Heart Bypass Surgery

Here's a few of mine. No stitches or staples, just glue!

Hi The BBC in england just did a new story purporting to say that statins are helping millions of people avoid heart disease. In addition they say that statins actually strengthen the heart muscle as well as having cholestrol lowering effects and very little side effects (muscle pain was the only side effect they mentioned). Did anyone in england see this on the 10 o clock news bbc1? What astounded me was that this seems to be in the most part directly contradicting what i have researched on the net. I could'nt believe that the bbc could be so backward in reporting such rubbish. It seems like in england they are 10 years behind the current research and news stories like this just seem to prolong any change in treatments. Each doctor we have spoke to about statins seem to be reading from the same script suggesting that statins are perfectly safe drugs to take. My understanding was that statins weaken the heart and thus supplementation of co10 is recommended to counteract such an effect. I still can't get my dad to take co10 and now he has seen this news story his mind is totally made up. Richard

Does anyone know if swelling in the leg is normal 4 months after surgery? My dad has swelling in his leg at the back of his shin. The doctor prescribed a water tablet (frucimide i think its called) however my dad stopped the tablet when his gout symptoms started (swollen fingers and toes). I wondered if anyone here has had the same experience and what they did to counteract it. Thank you Richard

Seven years ago I had bypass surgery in the front of the heart where about 2" of the rib was removed to do the surgery. Since then I have had a hard time keeping my back in. Are there others out there that has had this type of heart surgery?

HI Ed and everybody. Just posted a couple of uninspiring photos on photo page and just going to do new poll. Warren

As far as exercising goes I try to do a lot of what I learned at rehab which was the stretching exercises. then treadmill, exercise bike , hand weights and then another set of stretching. During rehab we used various bikes..both recumbent and regular. Oh I forgot....one of the worse for me was the arm ergometer that I found extremely difficult to do. The workout at rehab lasted about 45-60 minutes. Today (6 yrs after by-pass) I mainly walk about 35 minutes and ride the bike about 30-40 minutes. (3 or 4 days a week) On days I don't treadmill etc. I do easy hand weights plus a short exercise video. So end up working out about 6 days a week.......at all times I do stretching exercises....... Aileen......I don't know much about nautilus machines etc. and I don't know how old you are........I'm 68 and told my cardiologist what I did in terms of exercising and he said it was fine as long as I didn't work out to the extent of exhaustion (he sure didn't have to worry about that) Of course, always the comment that if I felt angina, weakness, dizziness etc. I was overdoing it. Perhaps your doctor can help you come up with exercise plan. Personally I don't think they consider normal housework as exercising etc (although there are times I'm exhausted after cleaning all day!) I think they look for a regular routine that works all the muscles etc....... Would be interesting to see how many of us follow a set routine of exercising........I'm pretty good for about six months...then kind of get sick of it and take off a month or so and then get back to it. I definitely feel a whole lot better when I'm exercising.......... Carol in Atlanta

What do you all do for exercise? I didn't go to cardiac rehab and the docs didn't think it was necessary. In retrospect, I wish I had. Is there anything I should be doing besides walking and regular daily household activities? Is it safe to do Nautilus, play racquetball, and the like? I was never very athletic, and I've no idea what I ought to be doing to increase my odds of staying healthy, beyond the get exercise, eat a low fat diet, take your meds stuff. Thanks for your advice, Aileen

Hi all: Im 8 months post op 4x cabg and right caroid artery. To those women out there YES my breast has hurt, continues to hurt and its due to the artery they used. I have had a lot of trouble with upper back pain and left arm pain. I did end back in the hospital for a week about 6 weeks post op cause the pain terrible. I do take vioxx. I dont know if the pain will ever go away but the good news is it does lessen to the extent that it can just be annoying. We women are a tough breed. Anyway Im back to work full time dealing with middle school children. As far as the swollen breasts Yes to that too. About 4 months post op I went out and bought all new bras due to the scar. Im like most of you now in debt up to my ears and bras are not cheap. Anyway about 3 weeks ago the were riding up and very loose fitting. I could not figure out what happened to my boobs. I mentioned it to my daughter and she said your bobbies were probably still swollen when you bought those. So with me it took a longgggg time for that swelling to go down and now Im with the A cups again....Im glad Im keeping my sence of humor...As far as the caroid artery my right one was done same time as cabg. right was 90 percent blocked and left 60. The drs. I had said without doing it I was at a high risk for stroke. Like very high. Im taking it one day at a time and I hope you all do too..It does get better and what does not and cant be changed we do deal with it. Best wishes for a healthy recovery road.

I had my quad bypass 6 weeks ago. I am 48 years old. The main problems I'm having is that my left breast is swollen and hurts. I've mentioned it to my doc and at cardio rehab. They don't have any answers. Has anyone else had this problem??

This book should be very helpful for those who have had Bypass, stent or heart attack or considering CABG. The Cooper Cardiac Rehabilitation Program ISBN 0-671- 68260-1 It covers a multitude of questions , many of which have been raised on this forum. Would be available in your local library. Warren

Tablets have life of 3 months once opened and spray 12 months. Warren

Hi folks. Sorry about the bad feelings that were precipitated by my post. I thought it might be helpful to clarify my "position" on COQ10: I'm real glad I feel better with it but I'm not an enthusiast about it or any other supplement or drug. My training is in public health and, although I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, I'm pretty good at evaluating health claims. So when the doc said I probably had diastolic dysfunction, I typed that term into google and familiarized myself with it. Then, as I usually do, I went to PubMed and Medscape and read all the relevant literature I could find. COQ10 sounded like a reasonable bet so I tried it. Because it might be masking a problem that should be treated in a different way, I'm getting a second cardiologist's opinion so I don't overlook anything. When it comes to health issues, I try to be rigorously empirical and unemotional because I think there's too much wishful thinking in alternative medicine and too little open- mindedness in mainstream medicine. Both attitudes can hurt people. Thanks again for having this forum and letting me speak my peace.

Hi Me again- Dad's recovery is still going very slow, still not sleeping well either. He is nearly 2 months post 3x CABG. He has had heavy pain in his back, well his rib cage in the back I guess, still no relief from that, now his left arm is really bothering him. Anyone have some insight.........Please..........thanks Marie

Does anyone here know if it is ok to shovel the snow - 5 months since bypass, can't get into ask the doctor today so I thought I'd find out what you know and if you have tried. Gail

Perhaps if people gave up cheeseburgers and other similar food that does nothing for their health they could afford Q10. Warren

It is usual to take aspirin (100mg) first thing in morning as daytime is the time most people would need maximum benefit. I take 100mg Q10 in morning but if I was taking more I would take half in morning and half at night. Warren

hi im sept 03 and 3way bypass i had a gift from surgery a staff infec and with the help of new drugs made it with out lossing part of my left leg now i have a 1/4 gap in breast bone and dr. has no idea when or if it well heal has any one had same or info on this i m 55 and cant work any more steve

Dear Toni, There is no need to leave group- There is lots of other constructive info that can help. I am on a pension (age) and still make sure I can get Q10. Regards, Warren

Hi Chris et al. I just found and joined this group. Thanks for being here. I was excited to see that COQ10 is being discussed because I have my own testimony and questions about it: I had a 4-way bypass eight months ago. Everything went well until a few months later. I developed shortness of breath, palpitations, weakness, sleepiness, loss of appetite, difficulty urinating, etc. All these were made worse by exercise. A holter recorded as many as 800 arrhythmias per hour, including short runs of ventricular tachycardia. An echo showed that my left atrium and ventricle had both gotten approx 30% bigger (although only the atrium was outside normal limits). On the positive side, a thallium stress test revealed no signs of ischemia and my ejection fraction was a solid 65%. My doc and I discussed a few possibilities, especially "diastolic dysfunction", about which he said he could do little. After some internet research I started on 100 mg/day of "Q-Gel" COQ10. My symptoms started to abate within 3 days and keep getting better the longer I take the stuff. I feel normal now unless I really overdo the exercise. My doc says he's heard lots of similar stories from his patients and didn't object to me taking it. I do wonder if the coQ10 is just covering up an underlying disorder that could be treated better if it were diagnosed definitively and treated with existing meds. Sorry for the long- winded post. Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks again. Larry

Should you take the above in the morning and evening respectively. RIchard

I had nothing better to do so I went through the members list and it was quite interesting to see where members came from and their ages/gender where noted. I got the idea when I was trying to remember where Warren lived. For those of you willing/interested perhaps you could enter this information also. Thanks, Gail

Ed, if you are actually taking CoEnzyme Q10 right now would you please answer some questions for me? I would like to know the following: 1) Was your blood tested for a deficiency of CoEnzyme Q10? What was the test called? 2) How did you determine the dosage to take? 3) Do you take it at night, with meals or what? I ask because it is fat soluble and have been given the impression that it should be taken with fat (?). I think a lot of folks on this board will be interested in your answers. Thanks for your time. Chris

I just found out that CoQ10 supplements are only available in Canada by prescription. Our pharmacist is very good at finding over the counter drugs at really good prices so I decided to take some Christmas gift money and buy some but when we went to get it we were told we would need a prescription. We called our drug benefit company to see if it is covered and it isn't - the prescription price for 60 soft gels - strength 100 all natural CoQ10 works out to $1.22 each so then we went on the internet to see if we could order from the US but when the shipping address was typed in the company said they would need a prescription to send them to us and special custom documentation. Does anyone else in the group live in Canada? If so have you tried buying this product?

Q10 is a natural product and the bulk of it is extracted from seaweed in Japan. It was thought only a few years ago that the heart was the main "user" of Q10 but then they found all major organs have it- virtually every cell in your body. It is not specifically used to lower lipids or blood pressure but as an immune system booster and to repalce natural loss on body. Warren

Don't ever let anyone on the internet convince you to stop taking a drug your doctor prescribed for you. By all means you can discuss it with them, and let them know what supplements you're taking, but don't stop just because you read it somewhere on the internet.

In the last 5 years or so there have been great advances in medicine mostly by medical scientists and not medical Drs. We forget that "Western Medicine" has been around for a limited time compared to the time that humans have existed and millios of people have survived without manufactured drugs and still do. I know life spans have increased but the worlds medical or healing knowledge is not limited to western style medicine.Example follow. Native Americans: Echinacea, arnica and many other herbal remedies were learnt from these people. Hindu: Ayurvedic medicine has one of the longest written histories going back more than 2000 years. It includes herbal, surgery etc etc etc. This is the source of Chinese medicine especially acupuncture which was bought to China about 900AD. Chinese Medicine: Now becoming "fashionable" in western society. Over 4000 years of written history including surgery. A great book to read is "The Barefoot Doctor" which covers all types of Chinese medicine icluding drawings of herbs and plants to use instead of modern drugs etc. Funnily it is published in USA and was used by the Peace Corp in 3rd world countries. Now are few more western based hints. DENTISTS: Some dentists-very few- are aware that lack of Q10 causes receding gums and other gum infections. This also includes loose teeth. If you start getting loose teeth try Q10. OPTICIANS: For people with possible heart or any cardiovascular problems your optician is No. 1. A good optician can see if the tiny blood vessels behind and surrounding the eye are occluded and should recommend you see your GP for appropriate follow up. CHIROPRACTOR: A 12 monthly check up with a Chiro makes good sense. Mis alignment of spine especially neck can cause pinched nerves which can cause ANGINA even though you have no other obvious problems. ACUPUNCTURE: Many Doctors now also practice this discipline. A good practioner can find many health problems and most work closely with a GP. Sorry for length of posting but from the varied messages it appears that many people are too scared to question their Dr. It is your body and only you can take care of it by using every facility available. If you are unhappy get a second opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or third. Regards, Warren

DELETION: I usually just highlight holding left mouse button down and use delete on keyboard. You can also hit reply and when new window opens go to end of message and backspace. It is nearly as easy to go to Post and type in Subject the post which you are replying. Regards, Warren

I get the feeling that perhaps your Drs have not taken a course updating their knowledge since the 50's. Everybody seems to be taking a multitude of drugs. Surely in 2004 Drs can prescribe a few drugs only. The more drugs you take, especially beta blockers with channel blockers, calcium antagonists there is going to be a conflict. REgards, Warren

Ok Ed.......you may think I'm the dumbest person in the world BUT I promise I'm not...........BUT that didn't work either.........I know how to copy and paste......I know how to basically delete something......but this trying to delete the posts so that I can reply without sending back everything is really getting to me!!! Perhaps my "pumphead" is working overtime in the stupidity department!!!.......... As for why I'm still with AOL.......hmmm good question......I tried cable broadband and had so many problems with the cable company that it was with that we cancelled. Right now we are looking at signing up with BellSouth that will bundle all the services we want into one package (hopefully at a good price) and we will then switch to them. And yes.......always looking for ways to save money!!!! Back to Q-10......I have read a number of times that the various suppliers of Q-10 can offer varying degrees of Q-10 in each capsules therefore I'm not sure how we will be able to determine which is the best to use. Also in the past I have decided through my own experimenting that I think the liquid soft-gels might be better than the ones I have gotten than have a powdered Q-10 in them.......I only believe this based on how I feel........but again.....I think we are going to have a problem determining which is the best.............if we check out the various web sites put out by the doctors like Dr Whitaker or Dr Sinatra who tout Q-10 as lifesavers then you think you have to buy from them in order to get the "good" stuff......I'm not saying I believe this for a minute.......but then also not sure how we can decide if one is better than another........ GAIL.......I wanted you to know that my useage of Q-10 has been sporadic over the past 10 years. I think I wanted to take it as a preventative to any heart disease but honestly I felt so good before surgery I probably only took it on a "when I thought of it" basis. Since surgery I have been better at taking it but then again it was perhaps only a few times a week. About a year ago I started having shortness of breath....couldn't walk to the corner without having to stop a couple of times to "catch my breath"....forget walking up any hills that was almost impossible. Running the vacumn wore me out totally and the shortness of breath was always with me ...even bending over to pick up something. This is when I went into panic mode....it had been almost 5 years since surgery so yes it was possible I had blockages back.......BUT I was scared to death to face this so I decided I would do something first before caving in and having a bunch of tests. I then proceded to take 150 and sometimes 300 mg of Q-10 every day. Along with this I also started exercising about 3-4 days a week. I go to the Cardiologist every 3-4 months and 6 months ago I was still having shortness of breath.......3 months ago it seemed it was still there but not as bad.........and now I can do most everything without getting totally out of breath.......oh yes. I'll admit to some breathlessness but it is so mild and so infrequent that I don't even think about it. What medicine are you on for your shortness of breath? I"m on monopril (ace inhibitor) HCTZ (diuretic) atenolol (beta blocker) norvasc (calcium channel blocker).........I would say it has probably taken a few months to notice any improvement in the shortness of breath (that is after I stated taking it faithfully)....one might wonder if it was the exercise or the q-10 tht was making it better......hmmmm considering since Xmas I've slacked off the exercising and still notice the improvement I guess I'll have to say it's the Q-10............ Did the doctor give you any idea why the shortness of breath developed?? Did you have it before surgery? I think we are all finding the cost of Co-Q10 really high ........I'm hoping that one of us or perhaps all of us together we may find some good prices....I'm glad the medicine the doctor prescribed is working ........you'll notice than even though I'm taking Co=Q10 that I still have to take all the meds and most likely will the rest of my life...........each one serves a different purpose that I guess my body needs........... Carol in Atlanta

my moms doc said her arteries closed back up one month after saus hes only had 2 other people like her shes getting blood test to see if she has a blood disease anyone ever here of a story like this would appreciate insight from any medical people

HI Carol, You mentioned in your posting that you suffered shortness of breath until you went on CoQ10. Can you tell me a bit more about when you first noticed the proble, how soon it went away after starting CoQ10, and how long you have been taking CoQ10. It has been 5 months since I had bypass surgery, for me things went very well while in hospital and afterwards but exactly 4 weeks after the surgery I develloped shortness of breath which has responded to a tablet prescribed by a physician but it is a medication I am not sure I want to stay on for life. I currently do not take CoQ10 as I live in Canada and I cannot find a good deal so far and since I am no longer working but still raising a family on the 1 income it is hard to find the money to buy this. Gail in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Chuck.....I tried to delete everything by doing what you suggested and it didn't do anything.....nothing disappeared......could the fact I have aol email have anything to do with it?? Toni......I appreciate all you went through with your bypass surgery etc. and I understand your desire to have people post more pleasant outcomes and happier experiences in the hospital, I appologize if you haven't been happy with what I have written in terms of my experiences with my surgery.........I have been on this list for years and until now have never written in detail my experiences with my surgery......mainly because I didn't want to be a "downer" or make people who are facing this surgery afraid. I purposely kept my feelings to myself for fear of offending anyone etc. That said.....I'm sorry but I decided that with all the stories I've been hearing (not necessarily on this board) about medical problems........people unhappy with their care etc. I felt it was time to explain just why there are some of us who are so vehemently in favor of people becoming their own advocates and learn all they can about medical problems......research information that may help them and above all make it a point to learn to talk to your doctor so that he understands your questions well enough to give good answers....... For those interested in Coenzyme Q 10......I bought some at Sam's club today and paid $32.76 for 100 softgels at 150mg. They also had 50mg...120 count for 13.76. My dr just told me to take as much as I wanted (who can afford much?) as he wasn't sure what dosage was necessary. I take 150mg per day......sometimes I up it to 300 mg a day depending on how I feel. For those who wonder what Q-10 appears to do I can only speak for myself. Because of the expense I stopped taking it about a year ago. I quickly became out of breath doing most anything and was afraid my dr would want me to have heart cath etc......when he told me he thought perhaps I had gotten some blockages back I had to make a deal with him. I promised I would go ahead with tests etc. if he would give me time to try to get back in shape.......he agreed and I went back to 300 mg of Q-10 and the shortness of breath has gone away completely...................so I'm a firm believer in Q-10......whether it's the Q-10 or not I may never know but have decided to just keep taking it.......but sure would be nice to find somwhere where it isn't so expensive!!!! So far Sam's has been the cheapest........... Carol in Atlanta

I found a web site that described the effects of CoEnzyme Q10 in simple to read and understand language. If you are interested you may want to review this information and see what it is all about. Ed

this is a short log of what has happened 7/26/2000 had been working on the job and was feeling like I had the flu just ached all over then saturday went to some friend for supper and went for a short ride after became very ill andpassed out when I came to couldnt speak an was that way for 15 to 20 min. my friend was saing that he though I had suffered a heart attack and wanted to take me to the hospital after another 10min. of argueing I agreed to go upon arrivial It was like going into fast forward I spent a week in intensive care and was put on meds and sent to cardio rehab With the 2 a.m. runs to the hospital E.R.from july to sept. The doctor had sent me around to this specialist and that for 8 weeks until I became so unstable that they wouldnt let me leave th E.R. I was finly shipped to Oklahoma city For By pass surgery after talking to the surgeron He told me I would be ok for 5 or more years if I staied on th med. well so much for that I have had stent placement every 6 months for the past three years the most recient was in nov of this year can someone tell me what is going on this is getting flustrating and with Two heartattacks and some mimi TIA under my belt I still get the same old thing from the Doctor I am seeing he said he feels that I am too young for another bypass at this time an that I need a life style change and so and so on can any one shed light into this dark hole Im in please

Hi All, If your Dr won't answer your questions and you are not well it is quite simple-change Dr. This may be difficult in small towns but aggro with service will probably cause more trauma than going to another town. Warren

Perhaps it is to delicate a subject but no one seems to have raised "constipation" as a side effect though admittedly I have not searched archives. Regards, Warren

Hi, I have been on Q10 for 7+ years taking 50mg per day. Since discharge from hospital I have been taking 100mg per day. After the age of 50 there is a depletion in Q10 in body especially in people with heart conditions. Many gum problems and loose teeth are caused by lack of Q10. Sports medicine Drs recommend doses from 50mg up to 500mg depending on weight ,age, activity etc. A quick test to check if Q10 helps heart etc is to take pulse and then exercise on treadmill, exercise bike, stepper, or just use step exercise for 10 minutes. Take pulse immediately-then take 60mg of Q10 and repeat exercise and take pulse again. Most people have reduced pulse. If you can have someone take BP before, during and after exercise this will also be a guide. In Australia 50mg cost between $AUD28 and $AUD 48. There is some outlandish ones priced around $AUD70. There are hundreds of websites-excluding ones selling Q10- showing value in heart, chronic fatigue and other illness's. Some hospitals -even in USA are recommending for operation recovery including bypass. Perhaps you can find more info by searching sports medicine pages. Regards from Australia Warren

Annmarie (and others new to the list): I've been an RN for about 14 years, and have been in Health Care for almost 20. My Bachelor's degree is in Community Health Education. I started my health career in hospital management/teaching roles, then went to Nursing School while working full time. I've been a Cardiac Nurse with emphasis on post-open hearts for all my nursing career, having worked primarily on a Telemetry unit as both a staff nurse and a charge nurse. I started this support group when I saw a critical need for support for patients who were being sent home 2 days post open heart. I could not believe that they were equipped enough to cope with the challenges of recovery and had to do something. That was 6+ years ago (Right, you original members?). We've grown from a humble group of about 12 brave folks to over 300 today. I'm the resident RN, yet my philosophy is that this is "their" group. I rarely "pipe up" unless directly asked a question, as the goal of this group is primarily support, and those who have experienced Bypass are far better equipped to do that than I. I'm here when a medical question pops up or just to be a cheerleader, but I enjoy my role in the background letting the great folks here help one another. I learn more from them than I could ever teach. Take care, Ann, RN (I sign all my posts this way as there is an Ann Bypasser and it gets confusing at times!)

Ed, when you have time would it be possible to conduct some kind of a poll/survey regarding the supplement CoQ10 amongst the members of this group to see who is using it, for how long, and if they have noticed any benefit since using it and what the benefits were. It seems to be highly recommended but it is costly for those of us who have limited income for whatever reason. I would like input from users on this site to help determine if it is something we should try to work into the family budget. When searching the internet one can find many pros or cons about a supplement/drug so I would be more interested to hear from those who take the time to read or post to this site. Thks, Gail

Thanks Annmarie for commentiing......why was I only left in ICU for three hours? I sure would like that answer also........I came down from surgery around 4:30 and by 7 my husband was told that they were preparing me to move down to the intermediate care floor and since I was doing okay he should go home and get some rest. So the exact time I was moved I'm not sure about....but it definitely was not more than 3-4 hours after surgery. It has been my contention that they moved me because I appeared to be doing okay (at least that is my guess) But looking back I now know that all that happened to me was definitely a cause for concern on the part of the hospital. There is a doctor in all hospitals that are called in on various cases (I now know this is the dr/lawyer who is following the problem cases) and he was by my side constantly. At one point when I had the tube in the throat in ICU he came in and woke me up and told me that my husband was causing problems by asking too many questions such as "why did they remove the chest tube so soon".......this doctor apparently was there to try and cover up or at the least make sure nothing appeared out of the ordinary etc........I couldn't talk but he asked me if I understood what he was saying......I nodded yes and he then went on to tell me to try and get my husband to calm down and not pester the staff with so many questions...........when I look back I again see how intimidated both my family and I were by those doctors and I now know that had I been better educated.....better informed I would have known to tell my husband what to look for in my care. NO ONE should be moved out of ICU until at least 24 hours have passed to insure no complications will develop........it makes me physically sick (headaches etc) when I think back on those days now knowing what I wished I had known back then..........and I know some say "get over it"......truly I have....I am loving life and enjoying every minute of it today... Ann.......I can truly understand your feelings of this surgery and the feelings of NEVER AGAIN.........I am doing what I need to to stay healthy but like you I build up the plague just because my body is prone to doing that.......I also exercise and do all I can.........but then I have days where I just throw caution to the wind and eat that pizza loaded with cheese...... I so happy if others can gain just a little bit of information that they can use to help themselves become better informed patients..........support groups are the best way we can help each other and if my computer ever crashes I'm in big trouble!!! This is my lifeline!! Oh.......as one who is on the computer a lot I have to admit I don't know how to delete all of the other posts so that the only thing that comes through is this post.......so please......someone who is more computer literate than I am please post so that we can all learn!!! Carol in Atlanta

It has been almost 10 months since they opened my chest for a single by-pass,they used a vein out of my chest. I have complained of chest pain ever since. It don't feel like its in my heart,more like under the chest plate itself. It goes from slight to severe,also sharp pain between my shoulder blades. I took Celebrex for 4 months in case it was Dresslers Syndrome. I've had 3 EKG's an 1 chest x-ray,and nothing seems out of wack,Im still on 13 meds. 1.Nexium 40mg. 8.Altace 2.5mg 2.Asprin 81mg 9.Atenolol 25mg 3.Klor-con 10 10meq 10.Zocor 40mg 4.Levsinex 0.375mg 11.Hytrin 10mg 5.Hydrochlorothazide 12.5mg 12.Hydroxyzine Pamoate 10mg 6.Foltx 13.Ambien 10mg {as needed for sleep} 7.Plavix 75mg Vitamins, 1.CoQ10 100mg 4.Vitamin E 2.Sentrum Silver 5.B-Complex 3.Fish Oil Cap. I'm a 66yr. old male that enjoyed 65 years of good health. This past 10 months have really been tough. I completed 16 weeks of Cardiac Rehab,all the while bitching about chest pain.I have tried spray nitro and all that does is give me a headache.My cardio guy says that I have no broken wires,Dresslers,and that it may take me a couple of years to get back to where I was post "cabg".I told him to go have his chest cracked open just to see what it feels like. He has no more idea how I feel,then I know how a woman feels having a baby.Sorry to gripe so much. I just feel like I got caught up in the system and can't find a way out......Mac

Annmarie...... I think as a nurse you are doing what needs to be done and that is to listen and learn from patients who have been there...done that. Looking back on my long extended stay in the hospitabl after my CABG I truly believe the nurses are the only ones who seemed to understand and care what was going on with my body. I have to admit to being somewhat bitter about my 2 1/2 week stay in the hospital after I was told "don't worry...you'll be out in five days after surgery" And quite frankly looking back I now realize that my rush into surgery was indeed nothing more than a need to fill the cardiovascular's roster to fulfill his desire to do so many by-pass surgeries per year. Wow....that sounds like a pretty radical statement doesn't it?? But if one looks at how quickly I was rushed ......the fact that my own cardiologist was not consulted....my internists wasn't consulted and everything was based on the doctor who did the heart catherization ......he took it upon himself to make the arrangements...have me transferred from one hospital to another.....set up the surgery schedule so it was done immediately. When I questioned whether or not I should talk to my cardiologist first he said that he would handle all of that and I must prepare myself for surgery. A side note here: my cardiologist was never informed of my surgery and he knew nothing of my complications until after I got home from the hospital and I had my first visit.....He was in shock that he was not informed etc....my internist only knew of my problems because he was in the hospital visiting another patient when he happened to see my husband in ICU.....I was intubated for a totally of 7 days as my organs needed the time to recover. I was out of it most of the time but I can vaguely remember the internist taking my hand and telling me that I would live. I know some will say that indeed the heart cath doctor must have known what he was doing and felt it was an emergency but I can say with all honestly I know it wasn't......my new heart doctor says it most likely wasn't an emergency and that if truth be told all of my present day tests are fairly consistant with the tests done immediately before my surgery (stress tests..echo....heart cath)........so why am I saying all of this.......I guess to stress how important it is to be informed....not to be intimidated by the medical community......but at the least feel comfortable with what the doctor tells you (trust I guess in the doctor)......I wasn't at all sure that what I was being told was the truth.....he never answered a lot of my questions......he was evasive etc.....so in the long run I guess it was my own fear that kept me from getting up out of the hospital bed and running for the exit!!! That will NEVER happen again to me......this is what has made me so vehemently a advocate for everyone to become informed on as much as they can if they have a medical condition. I could go on and on about the problems encountered in the hospital....such as why was I only allowed three hours in ICU after surgery (could hmo have anything to do with that?)....I never recovered consiciousness after surgery until I had been in the hospital for over a week. Oh they said I was consicous but I remember nothing except for vague bits and pieces......I had no pain.......the only vivid thing I can remember is telling my husband the day after surgery that he needed to tell the nurses not to lay me flat in the bed as I felt like I was suffocating. He did and they checked with my surgeon who said to remove the drainage tube in my chest.....which they did..........and BOOM the downhill spiral began....kidneys starting failing......heart followed and eveantually all organs showed sign of failure......thank God for that little nurse who knew I was slipping fast....she rushed me back to ICU and it was determined I had cardiac tamponade that had most likely existed since I came out of surgery.....the rest is history....time spent on respirator helped save my life along with a replacement of the tube that had been removed!!! I'm sorry to be rambling here......once I get started it's hard to stop!!! And yes almost 6 years later I am living a good life with some problems but at least I'm alive!! As for statin drugs.........AnnMarie..the side effects take a long time to show up......I know many who have no problems for a year......others within a few months.....it all depends on how your body handles the drug. For me.....it took months......but then I always felt it was the surgery complications that made me feel so bad......but in time found it was the statin drugs..... I'm thankful this by-pass support group is here.....I hope you all realize that lots of people read these notes but not all write .........I have been reading for a few years now......learning something from each of you.............. Through the internet it is possible to touch someone's life....hopefully for the better.. I certainly don't write this with the intention of saying no-one should have surgery etc.......there comes a time when we all have to face the possibilities of surgery to correct problems within our own bodies......just try to become informed and if necessary use the patient advocate that is available in every hospital. I wish I had known about them before............... Carol in Atlanta

Hey all, It's me, your friendly neighborhood RN....I've been reading all the posts, just swamped and haven't had enough time to respond lately. I did want to ask one favor of everyone in regard to posting. If you would delete the "old" information from your message before you hit send, it would be very helpful to those like me with limited time to read. I read in Digest form, and many times I have to weed through so much old stuff to find the new stuff. THANKS! Remember, if you ever need a personal reply from me, feel free to email me privately. I'm always here. Take care, Ann, RN

I think some things to keep in mind when discussing or considering statins is that you have to consider all the information. I have been trying them or attempting to find a cholesterol lowing medication for the past six years and have yet to find one that will work for me. It depends on the person, what other medications they are taking, what resistence they have. Initially I took Lipitor 10mg and I did fine for about 18 months, it wasn't until my cardiologist increased the dosage up to 20mg that I began to have the myalgia problems. I think some people can tolerate low dosages of many of the statins. I have tolearated other statins in low dosages for about 2 to 2 1/2 months but when they decide to incrase the dose to aid increasing the HDL since I can't seem to get above 25, I am in trouble in about 1 to 1/2 weeks. I begin to have loss of muscle tone, muscle ache, leg aches, pain, etc. At this point and time I still have the myalgia off and on and I am not taking anything but they won't acknowledge it is from the statins, although I have an endcronoligist who is almost convinced that it can't be anything else. He is appreciative that the patient is educated and takes part in trying to find a solution. He "LISTENS". He relies on the clinical studies, sales reps, and others physician input along with his nursing staff. So that is what I mean. It's the combination of all the information that will help us to figure this out. After all, we all want the same answers. Keep searching. Barb

Hello to all: Sometimes after bypass surgery something can get overlooked because everyone is focusing on the surgery itself. An example of this is myself. It has been 5 months since the surgery and finally just the past couple of days the pain is gone but for the past 4 - 6 weeks I have been so Tired and couldn't figure out why but thought it was related to the surgery somehow but didn't mention it to the doctor but then I having what I thought was more complications from the diabetes so I went in to the doctor with those symptoms. She didn't like the sounds of what I was telling her so she ran a whole different set of blood tests and it turns out I have a severe B12 deficiency - I have to go for injections evry 3 days - this is the reason for my tiredness not the medications I am taking as I have taken them all for years before the surgery with no side effects.

Thanks Maggie, I have saved this page and will try it next time. hugs nancy

First off...thank you to all of you that replied re: fatigue for my husband...After reading your replies i seem to see a common thread here...So correct me if i am wrong...which i probably am...wouldn't be the first time..lol...did you have high blood pressure before surgery?? And after surgery you were able to stop the meds for high blood pressure??? See i figure after having this kind of surgery it should be like a nice side affect to have your blood pressure go down...My husband had very high blood pressure before surgery and still does...maybe not quite as high but still high...They have him taking 180mg Tarka 2x a day...seems like a lot to me...can't wait for this cardio doc appt. to ask a bunch of questions...seems like there could also be something more "natural" to take to help lower blood pressure...But also after reading the other posts i guess i can be thankful that we are not dealing with high cholesterol also...In fact the docs seemed kind of surprised he didn't have that too...so no decisions on taking statins at this time...although husband already iformed me if they want him to take them in the future, he doesn't want to...heard of too many people he knows with problems from them...So thanks again for the help...Like i say i could be wrong here but doesn't it seem that once they "replumb" that heart...the blood pressure should go down??? Not a doctor here...maybe the knee bone isn't connected to the ankle bone..lol...Debbie

Hey Ed........stop already......you're embarassing me!!! Actually I always hope that anything I say can shed a little light for some who wonder what is going on with their bodies...........and no I certainly am no modern day Florence Nightingale running around sounding the alarm. But as one who "saw the light" and came back from a harrowing near death experience from my surgery I became determined to never ever be placed in a position where I felt trapped into something without doing my own research. As for doctors and pharma reps..............one day I was sitting in my husbands pulmonologist office waiting for him when a sales rep came in.....sat down next to me and we started talking about various drugs etc. He was pushing the upgraded Lescol XP or something like that for lowering cholestrol.......I proceded to tell him of my problems with lipitor and he then went on to tell me this drug was better.....absolutely no side effects.....and he went on and on.... I thanked him and said I would mention what he said to my dr. The next day I had appt with my cardio guy and before I could say anything he presented me with samples of a new drug called Lescol XP.......he then proceded to tell me almost word for word what the sales rep had told me the day before. I laughed inwardly as I asked him if he had heard about the drug before and just what studies had been done for determining side effects.........again it was the words of the sales rep that came out. My cardio guy once told me that they are so busy that they don't have time to do their own research on new drugs......or on new procedures etc........I can understand this but then on the other hand not sure I like what I'm told to take based on what a sales rep says as his main motivation is to make money by pushing the new drugs. I don't know what the answers are.....a doctor has to base his prescribing of new drugs based on what the sales rep tells him so are we saying the sales reps need more knowledge of what it is they are selling? After I listened to the sales pitch for lescol xp from the sales rep I went home and did my own little research and sure enough there it was.......another satin drug with basically the same side effects etc..............and for those who say we are bashing the statins....I don't think it is a case of bashing them as much as a need to recognize that we are all different and each drug will react differently to every one of us......boy, how easy would it be to pop a statin......lower the cholestrol and feel great. Unfortunately there is a growing number of people who have symptoms of something wrong and they have no clue what to pin it on......their own body deteriorating ........their meds.......disease......... Ed......bravo to your wife for becoming a nurse!!! What a dedicated field she is in and trust me when I say that had it not been for a nurse I would not bere today. I was put in ICU after bypass but only for 3 hours and then moved down to regular room. Instead of monitoring every 15 minutes it was more like every hour......but one of the nurses noticed I was not responding as I should and before long was in total organ failure.........fortunately she had feelings that I was sinking and so she stayed right there with me until a doctor could be found.......it wasn't long before all organs were near total failure when she took it upon herself to bring me back to ICU and indeed I was back in surgery before long..........just one small example of how important it is that we train good nurses......... Well, there I go again rambling again.........by the way Ed.....when the dr put you on lipitor and said you needed to get well for the grandkids.......what a tyical statement that is being made all over this country today by doctors........when I had my heart catherization and it showed blockages the doc said to me "surgery must be done immediately".......I said I wanted one of my kids to come up and stay with my husband while I had surgery..........he jumped at me and quite frankly yelled "you won't be alive by next week if you wait for your daughter to come".......needless to say I had surgery the next day.....After it took a year for my recovery I started doing my research and every thing I have read says I should have been offered options.......should have been told WHY it was necessary for immediate surgery.....should have been informed on just what was wrong with my body and lastly explain to my satisfaction just why it was that I had absolutely no symptoms of anything wrong........no angina.....no shortness of breath.......no high bp (under control)......was walking 3miles a day......and felt 10 years younger than I was. Yes we must trust our doctors but do it with an informed mind and never be afraid to question them if we have doubts..........I admit I used to be intimidated by my doctors........today I feel empowered by knowledge to speak up (nicely) and say what I think........... Keep up the good work Ed.......I realize some will not appreciate all that you do but in the long run you have been placed here at this time for some special reason and it could be to make people realize some of our destiny is in our own hands and we shouldn't always leave it up to others................... Carol in Atlanta..

Thanks Ed for posting the url for the FDA petition on statin drugs. At one time I posted a note to the FDA regarding my problems with lipitor etc. and often wondered if any doctors who have been aware of the difficulties with statins were doing anything to get the word out. I for one have stopped the statins and have discovered I am a different person......much to the relief of my husband!!! I had become a cardiac invalid and had reached the point of just sitting and hardly do anything to improve my physical being.......it was just too difficult and I had become a nasty old woman who felt physcially had aged 20 years in just a short time. Thank god for the internet as I have learned so much about statins, Q-10 and just overall knowledge on health etc..........and no I don't believe everything I read.......I do plenty of research before I decide if something I read is worth following up on. Take care all........listen to your body and follow up with your doctor....go prepared with information you have gathered. My cardio doctor now asks me when he walks into the room "and what have you been reading lately"......I no longer feel like the victim of disease but a survivor who is fighting back................ Carol in Atlanta

Aloe Vera can reduce scarring effect both from ops and other injuries. Just peel fresh leaf and rub on gently. It will slowly soak in. The fuuny posting was also good as laughter increases endorphins which reduces pain and helps healing. Warren

I am coming up on ten months and my scar is still red and lumpy, but I don't think it is as red etc. I have seen other's scars that have healed in a nice white line. That is what I am hoping for though I still put vit e on my scar periodically to help it along. Time heals, etc. losing her ribbons as well as her whiskers formerly Countess Talks Too Much

Hi all...Have another question...first let me tell you all is good...been since Sept., so 4 months since my husbands bypass..He's doing great, back to work full time...Only lingering problem he has is fatigue...He is a salesman so he is on the road all day...most days he does fine but some days he is so tired he comes home early and takes a nap...He has noticed that he has to eat during the day, which he never used to do, eating helps with the fatigue...Has others noticed this problem??? How long do you think it lasts?? I know he gets frustrated at times...keeps saying "where is all the newfound energy everybody said i would get?"...He has an appt. with the cardio doc on feb. 4th., we're thinking it could be a result of the bp meds that he's on....Thanks alot...Debbie

Hi all, If anyone wrote to me personally in regards to Co-Q-10 and I didn't respond I truly apologize but honestly I don't believe I got anything in my AOL mailbox. I will admit to getting way too much mail and it may have gotten overlooked. So please try again and perhaps we can help each other with this statin problem that so many of us have been having. Those who can tolerate statins are fortunate but for those who have problems it is a constant battle to keep the cholestrol down and many are still trying to find ways to feel better after encountering the side effects of lipitor etc. Again my email is: clowing990@... perhaps put in the subject line Statin drugs or Co-enzyme Q-10.......something that will attract my attention.........unfortunately I haven't found a way to get rid of the constant spam I'm getting and I tend to overlook some things that should perhaps be opened......... Have a good day all!! Carol in Atlanta

Ed, A few weeks ago there was a big discussion going on relative to using Coenzyme Q10 to help you solve some of the problems from taking statins to lower one's cholesterol. I emailed Carol with questions and she didn't respond so I was wondering if you had any info (Sales pitches, tests, etc) that I could read over for further input. Appreciate your time on this. By the way this request goes to all members of the board. Thanks again.

HI, I also cannot take medication and have tried all of them. I have succeeded however in bringing my total Chol within normal range though HDL is still a little low. JUICE the following 4 carrots 2 sticks of celery including leaves 1/2 beetroot or a baby beet with leaves. Drink slowly- do not store You should notice reducion within 4-6 weeks. Regards, Warren

Hi everyone and Happy New year. Dad is One month since 3xbypass. He is still having unbearable pain in his back, seems to be muscular but doc wont give him anything for it. He is sleeping a little better, he is on a stronger sleeping pill, but his latest problem is an enlarged prostate. He was in the hospital all 3 days ago now he has a cathiter in until he sees the urologist in 2 weeks. Any thoughts from anyone? Is this another effect of the operation, or is it just conincidence..........Thanks Marie

Hi, I had triple bypass on 16th. Dec and walking about 20 minutes per day and doing other exercises. Had massive heart attack 22 years ago with cardiac arrest and overcame that with exercise and diet. Pritikin originally and then balanced Cooper Clinic type . NO red meat, mainly fish and occasional chicken breast and lots of fruit and fresh vegetables. Try and avoid "food" from cans or packets. Fresh is better. I am 67 and planning to get ready to go camping and RV'ing as soon as possible-like about 3 months. Keep a positive attitude and keep drugs to minimum. Regards, Warren

Can someone give me some feedback on Serrapeptase, is it useful for folks that have had bypasses?

Hi My name is Hershell and I live in East Tennessee. I'm 39 years old and had to undergo quadruple bypass on the 12/29/03. I went to the emergency room because I was having trouble breathing. My physcian had been treating me for the last four months for pluriouse, a lung infection. I had 85% blockage in one spot and over 65% in ther other three. What I want to ask is this a common mistake that doctors make or should I have been sent to have other tests sooner. I feel as though my doctor was playing with my life. Now that everything is over and done with I want to know what my chances are for a healthy recovery, but as of yet all anyone will say is lets take it day by day. This scares the spirits out of me. I have been researching every thing that i csan find to see what kind of diet I should be on. All I have been told is to watch my sodium and fat intake. But, my question is how can i watch it if I do not know what my daily intake should be. should my doctor not have told me these things befor I came home from the hospiutal? Also, is customary that you don't see your surgeon for three weeks after your surgury and your cardoilogist six weeks afterwards? Anyone who can talk to me about what to expect over the next few weeks or suggestions on things that I should do or shouldn't do. I would appreciate it Hershell

anyone ever hear of that

I am in Ohio four weeka out from aortic valve replacememt and ascending aortic anyurism repair. Just found out last night, my brother is having emergency bypass surgery this morning. I found a group called valvereplacemnt.com which was a greta help to me and wondered if I could nose around here and maybe get my brother to join this one. He is 54 years old. I am 53. Regards Fisher6476

Does anyone know the difference between policosanal and octacosanol other than the later being cheaper. Thanks

Thanks Chuck, I guess the good days make up for the bad days and keeping a positive attitude helps. Having recovered from cardiac arrest against all odds I am sure I can beat this. Just have to remember the reason you get blockages. Keep on almost vegetarian diet, exercise, no red meat, drink lots of water and get off excess medication asap. Regards, Warren

Does anyone know which is the best brand of Policosanol? Preferably one I can purchase in the England.

Greetings from Australia. Had triple bypass on 16th Dec and was out in 5 days. Medication is Metoporol, Tritace and aspirin. Paracetamol for pain and over the counter Ricodeine for cough caused by Tritace. Cough was very painful. Used windtrainer in hospital on 4th day very gently, just rolling along. Doing shoulder and stretch exercises. Was walking 220 yards in hospital after 4th day and walking in house at moment- circuit wanders and 4 laps is 55 yards. Somedays I feel ready to conquer the world-other days yuk!!! Had major heart attack 22 years ago with cardiac arrest and have not been on any drugs apart from aspirin for 10 years or so. I am 67 and usually think I am about 29 but this has slowed me up a bit. Feel 49 today. My main worry was memory loss but no troubles yet. Try and learn something new everday-it keeps brain active. I have also taken Q10 and Vitamain E for 10 years and have started again yesterday. Regards and don't give in. Warren

it been a year sent my surgery im ok.by the way i got marryiage in novemeber smile GOD HAVE BEEN GOOD TO ME,DEE

Well another year is about to dawn in Scotland, and just thought I'd wish everyone a Happy New Year. For those who have gone through bypass recently, I hope you have a good recovery. Colin Scotland.

I wonder if someone could advise me perhaps. Excuse my lack of medical knowledge and terms. My dad has just undergone heart bypass surgery 2 months ago. For the last few weeks he has become dizzy and being sick. He was admitted into hospital and they said he has got some kind of labrogo fever (can't remeber the condition). (previously he was admitted into hospital with dangerously high potassium levels, before this he was on many drugs none of them i can remeber but one i can would be prenolsone after he was discharged he was told to take the drugs i list below) However i am thinking perhaps it is due to the accumulation of the drugs he has being taken (aspirin, tritace / ramipril, bisporol, atravastin and betahistine for the dizzyiness). He has also been taking benecol everyday. Can someone give me some advice on what to do? Is there any better medications he could take? He still hasnt recovered and it has been 3 months, he is still sleeping all day.

Hi Group, Thanks for such valuable information. I find the group so helpful and supportive. I would just like to document my own experiences for the record: Age 73, cabg 4x 12/5/03, released from hospital 12/13/03. I am walking on a progressive program of three or four 10 minute walks daily, graduating to two 30 minute walks by the fourth week of rehab. I hope to enter a cardiac rehab program after the sixth week. Problems: Shortness of breath, especially after exercise; "fib" attacks, lasting less than two or three minutes; unable to sleep more than three or four hours daily. I have been advised not to exercise on a stationary bike for a few weeks. Does anyone know why? It seems to me this solves the weather problem here in the Northeast during he winter. If you're using a stationary bike in your program please advise. Thanks, Marvin

HI, Just wanted to comment regarding the sleeping problem. I had triple bypass surgery at the end of August and after coming out of ICU I didn't sleep more than 40 minutes at any time. This continued for at least 2 months and even when I had to be hospitalized for pericarditis and put on morphine I didn't sleep. I am 48 and still recovering very slowly but I am improving. Still lots of pain but it seems no matter what kind of pain medication I take it keeps me awake so I try to avoid taking it. It has been 17 weeks since my surgery and I exercise daily but still do not sleep more than 4 hours a day and sometimes it is again only 40 to 50 minutes at a time. As noted by others we all do respond to the surgery differently. Gail

Someone asked: PVC's are Premature Ventricular Contractions and are generally considered to be a 'harmless nuisance'. Often they will go away on their own. If they do not resolve after several hours, SEE YOUR CARDIOLOGIST. Several medications are available which may help to control these events. Symptoms often include Shortness of Breath, lack of stamina, general weakness, and a feeling like a small 'out of balance washing machine' is bouncing around inside your chest. DO NOT push yourself while you are experiencing any type of Arrhymythia (irregular heartbeat). PAC's are Premature Atrial Contractions and are also generally considered to be a 'harmless nuisance'. The same comments from above for PVC's apply to PAC's. A-Fib or Atrial Fibrilation is another type of Arrhymythia and is typically experienced as a very rapd (and possibly irregular) heart beat with a heart rate over 150 beats per minute. It can cause moderate to extreme shortness of breath and lack of energy. It is 'usually' considered to be another harmless nuisance' and there are several medications which may be used to control these events. ANY Arrhythmia that lasts for more than several hours (3 to 6?) should be checked out with an EKG at a Doctor's office or Hospital. 'AL' (Fortunately, ALL of my PAC's, PVC's, and A-Fib events resolved within 3 to 6 hours, with and / or without treatment)

Thanks Dan, Dad celebrated his 64th Birthday in the hospital. He had his operation in a VA hospital in West Haven, CT. We are second guessing ourselves on allowing him to use the VA hospital, but I guess hind site is 20/20. Dad had a stroke years ago but other than a numb left arm has recovered from it. Dad had back surgery that went all wrong many years ago too and has suffered from nerve damage from that too. It just seems his mind is not right and he seems to be unable to settle himself. He has to sleep doesnt he.??........Helpless Daughter

Hi Helpless: Try not to 2nd guess on the VA hospital. My husband goes and they take excellent care of him. He had 4 stents put in 2yrs ago. I dont think its the hospital, more its the Dr. but thats just my opinion. Good luck to you.

Hi All: Happy Holidays and wishes for a fun healthy New Year. As far as PVC yup I had them before surgery and after. Still get them occasionally but never can get them on a ekg even tried the 24hr one. Everything always checked out normal. As far as a depression that I dont have, but I do have a lump at the end of the scar and was told that was normal. Good Luck Stannis CABG 4x 6/15/03

Hi everyone, I am new here. I have been searching the web for answers and finally came up with this support group. Dads surgery has hit us all rather fast. He is recovering however slowly and seems to be a different man. It took him 4 days to wake from the operation and even then he was not able to speak well. Everyday we did see improvements but his mental state was bizarre. I imagine it was all from the drugs he was on. He was in the hospital 2 weeks and came home on the 22nd of Dec. probably sooner than he should have because we didnt want him in there over Christmas. He is haveing lots of shoulder pain and middle back pain. He doesnt sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. I am suprised his body hasn't collapsed from the exhaustion he has to be feeling. He doesnt sit for more than 5 minutes at a time either. His short term memory is terrible too. Dad doesnt say much about anything, he seems very preoccupied. The doctors say very little too. We dont know what to expect, or what is normal or what is a red flag. Does this sound familiar to anyone else...........Helpless in CO Spings.

Since my bypass surgery 2 1/2 years ago, I've had almost an overwhelming desire to learn more about the actual procedure itself. I've given up on observing an actual bypass surgery, but would like to see a video of this procedure. Surely there have been videos made of this operation. Does anyone have a clue as to where/how I might obtain this? Thanks for your response.

Just found this group and I have lots of questions. Had my 4X bipass on 12/11 after chest pains and hospitalization on 12/9. EKG was normal, blood work looked good to the ER staff but the cardio MD decided on cathederization (spelling ??). Glad he did! Found 3 blockages, 90%, 80%, and 50%. Transferred me to Piedmont Hos[ital in Atlanta for surgery. Had another attack at 4:00am in the hospital and thought I was a goner. But I guess someone was watching after me because I still here. Doc found 5 blockages but one was so small that he "punched holes around it". Got arteries from my left arm, right leg and behind the breast. Left the hospital on 12/15. I'm a wm, 53, average weight, non-smoker, very light drinker, no history of heart problems in the family. Recovery is progressing well. Walking 2 miles each day and maintaining the breath excercize. Not much pain except for my chest is still sore. How long before this subsides? Arm and leg are fine. Chest and arm were glued (no stiches or staples). How long to full recovery? How long until I can ride the love of my life (2003 Harley Road King). What else can I expect? Thanks for any help

Nope. Real strong heart, I just had clogged arteries. (3X CABG 7/2002)

Bravo once again Ed........you are doing exactly what needs to be done....after a few years of my own searching on the internet I have too have reached the same conclusions. Problems exist today because doctors are so busy that they take as gospel anything that the drug reps tell them when passing out their drug samples. It's apparent that the latest drug on the market is the one the drs push as the answer for what ails you. Now when I go for my check-ups the dr will ask me first "and just what have you been reading".........Q-10 is something I have known about for many years and kept telling him about it.......finally he came out and told me he is telling all his statin patients to start taking Q-10...........YEA......finally some progress! I truly believe in time that Lipitor will be the next Baycol......there are too many people suffering major problems with it. I have many friends who claim no side effects but funny if I ask them some questions about memory....aches while walking....muscle problems they will admit to having some.......they just have never correlated the statin with how they felt. So keep up the good work.....the internet is filled with information.......but I do think that people have to be careful in that many, many people are taking meds that are necessary to keep them in good health and I wouldn't want anyone to stop taking something that is vital to their well being. example being lanoxin which my husband takes to regulate his heart etc. I read somewhere that all meds are basically toxic to one's body but that for some a necessary evil to keep one alive. So yes I do believe each person needs to take their own health into their hands......become informed patients and do plenty of research and then march into the doctors office and have a knowledgeable conversation as to how you feel about what you are taking. Keep up the good work and may we all find the New Year full of good health.......by the way I have many friends who are nurses and they all are in agreement that if you need to go into the hospital do all you can to get healthy so you can get out as quick as possible!!! Another good research project that I have done a lot of work on......coming out of the hospital sicker than when going in!!! Another day........another story............ Carol

Thanks Ed for all your hard work getting all this information out to the general public. After my by-pass surgery and ultimate organ failure I swore I would do all that was possible to keep myself healthy to avoid any further problems. Most of what you have researched is wht I too have discovered.......take Vitamin B 12 for many reasons one being depression but also for the nervous system. Also Coenzyme Q 10 is a vitamin that has been used in the rest of the world for many many years....in fact in Japan most doctors routinely tell their patients to take this as a preventative measure against heart disease. Personally from my doctors I think I have discovered that it is so much easier to give a patient a pill rather than take the time to discuss diet...exercise and other factors that could be done instead of the quick-fix pill method. Plus as a medicare patient I find my time with my cardio dr is so short...10 minutes at the most that it would be virtually impossible to have a long in depth discussion on each visit.........my visits consist of "how are you feeling".......bp check and brief "you are doing good...keep it up"......if I have any problems the discussion is a quick statement to " up this medicine" etc. and that is it. It took well over a year to convince him that statin drugs were responsible for the way I was feeling............so keep up the good work and one day perhaps the medical community will realize that with the advent of the internet the patients are becoming more knowledgeable and are questioning their care and they better be prepared!!! Nancy.......my husband was put on Coreg for a short time for CHF. From all I have read about this drug....if you can tolerate the side effects it should make a difference in how he feels. This is a drug I followed for many years through it's development and testing and from all I've learned it is a lifesaver for some who have advanced heart failure. But Dick having emphysema along with CHF prevented him from continuing on the drug as it made his breathing so much worse. From the video we watched before he started the drug I think it does have many side effects but that they become less the longer one is on the drug........the only thing our dr told us was to keep in close contact with him on how he was feeling. Also I think we had to gradually increase the dosage till his body adjusted to it. He was only on it for about a month till we had to take him off of it.......then we discovered that anyone with lung disease should NEVER take this drug and this is why it effected him so adversely..... Happy Holidays to all and remember to keep our military in your prayers...... Carol

Call to stop kickbacks from big pharma The Bush administration wants to break up the cozy relationship between pharmaceutical companies and doctors. And then it wants to sever the link between drug makers and insurers. Hoorah on both counts. (Tribune News Service / January 3, 2003) -- Patients particularly should applaud. The reforms should help control their drug bills. And they should ensure medicines are prescribed because they are quality products, not because Dr. Bob gets a free round of golf at Pebble Beach for recommending them. The relationships between drug makers and insurers, and drug makers and doctors, can be as incestuous as those between lobbyists and politicians. And they can affect the cost of programs like Medicaid when doctors or insurers recommend pricey drugs. To get at this problem, the government drafted guidelines this fall for drug makers and their clients. The administration wants the list to control waste, fraud and abuse in federal health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The final voluntary guidelines are due out this spring. The rules must be clear and firm: no more incentives for prescribing a drug maker's medicine. This back-scratching drives up health costs. For one thing, brand-name drugs cost more than their generic cousins. Prozac can cost up to $2 more per pill than the generic fluoxetine. It is disturbing to think that some insurers or doctors promote a costly product - and we are not just talking about Prozac - because they get a reward from a drug company. This system resembles the payola scheme that once afflicted the record industry. Radio stations would receive money for playing a new release. Fortunately, that system broke down. The drug industry's practices should meet the same end. We're talking people's lives here. Offering rewards for prescribing medicines is unseemly. And it inflates health costs. Patients deserve better.

Bayer executive's testimony in court confirms the company was well aware of the dangers of Baycol A senior executive at Bayer AG has testified in court that other company executives in the United States recommended against selling the anti-cholesterol drug Baycol several years before it was introduced in 1997 because they thought its sales potential was limited. (New York Times / March 3, 2003) -- But Baycol was introduced because executives in Germany, where Bayer is based, decided to push ahead when market conditions improved and the potential for profit looked promising for many years. Sales of Baycol increased rapidly until Bayer pulled Baycol off the market in 2001 after more than 30 deaths were linked to the drug. The company has been dealing with the aftermath since. The Bayer executive, Dr. Lawrence Posner, senior vice president for pharmaceutical development, was testifying in county court in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday in a case brought by a patient who contracted a muscle disorder called rhabdomyolysis after taking Baycol. It is the first case involving Baycol to go to trial. More than 10,000 patients or the families of those who died after taking Baycol have filed suits against Bayer. Posner defended the company for several hours as lawyers for the plaintiff, Hollis Haltom, 82, introduced dozens of internal company documents into evidence. He said Bayer had monitored reports of rhabdomyolysis, known as rhabdo, in patients taking Baycol and had properly informed doctors about the risks of the medicine as it learned of them. But several memos from Bayer safety officers in 1999, made public earlier in the trial, describe how its staff was struggling to respond to an increasing number of reports of patients who had become ill with rhabdo while taking Baycol. In a memo written on Dec. 30, 1999, and addressed to Posner, safety executives said they had received reports of 60 cases of rhabdo in the United States in the previous two months. Doctors and others observing people becoming ill or dying while taking a medicine voluntarily file the reports, known as adverse event reports, with regulators and the drug's manufacturer. " The steadily increasing numbers of spontaneous reports of rhabdomyolysis associated with Baycol, along with the additional telephone activity, has overwhelmed the available safety assurance resources," the executives, who were not individually identified, wrote. Bayer did undertake an internal analysis of the reports of rhabdo cases. In March 2000, Steve Niemcryk, an epidemiologist at Bayer, and Paul Cislo, a database analyst, reviewed the reports of rhabdo that regulators received through June 1999. They said Baycol "substantially elevates" the risk of rhabdo, compared with similar drugs on the market. About that time, Richard Goodstein, vice president for scientific relations at Bayer, wrote an e-mail message to two dozen Bayer executives working on Baycol in the United States. He said that "alleged cases" of rhabdo caused by Baycol were coming into his office at a rate of about one a day. " Many of the cases are ugly," he wrote, including reports of "dialysis, long hospitalization, disability and two potentially related deaths." Goodstein continued, "To me, it has never been an issue of, should-if- will we need to respond, but rather to whom, how, what?" " It will be too long a time until the potentially helpful results of new epidemiologic/scientific studies envisioned by Bayer World-Wide are completed," he wrote. In videotaped testimony played for the jury, Goodstein said he recalled being worried about the rising reports and said he had discussed with his boss and other Bayer executives whether the analysis by Niemcryk and Cislo should be disclosed to doctors. " We decided that it was not substantive data," Goodstein said. "We can't have anybody making decisions based on unreliable data."

Heart Drug Carries Dangers Protamine, a drug commonly used following heart bypass surgery, has more dangerous side effects than previously recognized, says a Duke University Medical Center study. (Health Scout News, March 25, 2003) -- The finding was presented March 25 at the 77th Clinical and Scientific Congress of the International Anesthesia Research Society in New Orleans. The Duke researchers found that small blood pressure changes that often occur in patients who are given protamine are associated with increased risk of death. Despite that, the study authors don't advocate any change in the clinical use of the drug. But they emphasize the study findings should encourage development of alternatives to protamine. Protamine, which has been used for more than 40 years, is given to people after they have coronary artery bypass surgery to counteract the effects of the blood-thinning drug heparin, which is used during the surgery. The Duke researchers analyzed records of 6,921 people who had bypass surgery at Duke. The researchers correlated the degrees of protamine- related blood pressure changes with the incidence of patient deaths in the hospital. They found that 19 percent of the bypass patients had average blood pressure drops of 20 percent or more during the 30 minutes after they received protamine. That blood pressure drop was significantly associated with in-hospital death. The study also found that each incremental decrease in blood pressure translated into an additional 30 percent greater chance of in- hospital death. In addition to reducing blood pressure, protamine may also reduce heart function, activate certain immune system responses, and cause pulmonary hypertension.

Cholesterol Study Offers Hope for a Bold Therapy A new anti-cholesterol drug study clearly demonstrates the drug development process to perfection . Find a compound to patent and exploit financially; create long term regular demand for the resultant product and angle the research so that it supports these goals. (New York Times / November 5, 2003) -- A small study of heart disease patients testing a hypothesis so improbable its principal investigator says he gave it a one-in-10,000 chance of succeeding has found that just a few treatments with an experimental drug reversed what may be the equivalent of years' worth of plaque in coronary arteries. The results, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved just 47 heart attack patients. They were randomly assigned to be infused with one of two concentrations of a substance that mimics high density lipoprotein, or H.D.L., the substance that removes cholesterol from arteries, or to be infused with saline, which served as a control. After five weekly infusions, those who got the experimental drug had a 4.2 percent decrease in the volume of plaque in their coronary arteries, while those who had saline infusions had if anything a slight increase in their plaque. In contrast, said Dr. Steven E. Nissen, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, who directed the study, the most powerful statins take years to show more modest effects. Statins lower levels of low density lipoproteins, or L.D.L., which deliver cholesterol to the coronary arteries. Dr. Daniel Rader, a lipid expert at the University of Pennsylvania, also expressed surprise, saying: "It is amazing. The biggest and by far the most surprising thing is that it can happen so quickly. A weekly infusion? It is surprising enough that it makes us all want to see it replicated in a larger study." Dr. Bryan Brewer, chief of the molecular disease branch at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said, "No one has ever seen anything like this in this amount of time." "Hardening of the arteries takes years and years to develop," Dr. Brewer said. "It was thought that if we initiate therapy to decrease or prevent it, it would probably take years to have an effect. We thought H.D.L. therapy would work, but that it would work in six weeks was something no one anticipated." But all the investigators urged caution. This was a single small study that needs to be confirmed. And then there need to be large studies showing that the drug-induced reduction in plaque corresponds to a reduced risk of heart attacks. Heart disease researchers have long wondered what would happen if they increased people's H.D.L. levels. Many thought it would prevent heart attacks because H.D.L. is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in epidemiological studies. They were stymied, however, in going further. They knew how to treat L.D.L. and so prevent cholesterol from being delivered to arteries. That was with statins, drugs that lower L.D.L. levels and, studies showed, prevent heart attacks. Companies tried, Dr. Rader said, looking for a pill to activate the H.D.L. genes. "That's like a holy grail for the pharmaceutical industry," he said. "It hasn't been found." A second, but obvious choice, would be to give people H.D.L., infusing it into their veins. But there was a problem. The idea of giving ordinary H.D.L. was in the public domain and not protected by patent and so companies were uninterested. There was, however, one patented H.D.L., and Dr. Roger Newton, the president and chief executive of Esperion Therapeutics, of Ann Arbor, Mich., licensed the rights to develop it. Dr. Newton had developed a cholesterol-lowering drug; he was a discoverer of Lipitor, the most prescribed statin in the United States. His goal in forming Esperion in 1998 was to develop H.D.L. therapies. The story of the patented H.D.L. began more than two decades ago, when Italian investigators reported that about 40 inhabitants of Limone sul Garde, a town in Northern Italy, had extraordinarily low H.D.L. levels, so low they were off the scale. Doctors expected that they would have high rates of heart disease, but, instead, it was reported, they actually seemed to be protected from heart disease and to live unusually long. "It was one of the strangest paradoxes of medicine," Dr. Nissen said. Eventually, researchers discovered that these people have a mutation in their H.D.L. gene. The H.D.L. they make simply breaks down quickly. They make plenty of it, but it disappears as soon as it is used. Later, Dr. Rader says, investigators discovered that the villagers' life spans were average for the region. But, in the meantime, Pharmacia, now owned by Pfizer, had obtained the patent rights to the H.D.L. they make, known as apoA-1Milano. Esperion licensed the rights from Pharmacia, and the research began. One of the first to study apoA-1Milano was Dr. Prediman K. Shah, who directs the atherosclerosis research center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. He reported it prevented plaque growth in arteries of rabbits and in mice. At higher doses, it even reversed the accumulation of plaque in mice. It took just six weeks. "There was still skepticism at this point," Dr. Shah said. "But we were convinced." Then he asked how quickly he could see an effect in the mice. "Holy moly, to our big surprise, within 48 hours what these mice showed," he exclaimed. "The cholesterol content of the plaques had dropped by almost 50 percent. Almost 50 percent of the lipid was gone. And the inflammation had dropped. The plaques had regressed." After conducting early tests of the H.D.L. in humans, looking for safety, Esperion approached Dr. Nissen. He had developed a technique, intravascular ultrasound, that involves threading a tiny ultrasound camera into arteries and directly observing plaques and precisely measuring their size. Would he direct a small study using that method to look for the drug's effects on plaque? Dr. Nissen was dubious. Most studies he participates in go on for two or three years and involve 500 or more subjects to see an effect. This was to last just five weeks and involve about 50 people. He agreed but the arrangement was that Dr. Newton at Esperion not even see the results until the paper was in press. He saw the data for the first time on Friday. Dr. Nissen had no financial interests in the company. When he saw the data, he was stunned. "The plaques regressed. A lot. More than has been seen with any drug. I almost fell off my seat. This is just so bizarre and unusual." "Until now, the paradigm has been to prevent disease by lowering bad cholesterol," Dr. Nissen said, referring to L.D.L. lowering. "If you get the bad cholesterol low enough, the plaques don't build up in the artery walls. This says you can also remove the disease in the wall of the artery." There are limitations, noted Dr. Alan R. Tall, an H.D.L. researcher at Columbia University. The main problem is the study's small size. "It's not a watertight case by any means. But I basically believe it," he said. "I think it's exciting." He and others see it as a harbinger of what might become a new heart disease prevention strategy that might involve pills to raise H.D.L. Or perhaps the therapy will remain an infusion, reserved for shrinking plaque in severe cases. An infusion could have powerful effects, Dr. Rader said. "You could use it like induction therapy with cancer, hit it real hard, shrink it as much as possible, and then use maintenance therapy to keep it from coming back," he noted. "That's the idea and it's very attractive." Dr. Brewer sees it as a proof of principle. "We've only decreased, roughly, thirty percent of heart attacks for people on statins," he said. "Can we reduce it even further? Our goal would be to decrease it 95 percent, and that is one reason to pursue H.D.L therapy, and that is why the proof of principle is important." "We're clearly at the beginning of the field," Dr. Brewer said. "But it's extremely encouraging."

According to Arnold S. Relman, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School and former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, t he primary reason for drug cost inflation is this: doctors are taught about drugs by agents of the pharmaceutical industry, which works hard to persuade them to select the newest and most expensive medications even in the absence of scientific evidence that they are any better than older, less costly ones BOSTON (New York Times / November 18, 2003) -- The rising costs of prescription drugs are driving the current debate about Medicare reform. Yet Republicans and Democrats alike may be unaware of a primary reason for this inflation: doctors are taught about drugs by agents of the pharmaceutical industry, which works hard to persuade them to select the newest and most expensive medications even in the absence of scientific evidence that they are any better than older, less costly ones. Despite the increase in direct-to-consumer advertising, patients still rely on their doctors to choose which prescription drugs, if any, they should take. But what few of them know is that often their doctors' judgment is influenced by the companies that sell the drugs. Most medical practitioners nowadays learn which drugs to use, and how to use them, mainly from teachers and educational programs paid for by the pharmaceutical industry. To renew their licenses, doctors in almost all states are required to enroll in continuing medical education programs, and these are now largely subsidized, directly or indirectly, by the pharmaceutical industry. There are official guidelines for keeping these programs free of commercial bias, but they are voluntary. Most of these educational programs are presented by industry-friendly experts who are selected and paid by the companies selling the drugs being discussed, and most of their talks emphasize the medical benefits of those drugs. Some of this information is useful, but much of it is simply marketing disguised as education. Of course, the companies sponsoring continuing medical education programs deny that sales promotion is their intent. They say they merely want to help "educate" doctors by giving financial and technical help to the institutions offering the programs. To its shame, the medical educational establishment tolerates this state of affairs. Medical schools, professional associations and hospitals that offer continuing education programs accept grants from the pharmaceutical industry and frequently allow the industry to suggest topics and speakers and help with preparation of the programs. They are reluctant to do anything that would jeopardize the industry's support. As for the doctors attending these industry-sponsored educational programs, they like the slick presentations, which often use industry- supplied teaching materials. They also like the low or nonexistent fees, the free food, and the numerous small gifts given out at the commercial exhibits that often accompany big education events. And naturally they are confident that their own independence is wholly unaffected by all of this although surveys reveal that they are less sanguine about other doctors' ability to resist industry's blandishments. But the companies providing the support wouldn't pour money into education unless they were confident of a return on their investment. And there is evidence that industry-sponsored programs increase the writing of prescriptions for the sponsor's products. In this way, doctors are led to believe that new and expensive drugs are much better than older and less costly generic drugs. Sometimes this is true, but not nearly as often as the pharmaceutical industry wants doctors to think. That's why it spends so much money on helping with the "education" of doctors. So it is not merely that the pharmaceutical industry is using doctors to sell its products. Medical schools and other educational institutions are not teaching doctors how to use drugs wisely and conservatively. Until they insist that the pharmaceutical industry stick to its own business (which can include advertising but not education), we are unlikely to get the help we need from our doctors in controlling runaway drug expenditures. Arnold S. Relman, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School, is former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.

NOTE: I take L-ARGININE (four 500 mg. capsules daily) and was not surprised to read this release today. UCLA study shows antioxidants and L-arginine protect against atherosclerosis A cocktail of antioxidants mixed with an amino acid may protect blood vessels from inflammation and the buildup of plaque, a preliminary study suggests. NEW YORK (Reuters Health / January 22, 2003) -- According to the report, antioxidants and L-arginine, an amino acid, protected the cells of human blood vessels from the wear and tear of fluid rushing by. Branch points, areas where two vessels meet, are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to turbulent shear-stress, a type of force imposed by the flow of blood that can cause inflammation and plaque build up leading to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Shear-stress can also increase damage from free radicals, compounds that can cause varying degrees of damage to cells, researchers report in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To investigate if antioxidants and L-arginine might prevent this type of damage, researchers exposed human cells to different fluid flow forces inside a culture dish. High shear-stress caused cells to produce inflammatory compounds. However, fewer dangerous compounds were produced when cells were coated with antioxidants and L-arginine. These substances also caused the cells to produce eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase), an enzyme that allows vessels to expand and prevents blood from clotting. Antioxidants have been shown to squelch free radicals while L- arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, a compound that helps the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate. In a second experiment, researchers demonstrated that these compounds reduced the damage caused by shear-stress in mice bred to have high cholesterol. " These results demonstrate that atherogenic effects induced by turbulent shear-stress can be prevented by co-treatment with antioxidants and L-arginine," Dr. Louis J. Ignarro from the University of California in Los Angeles and colleagues conclude. SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sc