Pravachol Side Effects Include Muscle Breakdown and Liver Malfunction

Pravachol, which is the brand name for a medication called pravastatin, is one of many cholesterol lowering drugs on the market. These drugs, called statins, act to decrease cholesterol production in the liver, which lowers the risk of plaque development in the arteries. The problem is, along with lowering LDL, these drugs can cause some rather substantial side effects, including muscle breakdown, memory loss, kidney trouble and more.

It's important to understand that despite what doctors may advise, cholesterol medication is only necessary in extreme cases where other treatment options aren't successful. There are plenty of safer, natural options to try without any side effects whatsoever, before resorting to potentially harmful drugs.

Possible Side Effects of Pravachol

In addition to the common adverse reactions of headaches, nausea, stomach issues, fatigue, etc. that accompany most drugs, taking Pravachol can lead to some very serious health problems that can;t be ignored. According to the official prescribing information:

1. Rare cases of rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) with acute renal failure have been reported.
   
   
2. Statins have been linked to liver function abnormality.
   
   
3. While they interfere with cholesterol production, they may hamper adrenal or gonadal steroid hormone production.

Other potential side effects include changes in libido, swelling in the head and neck, vertigo, insomnia, taste changes and alopecia (hair loss), as well as a number of separate nervous system, gastrointestinal, renal and respiratory concerns.

Looking at recent information, in February of 2012 the FDA approved label changes with new warnings of myopathy (muscle breakdown) and liver failure, as well as new interactions with other common medications.

Although many of these potential problems are rare, they still exist, and as such you should be cognizant of them before you start taking Pravachol or any other statin. Also, there are alternatives, including natural supplements, dietary changes, even exercise, all of which can have a marked effect on your body's cholesterol levels.

A Natural Alternative to Pravachol

Fortunately, there is a natural alternative to Pravachol. The best part about it is there are no known side effects and some studies have shown these nutrients to outperform statins. So you can avoid possible Pravachol side effects.

Following are natural cholesterol lowering nutrients:

Policosanol - An extract from sugar cane which has been through more trials than most pharmaceutical drugs. It has been proven to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

Guggulipid Extract - An ancient Indian herb that has been shown to lower serum cholesterol as well as lower triglycerides, something that statin drugs don’t do. High triglyceride levels thicken your blood which could lead to blockage, a precursor of heart disease and stroke.

Tumeric Extract - An anti-inflammatory liver protectant that may help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Green Tea Extract - A powerful antioxidant, green tea has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol as well as help fight off disease and cancer.

Chromium Polyniconate - this organic version of chromium can help lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as raise HDL (good) cholesterol.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) - in high dosages niacin has been shown to help reduce total cholesterol levels.

Should you take all of these herbs, vitamins and minerals separately or together in one comprehensive formula?

We recommend that you take these nutrients together if possible for many reasons:

1. Taking each herb, vitamin and mineral separately could prove very costly since you would have to buy a number of different individual products.
   
   
2. Mixing and matching nutrients on your own could be dangerous to your health.
   
   
3. These nutrients have to be perfectly balanced in order to be effective.

What are the advantages to using natural cholesterol lowering ingredients?

1. When you lower cholesterol naturally rather than take prescription medications you can avoid the many side effects of Pravachol, Lipitor and similar drugs.
   
   
2. Natural ingredients can not only lower LDL cholesterol levels, but also increase the good HDL cholesterol which is important for cleaning out LDL in your body. Cholesterol medications do not help with HDL levels.
   
   
3. With natural ingredients you can lower your cholesterol and also improve the health of your heart and other body systems at the same time.

An Ideal Cholesterol Lowering Formula

We have found a comprehensive cholesterol lowering product that we believe is ideal. It contains all of the natural cholesterol lowering herbs and nutrients we mention above in a perfectly balanced formula.

We researched the company that makes this natural formula and have found that they adhere to strict GMP compliance, which are the highest manufacturing standards in the world. This ensures the quality and effectiveness of the ingredients.

Also, they only use standardized herbal extracts, the purest herbal extracts with the highest potency and therapeutic benefits.

It contains a synergistic blend of cholesterol lowering herbs and minerals along with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help lower cholesterol naturally as well as promote general well-being and health.

The product is a special cholesterol lowering formula with ingredients that can lower LDL levels and raise good HDL levels.

This natural product costs a lot less than prescription medications. In hundreds of professional clinical trials the ingredients have outperformed statin drugs in lowering overall cholesterol.

We also found a product that works in conjunction with the cholesterol lowering formula called Total Balance which acts to improve heart health as well as promote general well-being.

Several of our editors as well as our visitors have had success with the cholesterol lowering formula and Total Balance. Some of our editors started taking the formula last year to avoid the possible Pravachol side effects. They have been quite pleased with the results so far, and have not experienced any side effects at all.

<p>As with all health supplements, results vary from person to person so be sure to consult your physician or qualified medical professional before taking any natural alternative to avoid Pravachol side effects or any other cholesterol lowering medication.

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