What are the disadvantages of taking 80mg of pravachol instead of just 40mg as doctor prescribed?

Answer 1

Taking more pravastatin than prescribed will not necessarily intensify the effects on your cholesterol. However, it will put you at risk for two very potentially harmful situations. First, statin drugs may potentially damage your liver. This is one reason that your doctor requires (or should) that you periodically have blood work done - to monitor your liver enzymes. Taking more than what has been prescribed will not make the medication work faster and can be destructive. Secondly, these drugs have been associated with rhabdomyolysis, which is a serious condition involving byproducts of muscle wasting which are toxic to the kidney. While this is a rare situation, taking more medication than necessary increases your risk for this condition.