This sounds great - would you mind sharing the full recipe?
There is no downside for most people to take a statin. The idea that there is a U shape curve for optimum LDL levels is not based on any compelling scientific evidence.
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My points would be:
Nothing lowers apo b better than a statin.(PCSK9 maybe)
Statins are generally well tolerated.
Side effects listed in literature are often unreliable.
Saying no to a statin then taking red rice yeast is just ignorant.
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Thank you for posting this.
I stopped prevastatin 40 mg and Zetia 5 mg 3 mos ago because of statin toxicity. I ended up with hip and back pain, couldn’t walk a straight line, hepatomegaly, diplopia to name a few.
Took 18 mos to consider statins as the cause because the dose was low and they are noted to have a low side effect profile.
Everything is improving; the diplopia the slowest to reverse. My ApoB was 60 on prevastatin and Zetia. It is now 127 on no cholesterol med for 3 mos. I am so glad To read about non pharmacological options to try.
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I found an old study on Red Clover Extract reducing ApoB but I’m not familiar with the supplement itself, looks like there are not many studies on it
Study Summary
Supplementation of Rimostil (from Red Clover) has been noted to improve HDL cholesterol levels by 15.7-28.6% with the dosage range of 28.5-85.5mg, with most efficacy coming from the middle dose of 57mg. There was a significant decrease in apolipoprotein B (11.5-17%) and increase in bone mineral density of 3.1-4%, although the latter was not seen at 28.5mg daily.
While this study was double-blinded, there was not a placebo control used alongside the double-blinded experimental group.
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Where do you buy Rimostil in the US?
The study is quite old so maybe the product was discontinued. Seems like Red Clover is still available on Amazon though
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Wikipedia says it was not approved for medical use.
Some German website is offering it.
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Perhaps I had an unusual response, but I took a statin for a week and started bruising everywhere.
I take a low dose statin and I bruise easily. I just attributed it to old age. I take vitamin C plus vitamin K supplements which are supposed to reduce bruising, but I have seen no difference. Maybe I will stop the statin for a while to see if it makes any difference.
61 yr old, fit, muscly, 6’ 6", 250 lb
Nightly 1 hr of online bike racing, Strava
2 X weekly squats, bench presses, military press
q week:
6 mg sirolimus plus naringin (instead of GFJ)
Multivitamin
q am:
candesartan for BP, and Dementia protection
1 gram NAC
1 gram Glycine
3 gram Creatine
In coffee: collagen
Hyaluronic Acid
psyllium husk
Lunch and dinner:
50 mg acarbose
Probiotic
Pre-workout
sildenafil 50 mg and Arginine/citrulline complex 1000 mg
q hs:
Minoxidil 5 mg oral for hair and endothelial health
Trazodone prn
Skin and hair: Desertshore’s rapamycin spray
Soon:
Empagliflozine 25mg AM
Astaxanthin 12 mg before workout
I probably forgot something. 
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@DrM Assumption is no obvious trauma and no family or previous history. My guesses on contributors could be:
-
High-dose rapamycin which can cause anemia and/or thrombocytopenia (partly due to CYP3A4 inhibition from naringin and potentially 3A4 competitive substrates, particularly in men - trazadone, some statins, and/or certain herbs/spices/foods)
-
Statins have a mild anticoagulant effect, TF effects are well established but isoprenylation of coags are also up there (if you’re taking a statin that is metabolized via 3A4 that would be probably make that higher up there too)
Some much less likely culprits, but some that may be considered:
- garlic/ginger/black pepper/alcohol
- older age (>60)
- duration of action for antihypertensive might not cover 24 hrs (in some individuals)?
- vitamin E dose on multi
- some foods/herbs/spices that could have additional mild to moderate 3A4 inhibition or P-gp effects.
If it’s not on the distal extremities or obvious trauma - perhaps a CBC/PT/PTT may be worth considering to search for the contributors. If you do figure out, please let us know!
Just some thoughts since I had some minor easy bruising and had to go down a long rabbit hole before figuring out it may have been some combination of garlic, black pepper, fish oil and/or ginger.
Not medical advice and don’t rely, as I’m sure I’ve missed a few other more unlikely possibilities. Just figured it might be a helpful reference.
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I wasn’t on any of these years ago when I tried a statin, despite having normal cholesterol and lipids.
I’m certain the bruising and arthralgia were related to the statin, a known adverse effect for some people.
I have high normal HCT/Hgb. I am very healthy in all regards except a slightly increased BP . No bleeding abnormalities. I do not have adverse effects from the rapamycin so far.
Thanks
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Ah, I missed the arthralgia part - that’s not too uncommon.
For easy bruising, although it is documented - my understanding is it’s a very rare side effect (upon a quick check - appears to be ~1 in 10,000?) hence the pretest probability that it is just the statin may be too low and it may be worth considering drug interactions on top of it
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1 in 10,000, Well, I am special, so it is possible. Perhaps it just coincides with a time in my life (40s) when I was lifting weights and playing high-contact basketball. Whether the contact caused the bruising, I can’t say, but I felt achy and miserable and felt better very soon after I discontinued the statin.
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That was just my response. But I felt lousy and bruised easily.
No worries, I can see the side effects suck - to be clear, I was thinking it was due to the statin, but drug interactions and/or other factors combined - rather than very rare reaction from statin alone.
But if it is indeed “unusual bleeding or bruising” due to statin only - it does say to consider the liver (which PT testing could capture anyways) on label here:
" Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
- If you experience problems with unexpected or unusual bleeding or bruising, this may be suggestive of a liver complaint. You should consult your doctor as soon as possible.
- Lupus-like disease syndrome (including rash, joint disorders and effects on blood cells)"
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That makes sense, Thank You
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In my case I am going for the old age (82) effect:
“easy bruising is common in older adults due to thinning of the skin and decreased blood vessel elasticity”