Lovastatin
Lovastatin is a member of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor family of drugs, which blocks the body’s production of cholesterol. Lovastatin is used to lower high cholesterol levels. Cholestin, a dietary supplement advertised to help maintain healthy cholesterol, but not to lower high cholesterol, contains several HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor chemicals, including lovastatin.
- Keep up your CoQ10 levels 30 to 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 per day may prevent this heart-healthy nutrient from being depleted by your medication, and it may reduce the likelihood of a potential side effect.
- Try cholesterol-lowering margarine Using margarines containing sitostanol (Benecol), which is made from naturally occurring unsaturated sterols from soybean oil (Take Control), can help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
- Disrupt your medicine with grapefruit Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice (and potentially pomegranate) as they may inhibit the body’s ability to break down lovastatin, making it more toxic.
- Take red yeast rice with statins Although red yeast rice (Monascus purpureas) extract has been shown to lower moderately high cholesterol and triglycerides, it contains small amounts of natural HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and should not be used with statin medications.
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