DH Health Update: Carbs are not good for Heart Disease!

DH scared me early November with complaints of shortness of breath while on a short walk, so I made an appointment with his "assigned" cardiologist, who did an EKG and ordered a basic (old-fashioned) cholesterol panel. Triglycerides used to be 128 jumped to 240, yikes! I'd texted questions for DH to ask cardiologist, who when asked, looked to his PA/NA for answers via nodding/shaking PA's head. So we used a specialized forum (Dr William Davis @ Track Your Plaque) to find a new cardiologist.

Meanwhile, DH's L arm has been hurting, numb, and tingling - no chest pain of more SOB though. But still scary just months after a "mild" heart attack, then experiencing SOB while casually walking, finding triglycerides almost doubled (Halloween candy!)

I finally convinced DH that sugar/grains/starch is what causes bad cholesterol and trigs, except complex carbs like all veggies except roots (turnip excluded). He also doubled his fish oil after reading science/medical studies I sent him with results listed. So by the time he saw the new cardiologist, his trigs dropped back down to almost what they were before the Halloween-Triglyceride-Spike, we also got more advanced (current) cholesterol panel called NMR.

New cardiologist actually listened (unlike former "assigned" cardiologist) and felt like DH's L arm problems might be pinched nerve related. Ok, but Dr, does nitroglycerin relieve pinched nerve pain? Because his daily slow-release nitroglycerin relieves his arm pain until the SL NTG wears off, then the pain is only relieved by hot packs. New Dr appears to ponder this, leaves and returns with Nitroglycerin spray squirted under DH's tongue.

Five minutes later, DH's arm pain dropped from pain level 13.5 (drama-king!) to 5. So new Dr ordered carotid ultrasound in addition to some kind of nerve test he had already ordered.

When we got home, I asked DH if he wanted to try one of my muscle relaxers from my pinched nerve (which has barely bothered me since I increased my back/shoulder/neck stretching), just to see if it helped - like the "rule-out test with the nitroglycerin spray". The muscle relaxer did indeed relieve his L arm pain! I searched to see if anyone reported nitroglycerin helped pinched nerve pain and didn't find much. So maybe it's a combination of both pinched nerve with some blockage? DH is still waiting for the nurse to call with the test times.

Last night I typed up his new NMR cholesterol results to post at Track Your Plaque. Dr Davis replied that it seemed DH's numbers were improving, but that it also seemed DH was getting too many carbs. So my initial thinking that some carbs for lunch wouldn't hurt due to him walking around at work was WRONG! I've tried in the past to make homemade lunches for DH, but he loved those frozen lunches from the grocery stores! But now he's seen what lowering carbs can do, and is more motivated, so will eat homemade low carb lunches, whew!

1 comment:

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