Nice Group

[Guest guest]

Just found this group and appreciate those who started it, and the

key 'welcome mails' that are sent when you join. Thanks to everybody

who shares their knowledge.

I'm representing a 50-something husband who has recently gone from

being a fairly healthy diabetic to being an unhealthy heart patient

(had a terrible pneumonia episode when heart problems were

uncovered). While hospitalized his doctors found old blockages.

They hope he is strong enough to recover without resorting to

surgery. So he is piled with meds right now, treading water, able to

function but not exert himself.

Blood flow has supposedly improved, but he has developed tremendous

shortness of breath after STOPPING smoking. ???!!. I feel strongly

the shortness of breath traces back to his taking Coreg. (they then

added Lasix which is supposed to help that, but it doesn't help

much).

He is on Coumadin/warfarin which means there are some good

supplements he has to avoid and good veggies he can't overdo.

We are " sugarbusting " and working hard to get sugars low. However,

here's the catch, simultaneous with the command to lose weight and

lower sugars, he was told to start taking Lipitor again. Which we

vividly recall he used a few years ago, and stopped because of rapid

weight gain of 40 pounds. Would like to substitute diet, exercise,

and fish oil for this nasty drug, but apparently the warfarin gets in

the way of using fish oil, and shortness of breath REALLY gets in the

way of exercise. Feel like we're trapped, waiting endlessly for

things to improve.

He has recently started on CoQ10 and alpha-lipoic acid, which we hope

has some positive effect on his energy and maybe the weight gain side

effect.

I had sent a full list of supplements shown to have some positive

effect on neuropathy, when he went to see internist. Doctor

considered it all optional/goofy, suggested 'Centrum silver'.

Anyway, I am slogging through all the old messages, but just wanted

to sign in and share my dilemma. If anybody has advice about living

with (and easing off of) Coreg, Coumadin, and Lipitor, let me know.