Red Yeast Rice vs Statins

After reading numerous articles about the dangers of statins affecting your memory, damaging your liver, muscle aches and pains, causing type 2 diabetes, etc. etc. I have made a choice to give up statins and use Red Yeast Rice. My Cholesterol is hereditary and running higher than I'd like although my doctor is okay with it. (I also told him I was going off statins). As a Mody since 2008, I lost the weight and exercise regularly although I always have. My A1c is 5.1 at last check up. I am not totally convinced about the high cholesterol being a bad thing but the side effects from statins are. Has anyone else gone off statins are tried something else that might work just as well. I am a low-carber (under 60 carbs per day). With all the meds I have to take for my diabetes, Metformin and Glimiperide, lisinopril, I just don't want my liver to have to handle any more detoxing than it needs to. Thoughts?

This may not have much direct relevance since your cholesterol issues are hereditary, but I'll just mention it very briefly as raw data. When I switched to low carb and got rid of the excess weight, my lipids dropped like a rock. They've stayed down ever since. And I definitely do not eat a low fat diet.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I lost every ounce of weight I can, down to 104 and have stayed that way since I was diagnosed in 2008. I do not eat a low fat diet either but trying to manage it a bit better due to the cholesterol issue. Always something!!!

I'm actually going to try this soon. My LDL was slightly elevated (hereditary) at my last visit. Doc mentioned a statin and I said no way. I'll do the red yeast rice and see how that works. I've heard great things about it. My LDL was 120 and I see no reason why a person should be started on a drug for that.