gemfibrozil vs pravastatin
Side-by-side comparison of gemfibrozil and pravastatin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
7.4 Gemfibrozil Due to an increased risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis when HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are coadministered with gemfibrozil, concomitant administration of Pravastatin Sodium with gemfibrozil should be avoided [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. 7.4 Gemfibrozil Due to an increased risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis when HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are coadministered with gemfibrozil, concomitant administration of Pravastatin Sodium with gemfibrozil should be avoided [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Recommendation: You should avoid taking these two medications together. Talk to your doctor about alternative treatment options.
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Pravachol
Gemfibrozil is a medicine that helps lower high triglyceride levels in your blood. It can also help reduce the risk of heart disease in some people.
Pravastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins.
This medicine is used to treat very high triglyceride levels in adults when diet alone doesn't work. High triglycerides can increase your risk of pancreatitis. Gemfibrozil can also lower the risk of heart disease in some people with specific cholesterol problems.
Pravastatin helps lower bad cholesterol and fats (like triglycerides) in your blood, while raising good cholesterol. It can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries. It is used along with a healthy diet to treat high cholesterol and other fat disorders in adults and children 8 years and older.
Gemfibrozil belongs to a class of drugs called fibrates. It works by decreasing the amount of triglycerides your body makes. It also helps to increase HDL (good) cholesterol.
Pravastatin works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Lowering cholesterol helps to prevent heart disease and stroke.
- • Upset stomach
- • Indigestion
- • Abdominal pain
- • Muscle pain
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- Feeling sick to your stomach 882
- Feeling tired 826
- Loose stools 726
- Aches 692
- Feeling lightheaded 617
- Tiredness 1,261
- Diarrhea 1,095
- Feeling sick to your stomach 954
- Shortness of breath 928
- Headache 842
This medicine may increase your risk of gallbladder problems, including the need for surgery. Before taking gemfibrozil, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. You should not take this medicine with simvastatin, repaglinide, dasabuvir, or selexipag.
Pravastatin can sometimes cause muscle problems, including muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. In rare cases, this can lead to serious muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney failure. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. This medicine can also cause liver problems. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking pravastatin and if you have any symptoms of liver problems.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if gemfibrozil can harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if gemfibrozil passes into breast milk.
You should not take pravastatin if you are pregnant. It can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking pravastatin, stop taking it right away and tell your doctor.
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How to Read This gemfibrozil vs pravastatin Comparison
gemfibrozil is classified in the Fibrate drug class, while pravastatin sits within the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, gemfibrozil has 3,743 submissions while pravastatin has 5,080. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to using these medications at the same time significantly raises the risk of serious muscle injury and breakdown.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between gemfibrozil and pravastatin - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.