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Heart Disease
Statins and Red Yeast Rice: A Dangerous Cocktail
Date: 25/10/11
Keywords: The Cholesterol Truth, Alternative medicine, Cholesterol, CoQ10, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Health, High Cholesterol, Statins
Studies of red yeast rice have indeed shown "impressive" cholesterol-lowering results, according to Prof Joe Dixon, an associate professor from the Centre for Lipid Research at Rutgers University, in the US. Dixon is also of the opinion that from all the different alternative products for lowering cholesterol, red yeast rice stands head and shoulders above the rest.
For instance, in one high-profile study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, 83 people with high cholesterol took either 2,400 milligrams of red yeast rice or a placebo every day for three months. At the end of the study, the group taking red yeast rice had, on average, cut about 50 points from their LDL 'bad' cholesterol — a reduction of about 20 per cent.
"I had been on Lipitor for quite a few years when I
noticed I was getting more tired and lethargic. I'm
normally one that goes bike riding, walking and do
home weight training. I went to my doctor with my
symptoms and she sent me to a specialist who basically
said there was nothing wrong with me and that it's all
in my head.
I mentioned to my doc about the side effects of Lipitor and she decided to put me on Simvastatin instead. Not knowing that it was just another cholesterol-lowering statin drug, I started taking Simvastatin.
After a couple of months, my symptoms were getting progressively worse. Thigh, calf and hip pain being the most predominant symptoms. My chiropractor suggested trying Red Yeast Rice Extract, which is also supposed to have a cholesterol-lowering effect. However, it did not help to alleviate the symptoms.
I have since read that Red Yeast Rice can cause similar symptoms to that of statin drugs. I had elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels too. Since stopping the statins approx. 6 weeks ago, my CPK levels have gone back to normal, but my aches and pains are still there. On some days, the pain is worse than when I was on the statins.
I can't exercise anymore. It feels like I have run a marathon when I've only just walked around the block. I have not touched weights either, just in case I breakdown the remaining muscle that I have left.
I'm really worried that I have Multiple Sclerosis or some other nasty disease instead. Or is it the statins?
I've just had a brain and neck MRI and am off to the neurologist tomorrow for results."
Brian – Comment left on The Healthier Life 18.10.11
Good but also bad
Brian's comment really touched me. I know he is not the only person out there who is on prescription medication, suffering from terrible side effects and not getting straight answers from his doctor. To add insult to injury, too many patients end up getting sent back and forth from doctor to specialist... like a ping-pong ball!
I do, however, commend the chiropractor who came up with a potential alternative solution for Brian (at least he did not tell him that his distressing symptoms were all in his head!). However, if he had done a little bit of homework he would've known that taking statins and red yeast rice at the same time is really a very bad idea.
Studies of red yeast rice have indeed shown "impressive" cholesterol-lowering results, according to Prof Joe Dixon, an associate professor from the Centre for Lipid Research at Rutgers University, in the US. Dixon is also of the opinion that from all the different alternative products for lowering cholesterol, red yeast rice stands head and shoulders above the rest.
For instance, in one high-profile study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, 83 people with high cholesterol took either 2,400 milligrams of red yeast rice or a placebo every day for three months. At the end of the study, the group taking red yeast rice had, on average, cut about 50 points from their LDL 'bad' cholesterol — a reduction of about 20 per cent.
A double dose of statins? No thanks!
However, a fungi growing on red yeast rice acts almost like a little pharmaceutical factory, by creating a natural supply of monacolin K, also known as lovastatin... Lovastatin is a bona fide statin drug that first hit the market under the name Mevacor and is now available as a generic drug.
In August 2008, the American Food and Drug administration (FDA) banned the sale of Cholestrix, a red yeast rice supplement, after concerns were raised about the high levels of lovastatin it contained. The FDA claims that some brands of red yeast rice have enough lovastatin to cross the line between nutritional supplement and unapproved drug.
Thomas Allison, a cholesterol expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, in the US, claims that patients using red yeast rice are effectively taking a statin and they face the same risks and side effects, including muscle pain...
So, much as Brian's chiropractor meant well, in effect his advice made him take a double-dose of statins!
Another known fact, is that statins increase your CPK levels. Higher-than-normal CPK levels are usually a sign of muscle injury or muscle stress as a result of muscle damage or rhabdomyolysis (one of the most distressing side effects of statins), as well as muscular dystrophy... These side effects can all be traced back to the use of statins!
My heart really goes out to Brian and I sincerely hope that not too much damage has been done. Luckily, he realised the root cause of his problem and hopefully he will explore other alternatives that promote heart-health like Olive Leaf Extract, Ubiquinol Coenzyme Q10 and Pycnogenol (an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree).
To read more about natural alternatives to help protect your heart and how the mainstream's set cholesterol guidelines reeks of conflicts of interest, click here:
Sources:
'Statin-free supplement? Not quite' published online 14.01.08, articles.latimes.com
Red Yeast Rice, published online, spacedoc.com
'CPK isoenzymes test' published online, nlm.nih.gov
Back to topI mentioned to my doc about the side effects of Lipitor and she decided to put me on Simvastatin instead. Not knowing that it was just another cholesterol-lowering statin drug, I started taking Simvastatin.
After a couple of months, my symptoms were getting progressively worse. Thigh, calf and hip pain being the most predominant symptoms. My chiropractor suggested trying Red Yeast Rice Extract, which is also supposed to have a cholesterol-lowering effect. However, it did not help to alleviate the symptoms.
I have since read that Red Yeast Rice can cause similar symptoms to that of statin drugs. I had elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels too. Since stopping the statins approx. 6 weeks ago, my CPK levels have gone back to normal, but my aches and pains are still there. On some days, the pain is worse than when I was on the statins.
I can't exercise anymore. It feels like I have run a marathon when I've only just walked around the block. I have not touched weights either, just in case I breakdown the remaining muscle that I have left.
I'm really worried that I have Multiple Sclerosis or some other nasty disease instead. Or is it the statins?
I've just had a brain and neck MRI and am off to the neurologist tomorrow for results."
Brian – Comment left on The Healthier Life 18.10.11
Good but also bad
Brian's comment really touched me. I know he is not the only person out there who is on prescription medication, suffering from terrible side effects and not getting straight answers from his doctor. To add insult to injury, too many patients end up getting sent back and forth from doctor to specialist... like a ping-pong ball!
I do, however, commend the chiropractor who came up with a potential alternative solution for Brian (at least he did not tell him that his distressing symptoms were all in his head!). However, if he had done a little bit of homework he would've known that taking statins and red yeast rice at the same time is really a very bad idea.
Studies of red yeast rice have indeed shown "impressive" cholesterol-lowering results, according to Prof Joe Dixon, an associate professor from the Centre for Lipid Research at Rutgers University, in the US. Dixon is also of the opinion that from all the different alternative products for lowering cholesterol, red yeast rice stands head and shoulders above the rest.
For instance, in one high-profile study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, 83 people with high cholesterol took either 2,400 milligrams of red yeast rice or a placebo every day for three months. At the end of the study, the group taking red yeast rice had, on average, cut about 50 points from their LDL 'bad' cholesterol — a reduction of about 20 per cent.
A double dose of statins? No thanks!
However, a fungi growing on red yeast rice acts almost like a little pharmaceutical factory, by creating a natural supply of monacolin K, also known as lovastatin... Lovastatin is a bona fide statin drug that first hit the market under the name Mevacor and is now available as a generic drug.
In August 2008, the American Food and Drug administration (FDA) banned the sale of Cholestrix, a red yeast rice supplement, after concerns were raised about the high levels of lovastatin it contained. The FDA claims that some brands of red yeast rice have enough lovastatin to cross the line between nutritional supplement and unapproved drug.
Thomas Allison, a cholesterol expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, in the US, claims that patients using red yeast rice are effectively taking a statin and they face the same risks and side effects, including muscle pain...
So, much as Brian's chiropractor meant well, in effect his advice made him take a double-dose of statins!
Another known fact, is that statins increase your CPK levels. Higher-than-normal CPK levels are usually a sign of muscle injury or muscle stress as a result of muscle damage or rhabdomyolysis (one of the most distressing side effects of statins), as well as muscular dystrophy... These side effects can all be traced back to the use of statins!
My heart really goes out to Brian and I sincerely hope that not too much damage has been done. Luckily, he realised the root cause of his problem and hopefully he will explore other alternatives that promote heart-health like Olive Leaf Extract, Ubiquinol Coenzyme Q10 and Pycnogenol (an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree).
To read more about natural alternatives to help protect your heart and how the mainstream's set cholesterol guidelines reeks of conflicts of interest, click here:
Sources:
'Statin-free supplement? Not quite' published online 14.01.08, articles.latimes.com
Red Yeast Rice, published online, spacedoc.com
'CPK isoenzymes test' published online, nlm.nih.gov
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