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Heart Health Fuhrman Ornish

Support to take control of your health, reverse disease. Medically documented. ... more

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kgal62

Joined: 05/13/2010

My Story:

I am a retired teacher and reading specialist. Love to travel! Enjoy volunteering with International English classes and activities. Family comes first and love them so much.

I am challenged by a stent placement three years ago. Trying Dr. Fuhrman's heart diet to keep things from worsening. Otherwise, I am very busy with a good and productive life.

My husband of 35 years is the light of my life. He gives me so much support! What a jewel!

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Plavix and Migraine

Has anyone had their migraine headaches return after cessation of Plavix? After three years...

Posted by kgal62

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Plavix and Migraine Has anyone had their migraine headaches return after cessation of Plavix? After three years...

Reply: robert pritikin

Hi, I took one capsule of 1000 mgs. and the cardiologist then had me take 3 capsules. My...

Posted by kgal62

Hi,

I took one capsule of 1000 mgs. and the cardiologist then had me take 3 capsules. My tri's were 167 and she wanted them down and maybe a slight increase in my HDL that was 30. Dr. Esselstyn told me over the phone to not worry about the low HDL but to limit fruit to get the tri's lower. If I limit fruit on the ETL diet there won't be much else to eat. He did tell me on the phone to not eat nuts as it will clog my arteries. I am surprised you have heard him say differently. His diet in his book also does not allow nuts and seeds. After this conversation I was very nervous about trying the ETL diet but I liked the scientific articles supporting the strategy. It is all over the news anymore that nuts and fish are very healthy for heart patients.

I have never smoked and we ate a mediterranean diet. I had a dental surgery and they used an IV sedation anesthesia. Afterwards, I had a terrible migraine headache for two weeks with lots of meds to treat it and had a non-stemi after the second week of constant migraines. December 26th three years ago, they did a pci. I was stented in the diagonal. They said the other arteries were clear. They can't always see plaque in the artery especially in women. My cardiologist thought I had a spasm due to the migraine, anesthesia and meds. Who knows? She thinks this is what happened.

As a result I am on Plavix still and the whole regimen they put all of us on. They did change meds as I had reactions. I cannot tolerate a statin. They give me migraines and make me very sick. So I have to be very careful with my diet. I have been able to take 10 mgs. of Pravastatin. So taking dual anti-platelet therapy plus all the fish oil caused me a lot of peripheral bleeding and the fish oil was stopped.

My LDL was down to 80 on Esselstyn and total 146. But tri's were 167 and HDL very low. So the cardiologist gave me the fish oil. Everything went up and the LDL went to 131. Not good. Had to quit those. Since, I have tweaked the diet with ETL. There were so many grains on the other diets and I was puffy and holding water from the carbs. I am also hopeful ETL will help the water retention as well as lower some of my numbers.

I am concerned about the B12 issues. I do not like to supplement. None of the studies are showing supplements are helpful and especially in women. I talked with the female cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic and she said don't take them. Get what you need from your food unless you have an established deficiency. They do endorse fish oil if you need it but recommend a little fish. Like three ozs. daily.

There are studies coming out now showing researchers compared Atkins (new), Ornish, and WW's and if the patient lost weight then they all benefitted them and plaque reversed and blood flow increased. I do add WW's to ETL to keep my calories in check. I do water aerobics and water jogging three times a week (that includes water weights), plus treadmill and walks the other days. Sunday I rest!

Long email but I find your posts very helpful and you have experience with all of the heart diet doctors.

This can be very frustrating. I have added back a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (no cholesterol) as the latest study on Web MD showed adding nuts, fish and dairy reduced heart attack risk. Did you read that study? I am thinking of eating 3 ozs. of fish daily as long as I don't gain weight. It will be interesting to see what this does to my lipids. Right now though, the Ornish, MacDougall, Esselstyn diets are just too high carb for this female. We do not do well with the high carbs. I eat mostly salads and yellow, green veggies and leave off the grains and even oats to see If that will help. There is no way to know w/o another pci. They did do a nuclear heart scan (more radiation) two years ago and it was normal and my EFR was 60%. They said I had a small heart. My female cardiologist said hers was the same. I know many people now with normal stress tests who have had heart issues anyway.

Thank you,

Kgal62View Thread

Posted bykgal62

13 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:robert pritikin Hi, I took one capsule of 1000 mgs. and the cardiologist then had me take 3 capsules. My...

Reply: robert pritikin

Thank you for your posts. I have been on the Ornish diet for two years and just learned...

Posted by kgal62

13 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:robert pritikin Thank you for your posts. I have been on the Ornish diet for two years and just learned...

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