I had a heart attack

Hope you get better real quick!

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Just curious but why haven't they done a bypass on him? 23 stents even to a layman, is excessive.

J.T.M. I'm sure you've had the low-down on diet, but if you drink any sugared drinks, STOP IT. The high fructose corn syrup will put your triglicerides in the stratosphere. My brother went through that - stopped the pop and his came down to normal range in a year. You can do it!

And dont' give up completely on the sheep - just scale back a while and see how things go. The human body has a lot of miraculous healing powers in it.

I was not given diet advise .. not that I can recall anyway .It seems that ciggs. booze and soda go hand in hand ,I couldn't have one with out the other so I stopped all 3 on the same day. Is sugar on oatmeal ect. an issue ?
I wonder what the normal triglicerides range is ?
Again ....thanks everyone

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NSA - The only government agency that actually listens to what you have to say.

Sorry to hear about your heart attack, but glad you lived to tell the tale!

Normal cholesterol is less than 200, and normal triglycerides are less than 150. I can't believe they didn't give you medicine for those AND advise you on a diet. You really need to get those down, not just for your heart, but for your liver and pancreas also. Levels that are too high for too long can cause liver failure or a pancreatic pseudocyst and/or diabetes. I speak from experience, as I went through this with my ex-husband.

You need to talk to your doctor and specifically ask them what the plan is for lowering your levels and what kind of diet you need to be on. You might even need to go to nutritional education classes if you have trouble understanding, but you probably need to be on a combination AHA/ADA (American Heart Association/American Diabetes Association) diet. I know, you may not have diabetes now, but with levels like those you may in the future, and doing the diet now will help prevent it. If you drink alcohol, you need to stop!

Hope you do well, but please take steps to improve your diet and your blood levels, or you may not be so lucky the next time. Not trying to scare you, just concerned. {{{hugs}}}

Thank you .
They have me on 4 diff. pills .
Plavix , lipitor , metoprolol .baby aspirin and of course the nitro I carry in my pocket . I just went thru . all the paper work and did not find anything on diet ... Have you got any links thats worth checking out ?

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....piffy on a rock bun ....

http://www.gofundme.com/AngelBabyNeeds

NSA - The only government agency that actually listens to what you have to say.

Oh, Lordy, they just gave you meds?
Try looking at the D.A.S.H. diet, that will do wonders for HBP and triglycerides.
If you've already gone off pop and cig and whatever, then good for you - that's the hardest part. Remember there are weeks of withdrawal from all that - not just days.
Drink plenty of good, filtered water and take vitamins too.

The DASH Diet Book

DASH Diet Eating Plan - for the low down on the diet.

My mother had angina, CHF and a pacemaker for years. She dropped her BP level and triglyceride levels 30 points in the first month using this diet. A big MUST DO is taking Omega-3 oils - daily. They help the heart.

If you need assistance on a dietary change and can't figure it out for yourself with reading, request nutrition assistance through your insurance plan or via the county you live in. There are resources out there.

Just remember that ONE change you make now has a profound effect on regaining your health. If its any help, a GF of mine had a major (as in lost 50% heart function) heart attack 5 years ago, she is a diabetic, and now has regained all but 10% of that following the diet restrictions and eating properly.

Be very careful when taking Lipitor!!! One of the side effects is muscle weakness in the legs. This happened to my father. His doctor put him on lipitor and soon he started having weakness in his legs. They would just collapse right out from under him. He had to start using a cane and holding onto things when he walked. Finally they figured out it was the lipitor causing it. It took almost a year for him to get steady on his feet but he never regained all his strength.

Major Side Effects of Statin Drugs

I'm glad your OK!

Hang in there JTM, I wish you luck.
Attitude affects altitude.
jim (also a JTM )

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I didn't spot any good links just doing a quick search, but I'm working right now and will look more later tonight and see what I can find for you. As Ohiogal said, your insurance should also cover nutritional education if you request it.

Buffy is right about Lipitor and all "statin" drugs. They can have some nasty side effects, but in your case you really need it to at least bring your levels down some, so if you can handle it then please take it. However, if you start having bad muscle aches or weakness be sure and tell your doctor. There are other meds you can take, though not as effective, and you need your levels down in a hurry.

Are you sure they said to take the baby aspirin along with the Plavix? Usually, the Plavix is enough by itself, and you need to be careful of falls and cuts because it really thins out your blood, but you need it too, and it's very important that you not stop taking it without your doctor's authorization. Don't stop the aspirin either, but check with them to be sure about it okay?

The metoprolol is to lower your blood pressure, control your heart rhythm, reduce the force of your heart contraction, and prevent angina, so it's a very good drug. You may not need any nitro with this. They DID explain how to use the nitro, though, if you need it, didn't they?

Okay, here are some links at the AHA, the ADA and the Joslin Diabetes Center, which is a well renowned clinic system that doctors send their diabetic patients to. There's a ton of information here, so again if it's too much for you on your own ask your doctor's office to set you up with nutrition education classes.

American Heart Association – Nutrition Center (info on a healthy diet, shopping, dining out, recipes, tips, etc.)
Nutrition Center

American Heart Association – Education Printable Handouts
Nutrition Education Handouts and Resources

American Diabetes Association – Food & Fitness (guidelines for what to eat, planning meals, etc.)
Food & Fitness - American Diabetes Association

Joslin Diabetes Center – Diabetes & Nutrition (info on carb counting, building a healthy pantry, etc.)
Diabetes & Nutrition | Joslin Diabetes Center

Hope these help! If you have questions, I'd be happy to help if I know the answers, and if not I bet I can find out for you.

But your doctor or the staff really should have discussed all this with you, so ask lots of questions when you go in! Write them down and take a notebook if you need to. If they're good, they won't mind in the least and will be glad that you're taking such notice. These days, we have to be the stewards of our own healthcare and be proactive! {{{hugs}}}