One Less Med: Will Drink to That!

[Superbob]

The Advicor my doc gave me in an attempt to raise my HDL ("good") cholesterol a few points has continued to raise my fasting blood sugar (I'm a type 2 diabetic) into the 140s -- hitting 147 one morning this week. (It's not supposed to be over 126.) So I called the doc again and his nurse said I could stay at the low dose instead of going to a planned doubling of the dose. (She tried to encourage me by saying a fasting blod sugar of 140 wasn't really that high -- yeah, right!) When I kept complaining about this destruction of my diabetes management, she said another option was for me to "do what I want."

Bingo! I stopped the Advicor last night. My blood sugar this morning is 116!

I have started reading about foods that raise good cholesterol naturally -- among them, whole grains, brown rice, onions, apples, grapes, fish rich in omega-3, dark green veggies . . . and here's my favorite: a glass or two of beer or wine a day!

Tonight I will celebrate my liberation from one nasty med by lifting a cold Coors Light...

 

[terryj]

I have been on Tricor for one week now(it is recommended for people with diabetes). My blood sugar has also gone up. I am already trying to naturally lower my tryglycerides and cholestrol. I take 2 diabetes pills everyday. I also think I need to stop the tricor.

 

[Susan BAV]

Good news Bob; and enjoy that beer in a frosty mug for good measure!

 

[Pegasus]

Congratulations about one less med

You are right about the foods - this is how my husband controls his cholesterol. I have also read that brown rice is a good food for diabetes.

My husband was on Lipitor and had the typical muscle aches as side effect. Ironicically, on Lipitor, whatever he did/ate his good cholesterol HDL just was barely above normal. I told him to just get off it which he did.

We completely changed eating habits: lots of whole grains (like oatmeal for breakfast - brown rice / quinoa for lunch or supper), dark green veggies, fruit and nuts, onions, garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs, salmon/tuna 2-3 times per week etc. Plus, he supplements with fish oil and ground flax seed every day.
His HDL increased significantly and his doctor was pleased.

You migth want to consider adding ground Flax seed as a fiber source. If you take any other meds (Coumadin) you have to take it a couple of hours later.

Good luck!
astrid

 

[Mary]

I have started reading about foods that raise good cholesterol naturally -- among them, whole grains, brown rice, onions, apples, grapes, fish rich in omega-3, dark green veggies . . . and here's my favorite: a glass or two of beer or wine a day!

Tonight I will celebrate my liberation from one nasty med by lifting a cold Coors Light...

Sounds like a good course of action to me, Bob!

 

[Marguerite53]

Excellent! Way to be in charge!!

I, too have started pouring a small glass of red wine every night with dinner. I used the flaxseed meal (2 Tablespoons in my morning puffed Kashi cereal) but the high level of B vitamin (niacin, I think) was flushing me badly and brought my roseaca around, so I've stopped the Flaxseed meal and will reintroduce it more slowly. I'm also going to bake it into Oatmeal muffins, or something. I've read that the baking/cooking of it lessens the cyanide type compound ( ) in it which some are sensitive to!! (hey, I'm no nutritionist or chemist so reading these silly websites is always frustrating....but when I saw cyanide...well.....it did make me balk abit!!) ..."There are no recorded flax seed oil side effects that inflicted harm on humans. Nevertheless, moderation is necessary. As the Dutch proverb goes ?everything preceeded by the word ?too? is not good ?. Flaxseed may have side effects when consumed in large quantities, especially if it is uncooked. Flaxseed contains cynogenic glycosides and in uncooked flaxseed intakes amounting to more than 10 table spoons the cyanide level may reach to toxic levels. Large amount intake of flaxseed may upset hormonal balance. Studies on animals have reported birth defects. However, there is no reported danger of flaxseed on pregnancy or children. Most studies that reported health benefit of flaxseed used 5 ? 10 g/day dose. " (from http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/Flax-seed.php)

Fish oil supplements can be a great idea. I buy mine at a natural foods grocery store/pharmacy type place. You need to be careful that the source fish were not laced with chemicals. The brand I use, Nordic Naturals, adds a lemon taste so you don't feel like a fishmonger at the end of the day. The quote on the back reads, "All Nordic Naturals products surpass all national and international pharmaceutical standards for freshness and purity, and are free from heavy metals, dioxins, and PCBs. Every batch is third party tested to guarantee exceptional freshness and purity levels. Warning. Consult with your physicain before using this product if you are pregnant, diabetic, allergic to iodine, using blood thinners, or anticipate surgery."

It seems that all the things that are recommended to bring up that good HDL are things which tend to thin the blood. Please be careful and educated before you go trying anything touted as healthy to the normal population.

Another tip is to eat 15 raw almonds a day. So buy a big bag (less expensive) at a discount house (costco), separate them into freezer baggies and pop most of them into your freezer (so they don't go stale on you) and pour yourself that Coors lite!!

Again.....good for you!!

Marguerite

 

[Phyllis]

I like the advice to "do what you want"- I sometimes think we know our own bodies better than anyone, Bob. Have a cold one for us!

 

[Pegasus]

Yes, Marguerite, you are absolutely right - one is supposed to start the ground flax seed slowly and build up. The maximum my husband takes is 2 tbs per day. Baking it into muffins is a good idea!
Naturally, one should always check with the pharmacist for interactions and get all the info. My husband took both Flax seeds and a good quality fish oil for the short time he was on Coumadin. Coumadin Dr. was informed.
My husband has no other health issues and is now on no meds which makes it a lot easier.
astrid

 

[Susan BAV]

Flaxseed - Cyanide - H-m-m-m... I have some kind of minor zit outbreak right now and I recall really PORKING OUT (Hey - I DO have a PIG valve...) last week on some delicious "Veggie & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips" from Trader Joe's with some amazing guacamole from Chipotle Mexican Grill... Wonder if there's a connection? I knew it was something I ate. Maybe too much flaxseed?

Years ago, I'd read that eating the whole flaxseeds is a bad idea because they can perforate the intestines. I'm assuming the chips are safe, although the seeds are whole.

 

[Superbob]

Hey folks, all of you -- I really appreciate the positive comments! I have an appointment with this GP (just switched to him recently) next month, and I'll talk over with him the flaxseed, fish oil, and other supplements. Also will talk to the friendly neighborhood pharmacist. She's been very helpful.

I like it that this doc was willing (though maybe grudgingly) to go along with my judgment of this particular medicine not working. (After all, only we know what our bodies are saying.) I'm not against all meds. I think the ones I'm still taking are probably all important for me. But I believe sometimes good healthy living (diet, exercise) can do more good than the latest pill to come out of the research laboratory.

Cheers,

 

[WayneGM]

Cheers!!!!

 

[tommy]

and here's my favorite: a glass or two of beer or wine a day!

.......for medicinal purposes!

 

[StretchL]

Lifting a Heineken in your honor at this moment, Bob!

I think the beer & wine has kept my HDL up, and I heartily endorse such therapy.

"Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der gemiitlichkeit!"

 

[Superbob]

LOL, Stretch, thanks for the toast! Let's hear it for Oktoberfest in March:

"Ein Prosit "
With Beer stein or glass in hand

A Salute to Your Health or Well-being!

Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der gemiitlichkeit
Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der gemiitlichkeit
(Cheer!) Eins, zwer, Dreif g'suffa!
Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi,
Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi,
Prosit

I'm feeling better already. Ready to dance around the beer hall!

 

[JohnKY]

Hi,

This post reminded me of something I had meant to research for my wife.
She is set to begin a low dose of beta-blocker this week (25mg Toprol xl). Currently she enjoys a glass of 2 (maximum) of wine maybe 2 days a week.
There is no mention of alcohol on her bottle or in the information given to us by the pharmicist. However looking online I see some contraindication. Does anyone know how serious a problem this is at this dose? She hates to give it up, but of course will if necessary. Does anyone have personal experience with this?

Thanks,

Marti and John

 

[Philip B]

Wine Ration

Wine Ration

Congrats Bob!

I recently asked one of the nurses in my cardio doc's office if the hospital I would be having my surgery in had any of those Wine Bottle IV Adaptors. She seemed confused until I told her these were the devices that allowed one to hang a wine bottle on an IV rack so the patient could continue receiving his/her daily wine ration by mainlining it rather than fussing with wine glasses in the hospital. Needless to say she quickly informed me that there wouldn't be any of that, but added the cardio doc's office staff would be happy to take care of any wine that I felt might go to waste during my upcoming hospital stay.

-Philip

 

[gijanet]

Good news!

Good news!

a glass or two of beer or wine a day!

Tonight I will celebrate my liberation from one nasty med by lifting a cold Coors Light...

And I'll join you in that last one. I've been meaning to work on my good cholesterol! Hugs. J.

 

[tobagotwo]

You show great good sense.

All too often patients listen with rapt attention to what the cardiologist says about a few cholesterol points, and don't think about what's most important in their overall health. Sugar is a much more immediate danger, and far more damaging over time than cholesterol that's a bit over or under the line (depending on the density). As it is with many things in life, understanding what's really important is a big determining factor in your quality of life.

As you show here, we must manage our own overall health, and not simply do whatever we're told and wonder why things aren't turning out all right for us. The cardiologist is concerned with your cholesterol numbers, the diabetes specialist with controlling sugar. You can easily wind up with a battle of the prescriptions, where their actions counteract each other, and you get the side effects of both as well.

Well-earned drink, I'd say.


Best wishes,

 

[ruth]

LChaim! Drink it in good health!

Ruth

 

[Superbob]

Response to Marti and John

Response to Marti and John

Again, I want to thank everybody for the positive comments. They are much appreciated.

Wanted to respond to the question below from Marti and John:

"This post reminded me of something I had meant to research for my wife.
She is set to begin a low dose of beta-blocker this week (25mg Toprol xl). Currently she enjoys a glass of 2 (maximum) of wine maybe 2 days a week.
There is no mention of alcohol on her bottle or in the information given to us by the pharmicist. However looking online I see some contraindication. Does anyone know how serious a problem this is at this dose? She hates to give it up, but of course will if necessary. Does anyone have personal experience with this?"

Thought I would pass along my personal experience (of course, still check with your own pharmacist or physician).

Even after kicking the Advicor, I still have a couple of prescriptions (metformin, lisinopril) that state on the label, "Do not drink alcoholic beverages when taking this medication." Since I have decided to enjoy a glass or two of wine or beer at the evening meal as part of my strategy to raise "good" cholesterol without meds, I called my pharmacist just now and asked if those warnings applied to that glass or two of wine or beer. She is a bright young woman, well-informed, and always very helpful concerning drug interactions.

She replied without hesitation that, no, the warnings do not apply to the wine and beer taken in moderation as indicated above. They are meant to deter someone on medication from boozing heavily at parties. One of the adverse consequences could be a dangerous drop in BP, causing the person to faint.

Since you're dealing with a particular med, I would suggest talking to your pharmacist and/or doctor. But my own assumption is that, in general, those warnings don't apply to the glass of wine enjoyed with a meal.

Hope this helps.