and Pravastatin can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Niacin belongs to Cardiovascular; Pravastatin belongs to Cardiovascular.
Why it happens
Additive myotoxicity, with an incompletely understood mechanism.
What to do
Use the lowest effective doses and counsel patients to report muscle pain, weakness or dark urine. Check CK and renal function if symptoms develop.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Pravastatin
Other interactions of Niacin
- Alogliptin-metformin + Niacin Moderate
- Atorvastatin + Niacin Moderate
- Canagliflozin-metformin + Niacin Moderate
- Cholestyramine + Niacin Moderate
- Colestipol + Niacin Moderate
- Dapagliflozin-metformin + Niacin Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Niacin with Pravastatin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Niacin and Pravastatin can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Lipid-lowering doses of niacin with pravastatin may increase the risk of myopathy and, rarely, rhabdomyolysis. The risk is greater in the elderly and those with renal impairment.
How serious is the interaction between Niacin and Pravastatin?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use the lowest effective doses and counsel patients to report muscle pain, weakness or dark urine. Check CK and renal function if symptoms develop.
What other medicines interact with Pravastatin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Pravastatin with, for example, Cyclosporine, Cyclosporin, Gemfibrozil. The full list is on the Pravastatin page.
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