Lowering cholesterol with natural supplements - What is safe?

Not sure what statin you are on but you might want to consider red yeast rice contributing to your pain or even what you are thinking is the effectiveness of your current statin. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-red-yeast-rice/art-20363074

It may be really helpful to talk to your doctor about everything you are taking so all things are considered. I’m not sure how you would know how well your statin is working if you are mixing other things in. I am certainly not a trained medical person, just learning from my own care. One doc made it pretty clear for me years ago when a list of particular treatment options were, one by one getting ruled out…..everything we put in our body has one of three outcomes: net positive, net neutral, net negative. An easy decision is to make a decision about taking something that directly causes good or bad. Then, there are times we need to consider taking something that may cause side effects but help us. Lastly, we do want to avoid taking things that are more harmful than helpful. It seems like the only way we know what category things we take are in, is to specifically test one drug/supplement at a time. I don’t know how to figure it all out without communicating with my doctor.

I have tried several of the statins. Medical advice says if you have pain symptoms, stop taking them for a day. If the pain stops, don't go back on them and talk to your doctor.

Isn’t red rice yeast the same thing as a statin? Not sure I would take it…

I hear that repeatedly. The link I posted above refers to a specific statin, not all. I’m not sure just how they are each different.

I have genetically high cholesterol but have been able to control mine for the most part with red yeast rice with CoQ10. It used to control my LDL and triglycerides beautifully but the FDA made them take out the strongest ingredient and now it does not work as well as it used to. I have tried bergamot for a year and had the worst total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides of my life so I won't use that again but everyone's bodies are different. I am now experimenting with berberine to see if that helps. I am also pre-diabetic and berberine does lower my A1C a little bit.

Hi @pammy6248,
I've read that statins are derived from red yeast rice - so if you're supplementing with that in addition to a statin, it may be too much. Does your doctor know? Also, if statins cause muscle pains then red yeast rice should be avoided and viceversa.
I took Plant Sterols for years, but my cholesterol was still higher than my cardiologist wanted so I started taking a statin a few months ago. A conservative dose = 10 mg of pravastatin. It didn't do much so the doc just doubled it. I haven't experienced any side effects.
A while ago I read an article that said the studies of bergamot's effects on cholesterol were commissioned by companies selling bergamot.
If you want to go the supplement route subscribing to Consumer Lab is well worth it. Many supplements do not even contain the ingredients they purport to, and some have contaminants. Also Consumer Lab provides a breakdown of what studies were done on what supplements and their efficacy.

@pammy6248 I can second @tsc experience - I took Bergamot from a well respected source, watched my dier and exercised for 2 years and my LDL continued to rise. After 2 more statin trials, I ended up on Repatha injections for the past 6 months. My LDL has dropped by 80% with minimal side effects. But I may have resisted drug treatment for too long, as I now have a blockage that requires Repatha plus 2 more Rx to manage it.

Red yeast rice contains the same chemical as lovastatin. You are essentially taking a statin if you use red yeast rice, except it's not a controlled dose.

Berberine has been shown to lower cholesterol, but it is not a replacment for medication.

Soluble fiber helps lower LDL. Besides some foods, supplements like Metamucil have it. Some people mix a tablespoon into liquid or a smoothie every day, even twice a day. You just have to start gradually because too much fiber can cause digestive problems. There are citrus-flavored ones with artificial sweetener, but I use a flavorless unsweetened CVS brand and mix it with some Vitamin Water.

This is excellent advice. I was on statins for two years and began experiencing cramps. I was diagnosed with necrotizing myositis which is potentially quite serious and it has taken months to recover. Hopefully I will get back to prior activity levels but this is nothing to take lightly. Talk to your GP and your cardiologist if you have muscle cramps.

Ezetimibe is a non-statin medication that helps lower LDL. It's common to combine it with a statin, and sometimes you can take a lower statin dose if you've added ezetimibe to the mix.