My PCP pyulled me off statins aout three weeks ago after being prescribed them for about 18 mos. I have been tested as having mild axonal losses and polyneuropathy. He is the one who made the connection. I had read of it on line and had been wondering about it. I asked my neuro and she said no, it wouldn't cause it. The Pharmacist said it was unlikely, but my doc recognized the possible connection and took action! I have noticed marked improvement in pain and numbness, I just hope it continues. My cognitive functioning is better as well as I have been able to lower my intake of gabapentin. (so not sure what to attribute that improvement).

Prior to the Lovastatin I had been taking Red Yeast Rice. Mevacor is refined from Red Yeast rice and is a naturally occuring part of it.

I tried to mitigate some of the muscular side effects with the use of enzyme CoQ-10 (which is made along the same metabolic pathway as cholesterol and hence blocked by statins. It seemd to help the muscle pain, but not the neuropathy which just steadily worsened.

My experience with the medical profession has been mixed on this. some of those such as the neuro and pharmacist should have had better insight, but it was my PCP who picked up on it.

Neither of the two brands of red yeast rice (RYR) specify the country of origin. RYR is widely used by the Chinese. Has anybody here read studies about contaminated RYR being imported to the US?

TooTired. I'm sorry you've been so ill. I'm a little confused. First you mentioned that your PN is getting better, then that it's getting worse in spite of taking CoQ-10. Did it get worse for a time, but is now getting better? BTW, your PCP is a treasure. I have one like that too.

I know that we can heal from PN in spite of what physicians used to think. My PN is much better than a decade ago, though there is still some residual numbness and transient pain, occasionally briefly intense. Today my wife, I, and a friend walked from near Mission Bay to the top of Mt. Soledad here in San Diego, a round trip distance of around six miles with about 900 ft. elevation gain, about 17,000 steps on my pedometer. I'm now a bit stiff. That's probably to be expected given my age of 65. However, I'm not in any great pain. This would have been so impossible when I was 55, living with 24 hr excruciating pain, burning, numbness, and fear.

I'm relating this to help you continue to be optimistic and continue to patiently and unstoppably work for healing.

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs...ournalCode=acm

http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/..._red_rice.html

The above are basic articles... In other words, standardization is important.

This one discusses adulterated Red Yeast Rice:
http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/new...p?docID=607200
There is some controversy as to the content of those products removed. Some believe that it is just another
witch hunt. I tend to believe that they are adulterated with real lovastatin. (to increase effectiveness and sales)
The Chinese commonly adulterate drugs. I have posted to that in the past.
They put potent RX drugs in their herbs to make them "work better" and be used and increase sales.

Until China really cleans up its act in the whole area of drugs, using products from there is really not wise.

Keep in mind that FDA just denied Lovastatin over the counter in US. This is the 5th attempt by Merck. Merck won OTC status in Britain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22848231/

And I just began Red Rice Yeast and bought several bottles, which were not cheap! I'm not going to take it.

Thank you all for this thread.

This is from the www.iherb.com site.

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....=1&pid=31&at=0 states that it produced in the US. Also look at the product reviews tab.

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....&pid=3336&at=0 states that it is produced in Japan. Also look at the product reviews. This is the brand that I've been taking, 600 mg./2 times a day for a total of 1200 mg./day.

My results have been similar to the reviews. Especially, the most effective fraction of my HDL has gone from the dangerous level of 2 to the acceptable mid 30's. Everything else I tried only raised that part of my HDL level to a still dangerous 4. One reviewer above states, "Used to take ZOCOR but had muscle aches, now with red yeast rice, no aches and my cholesterol is right where it should be. I've been using this product for 3 years now. R.N. Two Rivers, WI"

Supplements and herbs often seem to get more critical and cynical analysis than drugs. I know the medical history of several people on this board who have serious medical conditions caused by physician (mis)prescribed drugs that were taken without enough thought or monitoring for side effects.

None of us here have a profit motive. For the sake of this forum being as helpful as possible, I think we shouldn't hesitate to relate specific products, websites, and brands that we have had good or bad experiences with.

The studies cited by Mrsd demonstrate the need for consumer caution with red rice yeast, but don't specify which brands were safe and effective and which were not. Fortunately, through the internet we can ascertain which specific brands to use, and which to avoid.

Many herbs and supplements, including red rice yeast, have many years of clinical use which have proven them to be safe and effective. Of course, care should be taken to buy and use a reputable brand from a reputable vendor.

Liza Jane, I hope you reconsider not using red yeast rice. Why not instead get on the manufacturer's website and ask them about your concerns, or try one of the brands mentioned in this posting? Of course, dosage should fit your medical needs, and safety and effectiveness should be monitored.

I had many of the same kinds of thoughts about Jarvik pushing this drug. I even question that's he's really taking this drug.

I don't think ads for prescription drugs should be allowed in the formats they're allowed to use. Yes, I think it may be the best and only way for consumers to be kept up to date on the newest drugs and research available. But there has to be a better way to do it than the 'pimping' style they're currently using.

ETA: There is an inherent conflict of interest for all the drug companies: Their first obligation should be to the people that take these drugs and not shareholders.

for the group. I'm seeing my cardiologist at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine the first week in March. I'll ask her recommendation for safe brands of red rice yeast.

I think if you choose red yeast rice, you can just opt for lovastatin 10mg
and cut them into 4 equal pieces and take that one fourth quarter daily.

That is about what red yeast rice is.

The scientific literature contradicts that. There at least 10 monacolin (similar in action to statins) lipid lowering components in red yeast rice. I don't have access to anything but the abstracts of many of the papers, but one review paper we can all read is http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/..._red_rice.html The paper, and others I've read agree that lovastatin is but one active component of red yeast rice

This monograph isn't dated, but the references all date before the year 2,000. More recent studies go into more detail, but all support that the other active components of red yeast rice in combination make it safer than statin drugs, yet equally effective. Another plus is that red yeast rice is much less expensive than Loavastatin or any of the other statin drugs.

In a paper by the Mayo Clinic ( http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red...tient-redyeast ), red yeast rice is given an "A" rating for scientific evidence for its effectiveness. That paper is very useful in its dosing recommendations.

I could find no citations of nerve or muscle damage caused by red yeast rice in a quick survey of google scholar, in contrast to many clinical report of damage caused by Lovastatin, and other statin drugs. But, given that red yeast rice acts similar to statins, the possibility is there. Like statin drugs, red yeast rice may interfere with the body's ability to synthesize CQ-10, so you should also supplement with CQ-10 if you take statins or red yeast rice.

Whether you take red yeast rice or statins, or not, I think than anybody with PN or similar problems should supplement with CQ-10, at least 50 mg./day to help our nerves and muscles function and heal.

It works the SAME way...suppresses the same enzymes, and is capable of causing rhabdo.
It is just WEAKER in effect. And it is capable of interacting with drugs that use the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in the liver.

If you have to use CoQ-10 with it...you are just doing a mini-statin intervention, IMO. Now if this herb worked in a novel, different way, that would be in its favor.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._9/ai_n6123946

And if Liza intends to use this, there are warnings with Biaxin: