Combining vitamins with medications can cause adverse reactions. Vitamin B-6 does not appear to interact with Crestor, a brand name for the generic drug rosuvastatin, according to information from the Office of Dietary Supplements and Drugs.com. Crestor may cause adverse reactions, however, when you take it with niacin, which is also known as vitamin B-3. Tell your doctor about all the dietary supplements you use before taking Crestor. A 2010 study from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reveals that 60 percent of patients do not discuss their dietary supplements with their doctor.
Vitamin B-6
Vitamin B-6 helps you metabolize proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The richest food source of vitamin B-6 is chickpeas, followed by beef liver and cooked yellowfin tuna, as listed by the Office of Dietary Supplements. The ODS warns that vitamin B-6 can interact with some medications, including drugs prescribed to treat tuberculosis, epilepsy and shortness of breath. However, the ODS does not indicate that taking vitamin B-6 and Crestor concurrently poses a risk for healthy adults. As a precaution, tell you doctor if you take vitamin B-6 supplements before taking Crestor.
Crestor
Doctors prescribe Crestor, a statin drug, to reduce bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol and lower your risk of stroke. Drugs.com warns that many medications taken in combination with Crestor “increase your risk of serious medical problems.” It too provides no information about any interaction between vitamin B-6 and Crestor. Possible contraindications for Crestor include drinking more than two alcoholic beverages per day, being of Chinese decent and diabetes.
B-Complex with Vitamin B-6
B-complex vitamins with 10 milligrams of vitamin B-6 work as well as rosuvastatin to improve the function of your endothelial cells, according to a study by University Hospital Berne in Switzerland that was reported in the July 2011 issue of the journal “Cardiovascular Therapeutics.” Endothelial cells line your heart’s chambers, and dysfunction represents a significant predictor for stroke and heart attack. For six weeks, 36 participants with cardiovascular disease took either 10 milligrams of rosuvastatin or a B-complex supplement, followed by six more weeks of taking both. The data show similar rates of endothelial function improvement across all groups.
Vitamin B-3 – Niacin
Vitamin B-3 is contraindicated for people taking Crestor, according to Medline Plus. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates niacin as "likely effective" for treating high cholesterol naturally. If you have been self-medicating with niacin to lower your cholesterol or for other reasons, you must tell your doctor before taking Crestor. Both niacin and Crestor individually can adversely affect your muscles, and taking them at the same time increases this risk.
References
- Drugs.com: Crestor
- Medline Plus: Niacin and Niacinamide -- Vitamin B-3
- Cardiovascular Therapeutics: Additive Effect of Homocysteine and Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy on Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B-6
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Complementary and Alternative Medicine: What People Aged 50 and Older Discuss with Their Health Care Providers
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