Red Yeast Rice Important Information

The red yeast rice supplement has not been approved by the FDA. It has not been certified to treat any disease. Individuals should not substitute red yeast rice for their prescription medicines when it comes to treating any ailments they may have.

Red yeast rice has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of red yeast rice may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. Some marketed herbal supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

Some cholesterol-lowering medications can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure. Call a doctor at once if you have unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine. Avoid drinking alcohol while using red yeast rice. Alcohol may increase your risk of liver damage.

Red Yeast Rice Side Effects

The long term use of red yeast rice has not been fully examined. It is hard to understand the total risks associated with this product as they are not fully understand. People who have taken red yeast rice have had some of these mild side effects. These may include but are not limited to:

• Bloating and gas
• Damage to peripheral nerves
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Joint pain
• Liver inflammation
• Muscle pain

Other Side Effects

Red yeast rice can cause some other types of side effects like most statin drugs. One such effect is myopathy. Myopathy includes many signs and symptoms. These may include weakness, muscle pain, and elevated levels of creatine kinase.

Another serious side effect that can occur is Rhabdomyolysis. This is where the muscle tissue breaks down and this could potentially lead to kidney failure.  

There have been studies that have been done, that shows that red yeast rice can interfere with the body’s ability to produce CoQ10. This has been widely thought to be a side effect of station drugs.

If side effects other than the ones listed occur then you should speak with your doctor, healthcare provider or your pharmacist about them.