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Regular Contributor
Posts: 154
Registered: ‎03-11-2010
I know this was discussed in the past, but would love an update on how people are doing. I used to take Lipitor but the muscle aching finally made me stop that, so Dr put me on Welchol for cholesterol. I have had really severe constipation, and I mean severe. So my pharmacist, who is very much a holistic, recommended Thorne Choloeast, RYR. I did a lot of research on this and am going to give it a try. My last lipid ratio wad 3.12. Would love to hear how those taking this are doing? Thanks a lot Forrest
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,955
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

Works for me, and also for my husband.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 28,707
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

Just keep in mind that RYR is also a form of a statin, just milder.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,322
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

While it is a natural form of statin, it is not known to cause the harmful side effects of manufactured statins. It did work for me also. You still use take a coQ10 supplement. You might also try plant sterols.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 28,707
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

You can try taking at least 2 grams of plant sterols daily, I have been taking them for 10 years now. I use Puritans Pride Cholestwise and Puritans Pride Phytosterol Complex.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 822
Registered: ‎04-13-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

On 3/26/2014 Shelbelle said:

You can try taking at least 2 grams of plant sterols daily, I have been taking them for 10 years now. I use Puritans Pride Cholestwise and Puritans Pride Phytosterol Complex.

Plant sterols helped me a lot.....

Super Contributor
Posts: 5,837
Registered: ‎03-01-2013

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

I give my husband 1000 mgs of red Yeast rice, 1000 mgs of flush free niacin and 200 mgs of coQ10 daily for his cholestrol. No side effects at all. He also gets plant sterols.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 584
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

I am curious as to the opinions of your doctors regarding taking these natural products to control your cholesterol and also what kind of results are possible? I am going back to my doctor next week and would like to discuss this rather than the drugs she wants to put me on.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 28,707
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

My chol is borderline high, my good is very good, my doc knows I have been taking plant sterols for 10 years, and have no interest in trying statins, she goes along with my decision.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Red Yeast Rice, Once More

Hi Forrest,

About 4 years ago, I chose to discontinue the statin I was taking. No, I didn't have any side effects that I knew of, just felt that being diligent with my diet, etc., I could get my numbers better. The internist that had put me on a statin in 1999 did so because my total cholesterol was 272 - out of the blue. He said an inherited gene must have kicked in, because my total C had previously been OK.

Anyway, fast forward to coming across talk about this red yeast rice "stuff." I had never heard about it, so at my next internist visit (we had move across country, so had a new, super internist - very in tune with naturopathic, holistic, eastern medicine), I asked him about taking red yeast rice. He said, "Absolutely. Do it, but get a good, known brand and call my office 3 months after you've been taking it, so we can do a lipid panel to see how you're doing."

I ended up purchasing NOW Food Red Yeast Rice, 600mg with CoQ10, 30mg, Milk Thistle & Alpha Lipoic Acid, 120 capsules per bottle on auto delivery from Amazon.

Taking two Red Yeast Rice caps with breakfast and two with dinner, I lowered my total C to 238, which my internist said he could live with. Additionally, paying great attention to diet, I raised my good cholesterol. If I could exercise, my total C would be lower. (I'm having a total knee in May and 10 months later recon surgery of my left foot, so am looking forward to rapid walking on a daily basis at that time - Yea!)

There is a "however" to this. I have 2.5 kidney failure and had recent lab work which indicated that my serum uric acid level is just a point away from 73, the "high" of the low-high range. This means that I must additionally modify my food plan and one of the things that is very, very high in uric acid is yeast or any yeast product. So...I can no long take red yeast rice. I am so bumbed about this.

But, I urge you to do three things if it is agreeable to your physician, as we do not know your cardiac/stroke risks: (1) stop the statin; (2) start taking a quality red yeast rice; and, (3) learn about the kinds of fat that you intake daily and aim to more than moderately lower the saturated fat and cholesterol intake from food.

Remember: One's body already makes cholesterol, so it is imperative to watch one's intake of cholesterol in food. The only way this can be done is to do some investigation. The web has made that so much easier!

Good luck in your quest to get off the statin. ~R