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leflunomide vs pravastatin

Side-by-side comparison of leflunomide and pravastatin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

For other substrates of BCRP (e.g., mitoxantrone) and drugs in the OATP family (e.g., methotrexate, rifampin), especially HMG-Co reductase inhibitors (e.g., atorvastatin, nateglinide, pravastatin, repaglinide, and simvastatin), consider reducing the dose of these drugs and monitor patients closely for signs and symptoms of increased exposures to the drugs while patients are taking leflunomide [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].

Recommendation: Your doctor may lower your dose of pravastatin and will watch you for signs of increased side effects.

Drug Class
leflunomide Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD)
pravastatin HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin)
Type
leflunomide Prescription
pravastatin Prescription
Summary
leflunomide

Leflunomide is a drug that can help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. It works by slowing down the body's immune system.

pravastatin

Pravastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins.

What It Treats
leflunomide

Leflunomide treats active rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. This medicine can help reduce these symptoms.

pravastatin

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.

How It Works
leflunomide

Leflunomide is a pyrimidine synthesis inhibitor. This means it blocks a certain process in your body. By blocking this process, it can reduce inflammation and slow down the damage to your joints.

pravastatin

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.

Common Side Effects
leflunomide
  • Diarrhea
  • Respiratory infection
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Rash
pravastatin
  • Muscle pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
FAERS Reports
leflunomide
  • Rheumatoid arthritis 24,921
  • Pain 20,055
  • Joint pain 16,943
  • Swollen joint 15,567
  • Tiredness 15,384
pravastatin
  • Tiredness 1,261
  • Diarrhea 1,095
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 954
  • Shortness of breath 928
  • Headache 842
Serious Warnings
leflunomide

This drug can cause serious harm to an unborn baby. If you are pregnant or could become pregnant, you should not take this medicine. This drug can also cause serious liver problems. If you have liver problems, you should not take this medicine. Your doctor will monitor your liver with blood tests.

pravastatin

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.

Pregnancy
leflunomide

Do not take leflunomide if you are pregnant. It can cause birth defects. If you are breastfeeding, you should stop while taking this medicine.

pravastatin

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.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This leflunomide vs pravastatin Comparison

leflunomide is classified in the Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD) 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, leflunomide has 92,870 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 minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to leflunomide blocks certain proteins that move pravastatin through the body, which can increase the amount of the medicine in your blood.. 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 leflunomide 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.