scared now that I know the numbers

greathokie · 06-25-2008, 01:09 PM

Well, this is one contest I didn't want to win, but it looks like I am. Hi folks, new to the board. To say I'm scared is an understatement. I am 47, diabetic (Type 1), have been for 23 years. I have a heavy history of heart disease in my family. I was having shortness of breath, went for a full workup, and got bad news. I have a calcium score of 640. My total cholesterol at the time was 182. After the high score, they decided to do a heart cath, and found 60%, 40%, and 20% blockage, but no stint. Put on 40 mg of Lipitor and 25 mg of Topral. They then ordered a Berkley Blood Profile, to look at everything, including my LP(a). Not great news....My LP(a) was 186. They then started my on prescription Niacin (Niaospan?). I'm at 1000mg working to 2000mg. I tried to take the next step from 1000 to 1500, and ended up in the hospital for a day, thinking I had had a heart attack.

Since the Lipitor (which I have reduced to 20 mg because of side effects), my total cholesterol is good (133), with HDL at 47 and LDL at 71. Tryglyecrides were 73. Fibrinogen was high as well at 386. All other values were normal.

I have lost 15 lbs (down from 176 to 161), and I am 5'11". I work out 3-4 times per week with some cardio. If you looked at me, you would never think I had heart disease.

I really am at a loss of what to do next. I have 2 beautiful daughters ages 6 and 8 and my fear is that I will not see them grow up.

I am religious following the Pauling Therapy (started at the end of April), still taking Niacin (1000mg), baby aspirin, small amounts of vitamin E, and 4000iu's of Vitamin D. No follow-up values have been performed at this time.

I am thinking of going to CA to see a doctor named Joseph Prendergast. Anyone heard of him? He claims tremendous success with high doses of Vitamin D and L-Arginine.

I know I am rambling, I really just want someone to shoot straight with me. Am I at the proverbial "get your affairs in order"? I am crushed, not so much for me, but for my daughters.

Any insight would be helpful.....

namelessme · 06-25-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greathokie

I am religious following the Pauling Therapy (started at the end of April), still taking Niacin (1000mg), baby aspirin, small amounts of vitamin E, and 4000iu's of Vitamin D. No follow-up values have been performed at this time.

I am thinking of going to CA to see a doctor named Joseph Prendergast. Anyone heard of him? He claims tremendous success with high doses of Vitamin D and L-Arginine.

I know I am rambling, I really just want someone to shoot straight with me. Am I at the proverbial "get your affairs in order"? I am crushed, not so much for me, but for my daughters.

Any insight would be helpful.....

It sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things. Since you are taking vitamin D, just make sure to get those blood levels tested too. Sometimes 4K isn't enough, sometimes too much. I suggest fish oil too, if you aren't currently taking it.

Some other things to consider:

Consider Dr. Davis' 'Track your plaque' plan. You are currently doing a number of things he recommends, and he also recommends L-Arginine too, if I'm not mistaken.

If doing the Pauling thing, I assume you are also taking Proline, not just C + Lysine (Pauling's original recommendations).

Eliminate all wheat products + high glycemic foods. It won't help Lp(a) much, but it should help particle sizes. But since you have diabetes, I assume you are doing this already.

I'm afraid I don't know much about lowering Lp(a), besides trying the Pauling stuff + Niacin. Fibrinogen might become lower with fish oil.

I see you were also given Toprol. Is it okay for diabetics? I thought I read there were some sugar issues with certain beta blockers (it raises glucose or something). I'm not saying to drop it of course, just wondering why it was given over an ace inhibitor. Fast heart rate?

Best to be positive. Although your calcium score and minor blockages aren't so great to have, think of it as if you caught it in time, and are now taking steps to improve things. Calcium scores/plaque levels can be lowered.

greathokie · 06-25-2008, 03:51 PM

Thanks for your response. I am taking the Proline as well. I have my follow-ups in August and I plan on asking for my Vitamin D levels to be tested. I guess the good thing is that I have lowered my LDL to the low 70's. My current physician indicates that is critical in patients with high LP(a). I am taking approx. 4000 mg of fish oil as well. Everything is broken down into 4 split doses.

Again, I appreciate your response. It was helpful...

Lutheran122 · 06-25-2008, 08:03 PM

Greathokie I feel exactly as you do. I am only 43 years old and I had a calcium score of 180 or so in March 2006. Since I always have chest pain they sent me for a angiogram last August. I have 3 narrowed arterys with 5 spots all together that are narrowed by 30 percent each. As soon as they told me that I felt like a death sentence was imposed on me. I grew very depressed and till this day I am not handling it well. I have gone on and off a few different things like the Ornish diet , Pauling therapy and now I am doing sort of a mixture of both of them along with the vitamin D and even drinking Pomegranate juice because supposedly it has been shown to reduce Plaque.

I take 40mg of Pravachol and 750mg of Niaspan every day plus 2 baby aspirins and 50mg of Toprol and about 4 grams of Vitamin C with Proline and Lysine. I also take a multivitamin and a B-Complex and a few other supplements. I look at what happened to a guy like Tim Russert and that is what I fear my fate will be. And there isn't a damn thing I can do but wait for it , and I hate that feeling. It has driven me to get high and not care quite a few nights over the past year. I just wish there was something real out there that was proven to remove dangerous plaque from our arterys.

I know people all over the planet have plaque in there arterys , whether in their hearts arterys or their carotid or wherever and I know it starts from early childhood but once your TOLD that your arterys have a noticable narrowing to them its just a bummer. I do also look at it like now I know so I do eat very low fat , have a lot of spinach and grilled veggies in my diet. I don't take in a lot of cholesterol and try and avoid most saturated fats. Still , it sucks to have this problem. I am wondering if at one time Tim Russert didn't feel the same way.

willk48 · 06-25-2008, 11:19 PM

I know how you feel. I had a calcium score of 151 nearly 5 years ago (I'm 50 now). I'm scared to get another one done even though I've been faithful with my Zocor, Niaspan and exercise. Everytime I forget about having plaque in my arteries something like the news of Tim Russert gets me worried and depressed again. I'm no expert but it would seem your 30% blockages aren't that bad.