New here help if you can really need guidence

[bearbear5662]

Hi there all

Had a Stemi one heart attack in July 2021

diagnosed with coronary artery disease

5 stents in heart both coronary arteries

age now 68

finding it very hard indeed needing to take drugs

hate drugs

was not given a choice to live for a while off drugs to

see how good i was after the stents were put in

I feel eating and drinking things like beet juice garlic fruit and veg and nuts would do the same as the dam drugs

I am on so really fed up.

Drugs i take every Day since heart attack

5mg rempril twice a day

10 mg simvastatain once a day

75 mg asprin a day

1.25 bisoprolol a day

and because allergic to asprin 15 mg a day lansoprazole

I also have menieres disease with tinnitus

so take serc 16 two times a day.

I hate taking the above meds, i know taking foods instead give same blood pressure results and heart rate

The meds makes my BP 104/69

and HR 63 beats which differs with excersise of course

Any thoughts on my idea of trying natural instead of drugs

Ive had such a fight with constipation, sickness, cold hands cold feet, purple knees, headaches, dizzyness, and worried these drugs are mucking me up, before heart attack i never took any drugs, now loads of drugs

Always getting bad flues and cold, went and got a cold on 28th december still feeling unwell now and its the 6th Jan 2025, no cough no sore throat just very low grade temp, bit queezy and blocked nose.

Anyone know about what results like these mean ??

Recent blood tests

test result N-TERMINAL PRO-B TYPE NATRIURETIC P Report, Satisfactory,

No Further Action. 02 Jan 2025 14:29

Coded entrySerum N-terminal pro B-type natruretic peptide conc (UOM

ng/L) (Y13d9) 36 ng/L

31 Dec 2024

Test resultFull blood count Report, Satisfactory, No Further Action.

Icb - 11j) - 02 Jan 2025 14:28

Coded entryNucleated red blood cell count (4266.) 0 10^9/L

Coded entryBasophil count (42L..) 0 10^9/L [0 - 0.1]

Coded entryTotal white blood count (XaIdY) 5.3 10^9/L [4 - 10]

Information about this test

Coded entryFull blood count (424..) Information about this test

Coded entryLymphocyte count (42M..) 0.9 10^9/L [1 - 3]

Coded entryEosinophil count - observation (42K..) 0.2 10^9/L [0 - 0.5]

Coded entryMonocyte count - observation (42N..) 0.5 10^9/L [0.2 - 1]

Coded entryMean cell haemoglobin level (XE2pb) 29.4 pg [27 - 32]

Coded entryMean cell volume (42A..) 86 fL [83 - 101]

Coded entryNeutrophil count (42J..) 3.7 10^9/L [2 - 7]

Coded entryMean cell haemoglobin concentration (429..) 34.3 g/dL [31.5 - 34.5]

Coded entryPlatelet count - observation (42P..) 207 10^9/L [150 - 410]

Information about this test

Coded entryHaemoglobin concentration (Xa96v) 151 g/L [130 - 170]

Information about this test

Coded entryHaematocrit (X76tb) 0.44 [0.4 - 0.5] Information about this test

Coded entryRed blood cell count (426..) 5.13 10^12/L [4.5 - 5.5]

THANKS FOR READING any advise would be so helpful, been 3 years and 4 months since the change of the way i live now

[Happyrosie]

welcome, bearbear, to the club no one wants to be in.

As far as your tests are concerned, they all seem to have come up as “satisfactory” . Your doctor asks for these tests just to make sure everything is, as far as can be known, going along satisfactorily.

I think you may have got this information from the NHS app because the words “information about this test” is shown. You can click that and follow through to find out what the test is, but I don’t suppose you’d be any better off and as we here are not medical professionals I don’t think we are able to comment specifically.

You are welcome to look at the British Heart Foundation website, where you will find how to phone the heart nurses there. I’m told they are very helpful.

That website also gives lifestyle and diet advice, and as you mention beetroot juice I expect you are well aware of these, and follow them, already.

It’s entirely your choice as to whether you follow your doctor’s advice or not and whether you feel that you would be better off with an life which might feel better and which could be shortened quickly by more heart trouble.

I’m hoping other posters will respond to you too, this is purely my take on things.

[bearbear5662 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you very much

[Lowerfield_no_more]

No one likes taking medication, I certainly don't, but I have to accept it when deemed necessary by health professionals and, in addition, I am satisfied that the risks of not taking it would outweigh any side effects, which is a consideration that everyone should make. As far as some of your medication is concerned you are on the lowest dose of simvastatin. The current recommendation from NICE is that all people who have had a heart 'event' should be prescribed the max dose as 'secondary prevention', which for me and many others is 80mg Atorvastatin, so compared to that you are taking considerably less. You could discuss with your GP whether trialling going without would make much difference, as you are taking such a low dose, but that is a decision between you and your GP. As for aspirin, that is also prescribed as secondary prevention, and if you were taking dispersible and it caused gastro upsets, you could trial gastro resistant/coated like I take and that might mean you could drop the lansoprazole, but again that is a discussion between you and your GP. I have no experience of the other meds you take, so can't offer any comments.

[bearbear5662 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

I did start out on 80 mg of that statin but it made me sick turned me poop yellow so went down to the dose my body can take.. thanks for your input

[momander]

HiWelcomer our group

Ive had 3 heart attacks and a double CABG 2 years ago

I am on the usual cocktail of heart meds. I am just so grateful to be alive, so for me, taking these meds means I stay alive!!! The heart is the most important organ in your body, so taking a few tablets to keep it healthy is a no brainer. You do of course have a choice. Don't take any meds and risk complications and a shorter life, or take a few tablets and give your heart the best chance. 80mg of statin is the best dose for helping prevent build-up of plaque in the arteries ofthe heart. No one wants to be on medication, but for me it's an honour to be alive so I gladly take them

[bearbear5662 in reply to momander]

Grateful too for sure... like I said I can only tolerate a low dose of any statin because I vomit it up and it makes a problem with pooping ! We're all different Thanks

[momander in reply to bearbear5662]

We are all different. I have to take a small dose of laxative every night as the statin can cause slight constipation. It's a small price to pay. There are lots of different statins. Perhaps your GP could prescribe one that doesn't make you sick?

[bearbear5662 in reply to momander]

Yes tried all but simvastatin is the one I can tolerate on small dose of 10mg

[Shimmyaway in reply to momander]

You are mainly on low doses, except for the ramipril.. there are alternatives to this drug .. it made my hands go yellow and gave me a cough , so now on candestartan. Your BP/HR seem well under control .. discuss with GP, as others suggest.

[Andyman]

You don't mention exercise. Are you doing any? I exercise a lot and on the nearly the same drugs and hardly ever get sick. Maybe a cold once a year.

[bearbear5662 in reply to Andyman]

Yes I do 4k on treadmill a day and walk around as well.. also very light weights.. it's just me until I had a heart attack I did not do any medicine all my 68 years .. so my body finds it hard that's all. Thank you

[Goonerboy6661]

It’s important to conduct thorough research to make an informed decision about what’s best for you. I found the website thennt.com/thennt-explained/ particularly useful.

The number needed to treat (NNT) is a metric that indicates the effectiveness of a treatment, calculated by dividing one by the absolute risk reduction (ARR). For instance, statins can help prevent one fatal heart attack for every 39 individuals over a five-year span.

The challenge is that it’s impossible to identify which one of those individuals will benefit. Additionally, studies show that statins may only extend life by an average of five days, as cholesterol plays a role in the immune system. Lowering cholesterol could potentially lead to an increase in illnesses like colds that you are experiencing.

Research indicates that statins reduce heart attacks for that one in 39 by decreasing inflammation in the arteries, which is why other arteries types of cholesterol-lowering medications don’t provide the same level of heart attack prevention. Personally, I take a low dose of statins every other day because the medication I use has a half-life of about 24 hours. This approach allows me to benefit from reduced inflammation while keeping my cholesterol levels from dropping too low, which could impact my immune system.

Ultimately, it’s essential to do your own research and read relevant materials to make the best choice for yourself.

But remember, lifestyle is the most importance thing you can’t our prescribe or supplement you way out of a bad lifestyle.

[bearbear5662 in reply to Goonerboy6661]

thank you

[purpleleah]

I totally get how hard it is to accept medication. Like you, I had a life without and was so proud not to be on medication. I am still torn and don't like that i choose to take them out of fear. I too wonder if I was really strict with diet, exercise, meditation, breathing exercises and that whole package -would i be OK without the meds. ( Aseem Molhotra's book "Life Without Statins" is inspiring in my view. The trouble is we will never know!

I am told I can come off Chlopidogrel after 6 months, so look forward o that and the possibility of reducing some others afterwards. I think the most relevant bloods are the cholesterol and the insulin resistance. If we can lower those, we have a case for reducing statins.

Good luck to you.

[bearbear5662]

Thank you nice to know someone out there feels the same, like you said the problem is you can never know, all i know is this, i notice that when i drink beet juice it really does the same as the beta blocker and the blood pressure tablet, the question is, is that enough or is there something else the tablets do that the beet juice dont. I also see other things healthy things i eat can also do the same thing. My problem is that the meds im on allbeit low doses ... gave me

bp of 106/68 a lot of my waking time and heart beat of 64 beats a min, and thats most off the time before medication, so why am i still on these meds 3 years 4 months later, anyone???

[Qualipop]

Sudden, no warning heart attack 6 years ago; left hospital with 2 stents and a huge bag of meds; mostly what you're taking. Had problems with every single one and had everything either changed or stopped. All I had prior to that was 3 hourly painkiller for a spinal problem. I react very badly to drugs. Now taking only aspirin (coated), simvastatin and something to protect my stomach. Would I have looked at stopping them? Not a chance. Each one had a specific purpose such as stabilising plaque, thinning blood, ensuring stents didn't block. I also changed my diet and lost 2 st one I didn't need to lose. With such widespread disease as you seem to have with 5 stents I Just wouldn't risk stopping the meds. I assume you now see only your GP so I would talk to the BHF nurses then armed with their information, have a serious talk to your GP.

[bearbear5662 in reply to Qualipop]

Ok thanks I wont be stopping meds after reading quite a lot of advice saying they would not, was just wondering what other peoples views were on it, very best wishes for the future

[Loobycare]

Think you made the right decision.

[bearbear5662 in reply to Loobycare]

thank you

[Velda1]

I led a very healthy life, no drugs etc. Then at age of 50 I developed High B P stayed off drugs tried to do it naturally, ate Beets, loads of garlic all the things they tell you..., drank the juice you name it I did it. For 5 years BP was up and down, then eventually had to take the drugs to keep it down. Last year at age of 70 out of the blue I had a STEMI while in Canada, I was lucky to survive, 4 stents later and on a load of meds, very similar to yours. I'm thankful to be alive. I HATE taking drugs BUT i want to live more to be around to see my grandkids etc. Your choice.......If we could all do it naturally we would, no-one wants to be here taking these meds but to live we must. Speak to your GP and Cardiologist or rehab nurse

[bearbear5662]

yes ok like i said in many replies to other posts i will carry on taking meds thanks