thought cancer/PN was as bad as it would get but no! two weeks ago i was rushed to the ER with a myocardial infarction aka*heart attack. *had a stent placed in a damaged artery to keep it open. *now have entered a new, more scary world where i'm terrified of another, more damaging HA which might kill me in minutes. *at least with cancer you rarely keel right over.

i am worried that i won't be able to resume my supplement
routine *since i now have to take an array of heart drugs (aspirin,*lipitor, blood thinner, blood pressure, etc).

i know i need to ask the cardiologist if the supplements may be contraindicated but i thought maybe another PNer has faced a similar issue and found a way to deal.

would appreciate your thoughts on coping!

Yes, be sure to discuss any and all supplements with your doctor. They tried to place stents in my blocked coronary arteries but the blockages were too bad to even get the stents placed. I am on numerous meds for CAD. I am limited to Tylenol as my ONLY over the counter med. NO Advil, Aleve, etc. I also have PN and am on meds for other conditions, too. Sometimes I feel like a chemistry lab. I clear ALL things to be swallowed, other than food, with my doc first. Better safe than sorry. You are correct to inquire about any contraindications.

thank you for your response.

are you not allowed aspirin? i used to eat it like candy especially for menstrual cramps until i got a bleeding ulcer and have not used it until last week (about 50 years later). tylenol has been my all purpose pain med since the ulcer.

what, if any, supplements do you use?

I am already on daily aspirin for cardiac conditions and on blood thinners so I can not take any "additional" aspirin. I only use Tylenol very sparingly due to its adverse effects on the liver. Prescription pain medication makes me so sick that I would rather have pain. When I broke 5 ribs, the doctor gave me a prescription for pain mediction. I told him to either keep it or give me something for the extreme nausea the pain med would cause me. He gave me a second prescription to take with the pain med. I could only take these medications for a very short period of time without other complications. It got me through the first 72 hours of 5 broken ribs. My docs don't allow me to take supplements because what would help with one condition would harm another so I am pretty limited. I take 14 meds daily. I feel like a chemistry lab.

Mrs. D has a whole bunch of info on supplements that may be useful to you. I am not versed in supplements at all.

I would still recommend clearance from your doctor before taking any supplements. There is always the possibility there might be some contraindication for them in your particular case.

when i see the cardio next week, i will show him the supps i had been taking before the HA. i suspect he may pooh pooh the notion of supps. but who knows?

i am on the same regimen that you're on...blood thinner, aspirin, etc. the only drug i am desperate to stop is the antihypertensive. it has set my PN back 1000 fold. ghastly side effects, especially worsening my crappy balance & numb feet.

but hey, i walked 3 blocks (with my rollator) so things are looking up! stay well.
thanks again for your support.

Taking statins (Lipitor) depletes Co-Q-10.

100 mg of new water soluble type or
300 mg a day of the older oil capsule
Type is the average recommendation.
Some doctors still do not know this
However. I suspect that you are using
Plavix and not warfarin? Warfarin has many
many interactions. Qunol is now on Amazon
At WalMart and Costco affordably so
using the older form is unnecessary.

Statins cause PN in some people and are
typically given after a heart attack.
On my"drugs that may cause PN"
I have a link to photos showing this
Damage. Also a new link from poster
Olsen on the new stats of effectiveness
vs harm which are very revealing.
That info may help to decide whether
Lipitor is necessary at all for you.
Stats for women are different than for
men. Please look at Olsen's post I linked
to on that thread . I also have it separately
on the regular forum.

I am on an iPhone and can't copy links or
post as I would like.

thanks for your info.
i am taking "brilinta" bloodthinner. it looks like it has recently been approved.
the side effects are ok except my pn has migrated to my calves which are crampy & hurt like mad.

i have an app't next week with a new cardio & will run by him the need for lipitor & the antihypertensive. i hope there are better ways than lipitor to lower lipids. maybe fish oil? i don't know if there's any rx to lower BP that has less drastic s/e than metoprolol but i'll ask.

i have some Qunol liquid from costco which i will start taking if necessary but for now i've stopped the lipitor, pending what the cardio says next week.

What type of antihypertensive are you taking? I am guessing a beta blocker considering your conditions. There are calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, ace inhibitors, etc. Different brands within a category also have different side effects. I have been on antihypertensives for decades, one of which I have taken for at least 20 or more years with absolutely NO side effects. The beta blockers have been changed on several occasions for various reasons. Maybe they can change you to something as effective but with less side effects. I am on several different types of antihypertensives. I have some trouble with edema with the beta blocker on occasion, especially if they increase the dosage.

Mrs. D mentioned Lipitor, a cholesterol lowering medicine. I must have missed your post on that as I do not recall your mention of taking a cholesterol medication. Do you have elevated cholesterol levels? I have been on many different statins that did absolutely nothing for lowering my cholesterol levels and they made me feel bad. I was finally put on Crestor several months ago and have had NO side effects and it has worked absolute wonders with my cholesterol levels. Not only are they within normal levels now but extremely good. Even my trigylcerides are in normal range now. I do NOT take fish oil supplements. Of course, the cost is much more for being on the brand name but WELL worth every cent. The generics did nothing. I was also on some other brand names, including Pravachol, when it first came on the market many years ago without good results. I could be the poster child for Crestor. I think it is the best, at least it has proven so for me.

Watch out for potassium depletion as that will can cause muscle cramps. Also be careful to stay well hydrated for the same reason.

Yes, you should tell your doctor about any other over the counter meds. you are taking. I am sorry to hear that you had this HA after all you had already gone through so may other medical issues.. It just seems sometimes that life throws some real whoppers at a person. Overwhelming is an understatement. A second HA is less likely when you have had the problem corrected, the stint. It is when you fail to do the things you should, with medications, diet, "walking" that things don't always work out well. I have a friend that has several stints after a heart attack and is just doing wonderful, Be concerned, but don't be afraid. Just do all you can do to help yourself. I hope you heal OK, and that life is kinder to you in the future. ginnie