Just had heart attack and 3 stents

[johndom1]

Hello All,

My history:

41 year old male
270 pounds, 5' 11'
Non-smoker (lived my parents for 20 years who did smoke)
No family history of heart disease
Cholesterol 270

My situation:

One week ago, I had (what I would describe as) very low stamina, pressure on my chest and pain in my throat. Went to the clinic; had a bad EKG. When to the ER and the next day had 3 stents. Dr said no damage to heart but the LAD was 90% blocked.

Got this drug cocktail:
81 mg aspirin
10 mg effient
40 mg Lipitor
25 mg metoprolol
20 mg benicar/12.5 htc

This has come as a big shock... I didn't suffer from anxiety in the past but after this, my Dr. offered my Xanax for the anxiety that I have.

Before this, I really knew nothing about heart disease or stents or Vitamin C. These questions may be on the forum, if so, please forgive and link.

My questions:

#1 I plan on losing weight. Low-carb, low sodium, low fat. Salads, fish and chicken. For now, is that OK?

#2 Can I use the PT (Vitamin C (50 mg/kg and Lysine) with my drug cocktail (I intend on taking the cocktail to prevent the stents from rejecting, clotting, scar tissue, etc...) and there be no interference?

#3 How do I quantify results? What tests do I have run and at what levels should things be?

#4 I plan on titrating up; starting with pills. I should not have problems with the pills, however, I am concerned that I will not be able to take the drinks because I have a high sensitivity to acid (that is, I get really painful soar throats from citric acid/vinegar). Is there a way around this other than IV?

My thanks:

Thank you for your site. It is currently the one little hope that I have. I would like to note than an ER doc told me to take Co Q10 and Vitamin C. He said he read a study from Vanderbilt that stated 80% of the side effect from statins were relieved from these to supplements (he said that when the door was closed btw). It is, in fact, how I found your site.

[skwoodwiva]

I am 60 and started PT this year. 12 g of homemade liposomal. I had an attack in mid '14 with 2 plain stents. In late '16 I had cabag.

For now I just want to share that Coreg, a close relative of Metoprolol, caused me great anxiety and hyperventilation. I switched to Zebeta. What a difference...

Regards...

[ofonorow]

I hope johnwen responds about your drugs. As a general rule, in the beginning, 20 years ago, all heart patients had severe disease and were on a myriad of heart medications, yet all got better - quickly, following Linus Pauling's vitamin C and lysine dosage advise. And know that you spoke to a very good doctor! (Who recommended vitamin C and Coq10 I'd like to find that study, johnwen? ).

If one of those drugs is a statin cholesterol-lowering drug, in my opinion it will do much more harm than good (as we cover here, cholesterol is your friend, your body is trying to make as much as it can to fight the heart disease "fire." A fire that can be put out by adequate vitamin C.)

Otherwise my comments below

Hello All,

My history:

41 year old male
270 pounds, 5' 11'
Non-smoker (lived my parents for 20 years who did smoke)
No family history of heart disease
Cholesterol 270

My situation:

One week ago, I had (what I would describe as) very low stamina, pressure on my chest and pain in my throat. Went to the clinic; had a bad EKG. When to the ER and the next day had 3 stents. Dr said no damage to heart but the LAD was 90% blocked.

Got this drug cocktail:
81 mg aspirin
10 mg effient
40 mg Lipitor
25 mg metoprolol
20 mg benicar/12.5 htc

I think the 40 mg lipitor is a mistake and if it were me, I would wean down to no more than 10 mg, as you increase your vitamin C. Also if on any statin at all, you should be taking at least 200+ mg of a good CoQ10 daily. (Note. You should eat fats with the CoQ10. CoQ10 requires bile to be absorbed. Also note that CoQ10 is carried around the body on LDL (cholesterol) particles!)

Here is the standard warning about statin drugs ELEVATING Lp(a) while LOWERING Coq10 that are required in Canadian (but not U.S.) medical journals. (Scroll down to the yellow highlights)
http://naturesperfectstatin.com/canada.htm

Here is a pharmacists take why the cholesterol theory is probably erroneous and compares it with the Pauling/Rath unified theory of cardiovascular disease
http://www.ourhealthcoop.com/pauling.htm

We haven't looked at this page in years, but, I often get calls from attorneys who find this page after their vegan "health nut" patients, usually women, are put on statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, and because of the CoQ10 depletion have lost a vital organ.
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/statinalert/
One of the biggest problems with statins, and that has been now known for a decade, again based on the CoQ10 depletion, is the dramatic increase in heart failure.

This has come as a big shock... I didn't suffer from anxiety in the past but after this, my Dr. offered my Xanax for the anxiety that I have.

Before this, I really knew nothing about heart disease or stents or Vitamin C. These questions may be on the forum, if so, please forgive and link.

My questions:

#1 I plan on losing weight. Low-carb, low sodium, low fat. Salads, fish and chicken. For now, is that OK?

Excellent, low-carb. Low sodium will INCREASE your risk of heart attack. (See David Brownstein's book entitled SALT). Instead of highly refined table salt, switch to his recommended unrefined C salt that contains over 80 minerals.

Low fat can help with weight loss in many people but has no effect on heart disease. (with a couple of exceptions) A lack of vitamin C has a direct effect. The exceptions are "trans fats" which can affect cell membranes making them less permeable to vitamin C (so AVOID trans fats) , and certain poly unsaturated fats that go rancid quickly. Have no fear of saturated fats. Easy to provide a large body of evidence to back this up

#2 Can I use the PT (Vitamin C (50 mg/kg and Lysine) with my drug cocktail (I intend on taking the cocktail to prevent the stents from rejecting, clotting, scar tissue, etc...) and there be no interference?

We were concerned in the beginning, but as I already mentioned, ALL the people who quickly recovered where on quite a cocktail - no adverse effects adding PT, they only got better. I can provide you with some of our early cases/anecdotes if you want to read about this.

#3 How do I quantify results? What tests do I have run and at what levels should things be?

Well, that 270 total cholesterol will approach 180 mg/dl in most people as your vitamin C increases close to optimal. (You might try to get a measured Lp(a) reading, as that is the major "risk factor" that is meaningful. Obviously it is high now, and will go low.

Finally, most stents re-occlude (restinosis) and johnwen may tell you how long. A good dose of vitamin C, lysine and proline should prevent that. So your stents not reoccluding is an excellent sign Pauling's therapy is working.

#4 I plan on titrating up; starting with pills. I should not have problems with the pills, however, I am concerned that I will not be able to take the drinks because I have a high sensitivity to acid (that is, I get really painful soar throats from citric acid/vinegar). Is there a way around this other than IV?

My thanks:

Thank you for your site. It is currently the one little hope that I have. I would like to note than an ER doc told me to take Co Q10 and Vitamin C. He said he read a study from Vanderbilt that stated 80% of the side effect from statins were relieved from these to supplements (he said that when the door was closed btw). It is, in fact, how I found your site.

Most of our experience is with ascorbic acid (a mild acid like coca cola) powder, but you can add sodium ascorbate to make it more alkaline. It should function the same way. Liposomal is other option (with caveats that if you need 10 grams of vitamin C - then you need 10 grams of liposomal daily) and the IV/C increases blood levels (good for cancers) but after the IV/C, the amount in the blood quickly drops back to normal (low) levels. So IV/C is not recommended for heart disease.

Great doc. Looking for the Vanderbilt study

[johndom1]

Owen, Thank you very much for your responses.

I called the Dr today and left a voicemail requesting the Vanderbilt study. If they respond, I will send you the information.

I have no idea what parameters to monitor and values they should be; will you please give me ballpark ranges?

Lp(a) = ?
cholesterol = ~180 mg/dL
triglycerides = ?
weight = ~200 lbs

My GP told me Mediterranean diet. My cardiologist told me South Beach. South Beach is a low-carb diet but it includes meat. I am scared to death of red meat right now. Yes, I am deeply soaked in doxy and this is all a struggle.

I plan on taking 400 mg of CoQ10; 200 mg in the morning 200 mg in the evening.

How do I test my Vitamin C levels?

Thank you once again,

John

[tjohnson_nb]

Don't worry about testing Vit C levels, just take it to bowel tolerance

[Annee]

Thanks ofonorow for the information! Always the great and detail reply My uncle has the same situation as johndom1, these replies may what he needs to know

[exitium]

My GP told me Mediterranean diet. My cardiologist told me South Beach. South Beach is a low-carb diet but it includes meat. I am scared to death of red meat right now. Yes, I am deeply soaked in doxy and this is all a struggle.

Why are you scared of red meat?

You do realize that ingested cholesterol does not equate to elevated blood cholesterol right?

You also realize that cholesterol is NOt the problem, its a symptom of another problem right?

Cholesterol levels will rise for many reasons, primarily high insulin levels which are caused high high carb diets, especially those with simple carbs. Cholesterol will also rise in response to low hormone levels where iits the base of the hormone thats lacking. It will also elevate to act as an internal bandage for damaged arterial walls where it will stick to the exposed intum of said damaged arteries. As pauling therapy begins to heal the damaged arteries the cholesterol bound to the walls or the arteries will break free and float freely in the bloodstream. This artificial rise is common and temporary.

In short just eat sensibly and avoid prepackaged items, stick to fresh fruits/veggies and meats. I would also recommend a complete supplement plan.

[johndom1]

Why are you scared of red meat?

Because I have heard/been told for years "eat cholesterol, get cholesterol blockages." My Dr is still telling me that. I am new to all of this and am trying learn. It is very confusing because there are conflicts between who you ask.

You do realize that ingested cholesterol does not equate to elevated blood cholesterol right?

No, I didn't even know that cholesterol is normal in the blood until recently. That's why I asked.

You also realize that cholesterol is NOt the problem, its a symptom of another problem right?

I do now. I'm not an expert on heart problems. I'm trying to learn to help my self in the future.

Thank you for all you information.

[exitium]

Unfortunately cholesterol myths are abound and docs for years have by and large been drinking the coolaid and pushing theiir meds to lower cholesterol.

As mentioned eating cholesterol doesnt in and of itself raise cholesterol. Eating simple carbs and sugars will however. Also as mentioned be prepared for a temporary spike in cholesterol numbers after startiing pauling therapy. Its transitory and nothing to worry about, should drop after a few months.

[Johnwen]

[johndom1]

johnwen, thank you so very much. I am so relieved from your very concise explanations of my medicines and treatment. My Dr has not even talked to me that much. I believe he is trying the best he can with what he knows but this site is just from a totally different angle.

Thank you very much to you and Owen.

Guess it time to start titrating up my vitamin C.

[guitarplayer007]

My GP told me Mediterranean diet. My cardiologist told me South Beach. South Beach is a low-carb diet but it includes meat. I am scared to death of red meat right now. Yes, I am deeply soaked in doxy and this is all a struggle.

Why are you scared of red meat?

You do realize that ingested cholesterol does not equate to elevated blood cholesterol right?

You also realize that cholesterol is NOt the problem, its a symptom of another problem right?

Cholesterol levels will rise for many reasons, primarily high insulin levels which are caused high high carb diets, especially those with simple carbs. Cholesterol will also rise in response to low hormone levels where iits the base of the hormone thats lacking. It will also elevate to act as an internal bandage for damaged arterial walls where it will stick to the exposed intum of said damaged arteries. As pauling therapy begins to heal the damaged arteries the cholesterol bound to the walls or the arteries will break free and float freely in the bloodstream. This artificial rise is common and temporary.

In short just eat sensibly and avoid prepackaged items, stick to fresh fruits/veggies and meats. I would also recommend a complete supplement plan.

Have a question as Dr. Mcdoughall would say , the people of the Asia use to live on primarily White rice and vegetables and had almost no diabetes , the minute they started eating like Americans back in the 1980's they now have some of the highest rates of diabetes . Dr. Neil Barnard and others showed when you got rid of the animal fat the insulin was able to push the sugars into the cell hence the diabetes would go away. Type 2 diabetes is a food born illness where the cell receptors are clogged with fat preventing the insulin from working properly. It was never that there isn't enough insulin. Just a question because the only studies I've seen that actually cured type 2 Diabetes was a Whole foods plant based diet diet. If anyone has studies showing reversal of A1C while eating Meat I would love to see it...thx remember those old movies we used to see from 50-60 years ago of the busy Chinese cities....you never saw a fat person

[ofonorow]

If you replace "fat" with "trans fatty acids" in the above paragraph, in my opinion, it would be closer to the truth. See: http://www.healingmatters.com/deception.htm

[guitarplayer007]

OK thx

[ofonorow]

"not really"

Again, words, but based on what? Random thoughts?

The knowledge from Thomas Smith - from STUDYING the literature, (much like Dr. Levy studies the medical literature), is deep. Unlike carbohydrates, the body requires both proteins and fats. Every membrane of every cell in the body is undergoing constant maintenance and repair. If there are healthy fats in the diet, then this repair process create healthy membranes. If the only fats are unnatural trans fatty acids, then these imperfect replacements are used to keep our cells from deflating like balloons. However, the cell membranes become unhealthy, in that the GLUT (normal glucose/Insulin) receptors become "gummed up" leading to elevated blood sugar levels because glucose can not enter cells through these damaged membranes. (It is interesting that following Smith's protocol, the time required for blood sugar to return to normal varies by how many cell membranes need to be repaired.) So if you think of trans fats as "poisons" you are not far off.

But as far as avoiding fats all together, that is impossible given the requirement every cell in your body has for cellular membrane repair.

Long ago, I tried the Pritikin almost no-fat diet, because at that time I believe that this would lower my chance for heart disease. I did lose a ton of weight, even though that was not my intent.