Red Yeast Rice Warnings:

There are some general warnings that should be noted before you begin to take red yeast rice.If you plan on taking red yeast rice you should tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or breast feeding

• You should inform your doctor if you are taking medicine or are allergic to any medicine
  
• You should not take red yeast rice if you have health issues, such as high blood pressure, kidney or  liver  problems, or heart or blood vessel disease
  

• Use red yeast rice as directed. Do not use more of this product than is recommended on the label.
  
• There are many red yeast rice products available. You should not combine different red yeast products as this can lead to a possible overdose.
  
• Red yeast rice should be taken with food to reduce stomach upset.
  
• You should store red yeast rice in a sealed container. You should also keep the product away from moisture, heat, and light.

• When considering the use of herbal supplements, seek the advice of your doctor. You may also consider consulting a practitioner who is trained in the use of herbal/health supplements.
  
• Do not take red yeast rice if you are allergic to it, or if you have a history of liver disease.

Other Warnings
You may not be able to use red yeast rice if you have some of the following conditions:

• asthma;
• kidney disease;
• a serious infection, disease, or medical condition;
• if you have recently had surgery or an organ transplant; or
• if you drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day.

Red yeast rice is known to reduce cholesterol. Some cholesterol-lowering medications can cause a condition that can result in the destruction of muscle tissue. This can also lead to kidney failure. If you take red yeast rice and experience unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine; then you should consult a doctor immediately. As stated above you should not take red yeast rice if you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant. The reason for this is that red yeast rice might be very harmful to the unborn baby. There is no research to show if red yeast rice can be passed into breast milk.

Red Yeast Rice Potential Dangers

Red yeast is possibly unsafe when used in higher doses over longer periods than currently studied or in patients with hepatic or renal dysfunction. The presence of the mycotoxin citrinin, a secondary metabolite of the Monascus species, in fermentation products is a potential threat to public health. There is no established tolerance limit, so use caution when consuming products containing citrinin.

FDA Warning and Red Yeast Rice

The FDA has issued a warning to the public against buying or consuming three red yeast rice products sold on the internet.  The reason for this move was stated that “The products may contain an unauthorized drug that could be harmful to health. The products are promoted as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol.”

The warning was targeted to specific companies that carried red yeast rice products. They were Swanson Healthcare, Kabco , Nature’s Value and Sunburst Biorganics. The reason they singled out these companies because their products, red yeast rice, because they possibly contained lovastatin. Lovastatin causes severe muscle problems and could possibly lead to kidney failure. This drug can also have some bad interactions with other medications.

The FDA had issue with the companies claiming  that red yeast rice products were able to prevent, cure and treat certain diseases. Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, companies are not allowed to make those claims.