FDA Warns on Statins

[Celebration]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203833004577251392001194250.html

The Food and Drug Administration raised safety concerns about the popular class of cholesterol-fighting drugs called statins, warning that patients taking the drugs may face a "small increased risk" of higher blood sugar levels and of being diagnosed with diabetes.

The federal safety agency said Tuesday it plans to add the diabetes-risk language to the "warnings and precautions" sections of labeling for the statin drugs. The drugs that will get the warning include top-selling brand names such as Lipitor, Lescol, Pravachol, Crestor, Mevacor, Altoprev, Livalo and Zocor. Under these and a range of generic names, the drugs have been taken for years by tens of millions of people to prevent heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

snip..............................................

In addition, the FDA said that labels for statin drugs now will contain information about patients experiencing memory loss and confusion, though this side effect was classified as an "adverse reaction" rather than being put in the more serious warnings and precautions category.

Dr. Amy Egan, the FDA's deputy director for safety of metabolic and endocrinological products, said "these cognitive changes can be quite dramatic" and "sustained," but that they do disappear when statin therapy is stopped. She cautioned that the agency isn't able to identify a specific drug or age group of people who might be prone to such cases of memory loss and confusion, but that patients should notify their doctors if such symptoms occur.

[Xipe Totec]

1. Man, that explains a lot!

I thought I was losing my memory because I was getting old. Then I started exercising, lost weight (a lot), got taken off of statins, and my memory improved again. Never occurred to me that it might have been the drugs...

[Walk away]

2. I almosted ended up in the hospital taking statins....

That got me on the treadmill and eating salmon PDQ!

[Historic NY]

14. Me too along with more joint pain...

I'd know the answer but couldn't get it out sometimes...not good. Its was frustrating especially if I was giving a lecture or talk.

I've been off Lipitor for a couple years now things have improved and my blood numbers are better or the same.

[roguevalley]

50. you and me both. I am making an appointment tomorrow. this blows me away. I suddenly get

diabetes and tired legs not to mention memory loss. God, I hate drug companies for the shit they do.

[meow2u3]

74. It sure does

I take Zocor, and since I've taken it, my mind goes blank and my blood sugar has been going up.

Do I have to choose between high cholesterol and high blood sugar?

[trumad]

3. I had major muscle ache due to the side effects of Statins.

Much better after I got off them.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. the dangers of muscle damage has not been addressed by FDA, I see.

but I heard about it years ago.
Mr dixie refused statins for a minor uptick in his cholesterol levels.

[elias7]

16. It certainly has been, though perhaps not in this article.

they most absolutely have and every doc who prescribes a statin monitors for liver function test abnormalities and myositis (muscle inflammation) which is reversible, by the way.

[still_one]

21. Absolutely correct. Statins are NOT for everyone, but they are livesavers for many people /nt

[sendero]

43. It's not reversible..

.. if you are dead, and many people have died from side effects of statins.

[truedelphi]

9. So sad to hear that. I would have gone on statins, if not for a huge

Discussion here at DU circa 2009. Out of 350 posts, about 45 different DU members had "anecdotal" accounts of close relatives ending up with ALS, and even after getting off the statins, these relatives did not improve.

I now have a few books in my possession, and several pamphlets, all warning about how:

1) there has never been shown any real incidence of health improvement after taking statins (Notice even the commercials for statins say you must change your diet and you must start to exercise to experience any improvement in your health!)

2) many times, as was in my case, they are being recommended to people whose cholesterol levels are near normal. Once a woman goes through menopause, it is perfectly natural for her to have cholesterol levels in the mid one fifties to one sixty. (As is my case.) The risk of complications, including what the commercials call "muscle weakness," a very nice turn of phrasing for the seriousness of ALS, is not warranted by having statins to "help" a person with the cholesterol readings not even being close to 200.

3) Cholesterol and heart disease - where is the evidence? The Danish people have very high rates of cholesterol, but don't have anywhere near the heart disease that Americans face. In part, when you visit Scandinavia, you realize how many older people bike everywhere. But there are other things in place, including that the Sandinavians eat a lot of fish, which is of course, not as polluted with toxins as our Gulf of Mexico fish.

[still_one]

22. Strange ALS has been around even before statins. As for Danish people have high rates of

cholesterol it all depends if it is HDL or LDL

A person can have a high cholesterol with an HDL of 100, and most likely will NOT have heart disease

As far as your evidence, are there clinical trials you have to point to. For example:

"Statin therapy is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as part of the management strategy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for adults who have a 20% or greater 10-year risk of developing CVD [NICE, 2008a]. This recommendation is based on results from two meta-analyses undertaken by NICE which found that for primary prevention, relative to placebo, statin therapy is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), stable angina, and a composite endpoint of coronary heart disease (CHD) death plus non-fatal MI. "

Because a statin is not right for someone, does NOT mean it is not right for everyone

Statin's at least in this country are not given without a prescription. There is a reason for that

[arikara]

60. The number of people that they actually help are far lower

than the drug companies would have you believe though.

...the drugs can be life-saving in patients who already have suffered heart attacks, somewhat reducing the chances of a recurrence that could lead to an early death. But Wright had a surprise when he looked at the data for the majority of patients, like Winn, who don't have heart disease. He found no benefit in people over the age of 65, no matter how much their cholesterol declines, and no benefit in women of any age. He did see a small reduction in the number of heart attacks for middle-aged men taking statins in clinical trials. But even for these men, there was no overall reduction in total deaths or illnesses requiring hospitalization—despite big reductions in "bad" cholesterol. "Most people are taking something with no chance of benefit and a risk of harm,..."

and they break it down to numbers

...Now do some simple math. The numbers in that sentence mean that for every 100 people in the trial, which lasted 3 1/3 years, three people on placebos and two people on Lipitor had heart attacks. The difference credited to the drug? One fewer heart attack per 100 people. So to spare one person a heart attack, 100 people had to take Lipitor for more than three years. The other 99 got no measurable benefit. Or to put it in terms of a little-known but useful statistic, the number needed to treat (or NNT) for one person to benefit is 100. ...

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_04/b4068052092994.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5

Now, how many bad side effects are those 99 people that don't even need those pills experiencing? I know several people who have had memory loss, muscle pains and increased blood sugar and have been on those drugs. I watched a vibrant lovely active woman of 80 quickly lose her memory after being put on those pills and she would not stop taking them because doctor is God. It is heartbreaking.

[Snake Alchemist]

65. Yes, once your cholesterol has built up over a lifetime these meds will be of little help. nt

[lupulin]

4. Memory loss

I have several elderly relatives taking these. They forget the names of common every day things and they are otherwise mentally healthy.

[Gore1FL]

6. I forgot entire days on simvastatin.

I took myself off of it.

[dmallind]

11. Funny. Been on them for years and I am a fairly serious money-winning trivia fanatic

... a pastime that relies exclusively on memory and speed of recall. YMMV obviously. That "small risk" part is there for a reason I suppose.

[Gore1FL]

47. Long term memory was fine for me

Short term was out the window.

[mrfocus]

5. Statins are not only totally useless for most people, but carry significant side effects

Check out "The Cholesterol Delusion" by Ernest Curtis, M.D.
"Approximately one-half of the adult population of the United States are being told that they harbor within their bodies a silent killer. This "killer" is cholesterol. Millions are prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs making these pills the most prescribed (and most profitable) medications in the history of American medicine. They are told that these drugs will protect them from the ravages of heart disease. This is patently untrue and can be easily demonstrated by critical analysis of the data presented in the very medical studies that purport to show their benefit.

The cholesterol mania that has gripped the country and dominated mainstream medical thought for the past 40 years is based on widespread acceptance of a set of closely related theories variously called the Cholesterol Theory, the Lipid Hypothesis, or the Diet-Heart Theory.

The Cholesterol Delusion systematically refutes these prevailing theories that link diet and blood cholesterol levels to coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

The Cholesterol Delusion traces the development of these theories from their origins and shows that each step in their evolution was based on faulty evidence and unscientific reasoning. The book then takes it one step further and attacks the very foundation of the "risk factor" paradigm that has dominated cardiovascular research in particular and much of medical research in general for the past 50 years.

Written in plain language for the intelligent layman, the arguments are presented in a way that can be easily understood by readers with a limited medical or technical background. The Cholesterol Delusion is must reading for anyone that has been told they have elevated cholesterol levels and/or must take medication to lower them."

[elias7]

19. this is misinformation

Kind of like the global warming debate. One guy tells you what you want to hear-- that global warming isn't happening-- and that's who you believe.

Every drug carries the potential for significant side effects. If you get them, you stop the drug. >95% of people who take statins do not have the "significant side effects" you claim, and therefore can derive the benefits, which are not "totally useless" as you also claim. A 30-40% reduction in total cholesterol and coronary artery plaque stabilization are chief benefits, which have demonstrably saved myocardium and saved lives, and is part of the reason why more people are living healthy lives into their 90's and beyond these days.

If you want to explore a delusion, try looking at the herbal/probiotic/naturopathic industry, which is a snake oil scam for the ages.

[still_one]

29. It is a question of risk verses reward, and there are those who absolutely should be on a statin /nt

[Jack from Charlotte]

31. Additionally, I recall a very large VA study concluding Life Expectancy soars with statin use....

something north of 2 years longer life for stain users vs non users.

RE side effects.... I read many who say something like this..... I went on statins and my joints started to hurt so statins.... CAUSED my joints to hurt. Maybe.... but maybe your joints hurt because your older.

Hard to link cause and effect. Very hard.

[ginnyinWI]

48. side effects can be real.

Was on Simvastatin for 4.5 years and had a continuing complaint that my muscles would become strained and sore very easily. Went off the drug as a trial, and sore muscles went away.

Cholesterol went back up, so am now trying the older statin, Pravastatin and at a lower dose. So far, so good--I am two months in.

[arikara]

61. See link at post 60 above

which was not written by any as you term it snake oil scam.

I feel the same way about the pharma community btw, they know how to manipulate data in fraudulent ways better than anyone, and they have the money to make it look good. Somebody selling herbs sure can't afford to buy off all those politicians, universities and doctors and spend multimillions on advertising them.

[truedelphi]

20. Thank you for letting people know about this book.

And for anyone who isn't convinced of their dangers, there are more and more studies coming out that seem to indicate it is wise to take CoQ 10 along with your statins,a s part of the damage that is done to the body seems to come about by the statins depleting the body of this enzyme.

Here is one such study:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w02/coenzymeq10.html

[still_one]

24. Funny but I could provide you double blind studies that do not agree with that assessement /nt

[andym]

7. Our brain needs cholesterol to function

Statins lower cholesterol, which can be beneficial to our blood vessels, but may be more problematic for our brain.

[BadgerKid]

40. +1.

Words taken out of my mouth.

IIRC, statins are supposed to interfere with cholesterol synthesis pathway. Too low of a cholesterol level (or, too high of a statin dosage), would seem problematic for people in general.

Because of the approval hoops that pharma has to jump through, you would think that information is sitting in their data.

[elleng]

10. Thanks for this.

Getting blood test this week, so doc can decide about correct dosage. As this test is upcoming, have been more conscientious about taking the stuff. MEMORY ISSUES have arisen, and worried me. I'm old enough to be pre-dementia, so wondering wondering wondering.

Will ask doc about this, when I see him.

[drokhole]

12. And yet, the author of "End of Illness" proclaims everyone over 50 should be on statins...

...can't believe its been selling so well (even though its been getting blasted on Amazon). From one of the nation's most highly regarded doctors, mind you. If you want a better book, whose advice actually helps to achieve better LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, Wheat Belly is worth a read (and has led to amazing health turnarounds for people in more respects than one):
http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330460279&sr=1-1

[lunasun]

46. Thanks so much will check it out

Dont need to lose weight and no high lipids but I have been looking for ways to cut wheat more as my diet changes with age so i stay healthy.
Your mention came at the right time as i was looking for some reference book !!!

[drokhole]

59. My pleasure!

It's a breeze to read, thanks in part to the doctor's lively sense of humor. I had been familiar with some of the material before, but this book was the most comprehensive by far and really drove the point home. I had already cut back my wheat/grain consumption for some time, but this book convinced me to drop it completely (and I have been wheat/grain free ever since). Here's another article worth reading in addition to the book:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/page/opening-pandoras-bread-box-critical-role-wheat-lectin-human-disease

Hope you enjoy the book!

[lunasun]

76. article worth reading

Thank you. I have already started down this path .
I can go about 3 weeks then I want something for a day or two = habit !!!

[Peace Patriot]

13. Muscle cramps = statins. Take CoQ-10 vitamin supplement.

I began taking 200 mg/day of CoQ-10 with the statin drug and cramps went away. (Cramps were pretty bad. The CoQ-10 quite dramatically eliminated the cramps.)

I read that Canada REQUIRES a combined pill--statin and CoQ-10. Why our gov't doesn't require it is beyond me (Big Pharma?).

CoQ-10 is a 'harmless' vitamin supplement like Vitamin C--you excrete any excess. It re-supplies the muscles with an essential product of the cells that energizes muscles. (The statin drugs deplete your store of this cell product.)

I've read some of the reports that the statin drugs do not prevent heart attacks and I'm naturally suspicious of Big Pharma. However, as a total non-expert, I would never advise someone with high bad cholesterol levels not to take statins or to get off them. That is an individual decision that you must base on your own research, medical advice and on how these drugs affect you. I would urge you to look into the matter, get 2nd and 3rd opinions, look at alternatives and consider lifestyle changes. Also, getting off statins (if you are on them) can have side effects. Look into that as well and don't do it abruptly. I'm not considering it, at present, so I don't know what the withdrawal side effects are, nor what the remedies for that may be.

As for memory loss? I don't know. Can't remember what that's about. (Heh-heh.) HOWEVER, the 3-Omegas (fish oil) reportedly aid brain functions including memory. Take fish oil (very good for you) and see if your brain functions improve. (I don't know if you can O.D. on fish oil. I think not--but not sure.)

[RebelOne]

18. I take CoQ-10 daily

along with Biotin, Vitamin B-12, bone mea and Omega 3.

[still_one]

26. It is all a question of risk verses reward. You are taking a sensible approach, and yes, CoQ-10 is

a good idea.

Enough studies have shown if a person is in a certain high risk category, statins are life savers.

Not for everyone, but definitely for some

[arikara]

63. Unfortunately it is not true that Canada requires a combined pill

our people are on the same statins here as you... lipitor, pravastatin, crestor and the rest. Some people and their doctors know to take the coQ and others don't. CoQ10 is expensive and the statins are too so many can't afford both.

[Greybnk48]

15. I've tried Lipitor, crestor, lovastatin and zocor and

they all made me feel horrible. They elevated my blood sugar, I had brain fog and memory loss and my muscles began to atrophy on Crestor which is when my Doc said enough. I don't take anything now and I'm fine, finally. My cholesterol is around 200.

[still_one]

27. What is your LDL and HDL along with your C-reactive protein. cholesterol is not enough to tell

anything, you need other factors to determine your risk

[flpoljunkie]

35. Here's a link to a Cholesterol HDL, LDL, Triglycerides Ratio/Risk Calculator.

http://www.hughchou.org/calc/chol.php

[FlaGranny]

54. Many doctors concentrate

on total cholesterol. My husband has a total cholesterol of 220 but his ratio is in the very low risk range. I don't know what his C-reactive protein is or if it has been tested. Every doctor he's had for the last 15 years tries to get him to take cholesterol-lowering medication. After a stint on one of them he developed severe muscle problems, which took a month to clear up after he stopped. He now refuses to take any of the cholesterol meds, but does take red yeast rice at one of his physician's recommendation. There hasn't been much change in his total cholesterol, but to tell you the truth I'm really not worried much because of his ratio and very high HDL.

[Harriety]

17. We need to get back to good routine of low fat diet and excerise.

So far I haven't had to be on them but I know that staying on a good balanced diet has helped me even though heart disease and high cholesterol runs in my family. When my mom was first told about her high cholesterol many years ago the first thing her doctor did was put her on a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Now the first thing a doctor tells people is they need to be on statins. I think we to get back to what they did before. My mom was OK, and my cholesterol was kept in check by eating right and exercising.

[nobodyspecial]

23. A majority of people do not need the drugs

if they lose weight, switch to a mostly plant-based diet and exercise moderately every day, such as a brisk 30-minute walk.

There is a small percentage of people who will still need help after doing all this because of their genes or body chemistry.

But, more often, people just pop a pill and continue to eat meat, fast food and sit on the couch. I hope this new warning will wake some people up, especially since if you have high cholesterol, you probably have issues with blood sugar already.

[Blue_Tires]

25. thanks for this

i've been asking my doctor for awhile if i could ditch lipitor, and this is the evidence i need...

[iscooterliberally]

28. I felt like I was being poisoned.

It was like I had a raging hangover without the benefit of having been dead drunk the night before. I told my doctor not to prescribe anymore statins to me. I would not be taking them anymore. I tried Lipitor and something called Zetia. They both felt the same to me, all bad.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. There are days...

1.- Statins, like ALL DRUGS, whether natural or not, have SIDE EFFECTS. Some potentially are deadly.

2.- Statins, like all drugs, have to be monitored by a physician

3.- Some folks are tailor made for taking these drugs due to genetic factor... people SHOULD read on hyperlipidemia. I can attest that when correctly used it can be a life saver.

[emilyg]

33. Correct. I will not stop

my statins.

[Alcibiades]

32. My stepfather just died of liver failure

They called it "non-alcoholic cirrhosis." He got the diagnosis 4 months ago and was dead two months later. I chalked it up to all the tylenol he had taken for years for his bad back (of course, he took that because, you know, it's safe and does not cause ulcers). And yet he had also been on statins for years.

Never really know, I suppose. They told him tylenol was safe, except then we found out it was not. Same for statins.

Folks are just given too many drugs in this country.

[GliderGuider]

34. I've been implacably opposed to statins for over 20 years.

I've never seen convincing evidence either that cholesterol "causes" heart disease or that statins prevent it. The medical establishment is only too happy to prescribe another "perpetuity drug".

I'm a 61 year old male. I told my doctor 20 years ago that I will allow her to order cholesterol screenings in my blood work on condition that she never tells me the results and that she understands I will never under any circumstance take statins.

[DFW]

36. Statins are the reason I'm still alive

I inherited high cholesterol from my mom. It killed her at age 75. She inherited it from her mom. Her dad
lived to be 102.

I discovered in April 2004, almost by accident, that I had 2 coronary arteries 99% blocked. I was about to
drop dead any second of a massive heart attack. I felt next to nothing because I have relatively low blood
pressure (typically 110/70). I got 2 stents put in, and put on statins. Very minor muscle cramps, which I
scarcely notice, and they are only occasional. Memory loss? Hell if I know. I used to speak 9 languages, and
as far as I know, I still do. Jag kommer inte ihåg........

I was taken off my blood thinners last year for ten days for another procedure, and one of my stents clogged
right back up. Bingo, my very first heart attack. But it was mild, with virtually no muscle damage and no scarring.
Whatever side effects the statins have on me--and I know they sometimes have very adverse ones on some
people--there ain't no way no how I'm going off mine. I inherited one very lousy set of genes, and I'm not going
to let them get the better of me earlier than I have to. I'm due for some lousy news in ten years or so anyway,
statins or no: both my parents and ALL of their siblings had cancer, and I already lost a cousin to it at age 41.
It's just a question of time before I have to tackle that. So if the statins keep me alive and kicking in the meantime,
then I'll stay on them. I just missed keeping an appointment with the Grim Reaper 8 years ago. If there's stuff
I can take to induce him to take his time getting back to me, I will.

[Kingofalldems]

38. Same story for me

I had the 'Widow Maker' a few years ago and had a stent put in, which literally saved my life. I have taken statins and aspirin along with Plavix with seemingly no side effects. So far so good.

[DFW]

39. You never know when you're going to get invited back to play "Beat The Reaper"

So you might as well do what you can to make good use of the time you have left.

My second birthday way April 29, 2004. Fate had me slated to check out permanently the day before.
My will is current, but other that that, I'll do what the cardiologist recommends, and not let it become
an obsession in the meantime.

[FlaGranny]

55. My friend's story.

A friend of mine, an overweight man in his early 70s, with a blood pressure of 120/70 and totally normal cholesterol, just a few months ago underwent a stress test which showed an abnormality. They sent him in for a coronary angiogram and before he knew it he had a stent for his "Widow Maker." Many people with coronary artery disease have completely normal cholesterol levels.

Recently many researchers are pointing at inflammation as causing most problems with the human body - the more inflammation you have, the more the cholesterol "sticks" to your arteries, thus why your C-reactive protein level (which assesses inflammation) is probably more informative than your cholesterol level.

[Snake Alchemist]

66. Count me in that club.

Come from a long line of people who dropped dead in their 30's. These drugs have changed everything.

[DFW]

67. It's not a club anyone seeks to join

However, IF you find yourself a member, I think we have every right to stay LIVE members as long as we can.

[Snake Alchemist]

68. Well put.

I'm actually being researched by a Nobel Prize winner due to my condition. You never want to hear "your blood looks like a strawberry milkshake" from any doctor, lol.

[DFW]

70. Strawberry Milkshake? I guess not!!

I had my little freak out 8 years ago when I went in for my first angiogram (and, as it turned out,
stent implantations). Everything was done in German (they tend to do that in Germany), but after
it was over, and the doc told me I was the luckiest guy in Europe that day, he switched to English
to say just one phrase: "just in time."

[relayerbob]

37. Watch out for LVEF failure

That can occur also, especailly with pre-existing heart attack damage. Take your CoQ10 if you're going to take these drugs!!!

[sendero]

42. And then there is that..

.. "rare but dangerous side effect" that isn't particularly rare but is extremely dangerous. I would not take statins unless there is absolutely no alternative.

[Brigid]

44. Took Lipitor for 2 months.

Had really bad stomach upset and diarrhea. Quit taking it, and my symptoms went away within a couple of days. I actually started feeling an improvement within hours after I should have taken my next dose. This makes the third statin I've tried and had problems (elevated liver enzymes the other two times). My body just won't tolerate them, I guess.

[lunasun]

45. bad bad bad and over prescribed

big big big money maker and the drs. love it because you have to keep coming back to be monitored.
So so so many factors- not that easy as just lower your LDL and raise your HDL and everything will be fine

They keep lowering what is the normal lipid range for adults has anyone noticed over the yrs???

and now want to get kids on it even though lipids drop once puberty starts up so they will tell folks to make sure to test the kids before 11 yrs.

If kids waited until 12 or 13 to be tested they would miss out on "needing" statins as numbers drop down naturally in puberty.

Yes yes yes there is some french fry eating 400lb 10 yr old that may benefit but most kids don't benefit from prepuberty high lipids being adjusted via statins

just another $$ attack from Big Pharma and suckers looking for a quick fix for long time bad choices

IMHO

[jwirr]

49. I take Crestor for cholesterol levels - what I want to know besides this info is - does it actually

prevent heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease? This appears to me to be a question of two outcomes in which I may have only one choice. How do we know which is more dangerous?

Yes, I am losing weight (36 pounds since August) and the doctor is thinking of taking me off the high blood pressure meds but what kind of AIC (6.0) do you need to drop the statins?

[FlaGranny]

56. Your A1c measures your blood sugar

not your cholesterol.

[jwirr]

62. I am aware of that - was just indicating that it is under control.

[FlaGranny]

72. Whoops!

I read it as though you thought statins were to lower A1c.

[jwirr]

73. Yes, I wasn't too clear on that I guess.

[McCamy Taylor]

51. Let the lawsuits begin!

Note that statins reduce mortality from heart disease. But this should not stop us from characterizing the whole class of medications as "dangerous"or at least "lawsuit worthy."

[Katie]

52. Has anyone used Red Yeast Rice, in place of a statin?

I've heard you can take Red Yeast Rice along with CoQ10, to lower Cholesterol levels, and that it's just as effective. Has anyone tried it and are there any side effects with Red Yeast Rice, that you have heard of or experienced?

[Ecumenist]

53. That's what my husband and I take. We have also taken Guggul, which is also a natural statin.

I'm not sure of the side effects, although I wouldn't be surprised that they exist if one takes too much.

[shanti]

71. yes, there are side effects with red yeast rice

However, in 2001 red yeast rice extract, a "natural" unregulated nutritional supplement was withdrawn by the FDA when it was determined that red yeast rice supplements were too similar in chemical structure to the strictly regulated prescription statin known as Mevocor. In fact, red yeast rice is almost identical to lovastatin, which is the key ingredient in the statin drug Mevacor.

http://www.nutritional-supplement-educational-centre.com/red-yeast-rice-side-effects.html

[FlaGranny]

57. Yes, I know two people.

My husband takes it, with a small drop in cholesterol. My cousin started taking it and her cholesterol dropped by 30 points. Works better for some people than for others.

[bananas]

58. Lots of info from a doctor who suffered total amnesia from statins

at his website http://www.spacedoc.com

[elleng]

75. Thanks. Going off Lipitor/generic.

Will discuss when I see my doctor.
Life is too short endure the losses I'm feeling.

[shanti]

64. it happened to me

Last edited Wed Feb 29, 2012, 04:47 PM - Edit history (2)

Source:



No link yet.

[RedEarth]

69. One option people could consider is a plant-based diet

Watch "Forks Over Knives" to get a good overview of the benefits of that type of diet. There are plenty of great recipes(modifying the ones you already like, works alot of the time) on websites and in cookbooks...and here on DU.