What Over the Counter Pills Lower Cholesterol?

Drugs designed to lower cholesterol can only be sold by prescription in the United States. A few over-the-counter remedies and foods may help lower a person's cholesterol score, but only as a side effect.

Bakisol Supplements

• Science Daily reported that this over-the-counter supplement reduced a person's cholesterol. It cautioned that only short-term studies were conducted on the supplement. Similar benefits were received from eating foods that naturally contain plant sterols, such as corn oil.

Psyllium Powder

• Patients who take a dose of 10mg of psyllium powder a day can reduce their cholesterol scores by 4 to 7 percent, according to drugstore.com. Psyllium powder is the main ingredient of over-the-counter laxatives and must be dissolved in water.

Vitamin B3

• Vitamin B3 can reduce the levels of both good and bad cholesterol in a person's blood stream. This vitamin, also called niacin, can cause liver damage. A person with high cholesterol should consult a doctor before taking this over-the-counter vitamin supplement.

FDA Decisions

• The makers of the cholesterol-lowering drugs lovastatin and pravastatin wanted to offer lower doses of these medications for over-the-counter sales. The FDA committee that recommended denying the makers' request felt that most patients would use over-the-counter drugs instead of following the advice of their doctor.

Diet Modifications

• A few over-the-counter remedies may help a person lower his or her cholesterol, but diet still plays the largest role. A doctor can let a patient know which foods he should eat and which foods he should avoid.