Proper post-stent follow-up

peter said:

- Female, diabetic, 71, with a heart attack 3 months ago
is diagnosed with 100% RCA stenosis and PVD on left leg.
- PTCA+Cypher Stent on RCA, approx. one month ago. After
the stent placement, aspirin+plavix+lipitor+triatec
- Yesterday, a simple 5min exam (EKG) and the doctor
said everything is OK, come back after 2 months for
a Doppler exam and perhaps after 6 months a thallium
stress echo...

My questions:
- Is this a normal post-stent follow up procedure?

It is usual.

Quoted message said:

- I have come across articles/threads for lipitor
effects on memory and muscle/leg discomfort. Since
these symptoms have occured, is there an alternative?

There are. These alternatives should involve the prescribing doctor who
should be informed about the development of side effects as you have
described.

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
http://www.heartmdphd.com/

I recently had stents installed. Since I was already taking baby
aspirin and Zocor the only new medication was Plavix. For ordinary
stents the Plavix is taken for a month. For the new drug eluding stents
the Plavix needs to be taken longer--3 months according to FDA, but my
cardiologist says 6 months.

Earlier in the year I had an ultrasound (Echocardiogram) which may be
similar to a doppler so a new one was not specified. I was told to come
back in 6 months for a thallium stress test.

If you think you are having problems with the Lipitor, you should talk
to your cardiologist about switching to another medication which you may
tolerate better. All the statins could cause muscle problems but a
patient may react differently to each different statin. There are about
a half dozen different statins available which lower cholesterol. If
all of them give you a problem, you should look at non-prescription
alternatives.

Herb
Boulder, CO

"peter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

- Female, diabetic, 71, with a heart attack 3 months ago
is diagnosed with 100% RCA stenosis and PVD on left leg.
- PTCA+Cypher Stent on RCA, approx. one month ago. After
the stent placement, aspirin+plavix+lipitor+triatec
- Yesterday, a simple 5min exam (EKG) and the doctor
said everything is OK, come back after 2 months for
a Doppler exam and perhaps after 6 months a thallium
stress echo...

My questions:
- Is this a normal post-stent follow up procedure?
- I have come across articles/threads for lipitor
effects on memory and muscle/leg discomfort. Since
these symptoms have occured, is there an alternative?

Thanks all,

I, unfortunately, have 4 stents. Three of the old kind which have presented
restenosis problems which apparently have been satisfactorily resolved - and
one of the new drug eluting stents inserted last June. My cardiologist had me
take a thallium stress test after 3 months, no separate doppler or ekg. My
previous cardiologist did the same except he used the echo stress test after
three months instead of the thallium. I guess they each have their favorites.

How do you know the Lipitor is causing the problem? Perhaps she would
have had they symptoms anyway. A non-statin possiblity is Niaspan -
which increases HDL - but it has its own side effects. If you have
confidence in your doc go with his advice.

peter <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

- Female, diabetic, 71, with a heart attack 3 months ago
is diagnosed with 100% RCA stenosis and PVD on left leg.
- PTCA+Cypher Stent on RCA, approx. one month ago. After
the stent placement, aspirin+plavix+lipitor+triatec
- Yesterday, a simple 5min exam (EKG) and the doctor
said everything is OK, come back after 2 months for
a Doppler exam and perhaps after 6 months a thallium
stress echo...

My questions:
- Is this a normal post-stent follow up procedure?
- I have come across articles/threads for lipitor
effects on memory and muscle/leg discomfort. Since
these symptoms have occured, is there an alternative?

Thanks all,

Markthree said:

I, unfortunately, have 4 stents. Three of the old kind which have presented
restenosis problems which apparently have been satisfactorily resolved - and
one of the new drug eluting stents inserted last June. My cardiologist had me
take a thallium stress test after 3 months, no separate doppler or ekg. My
previous cardiologist did the same except he used the echo stress test after
three months instead of the thallium. I guess they each have their favorites.

Does stent acceptance have to be found totally by trial and error? Could
some sort of allergy test to the material help in advance? Or a genetics
test be developed?

There is a recent mention of sirolimus caution on Medscape. Is it possible
to get some for a test without having to pay for a whole stent?

I did not have stents, I had a bypass, but before I had the angiogram
stenting was mentinoned. When I asked for some material to test in my
mouth or something the cardiologist was non-committal. Maybe such would
not give a useful indication of how the material would be accepted by the
heart arteries, or would it give a little indication?

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I have 5 or 6 stents. I have to check my notes to determine the correct
number. The stents seemed to hold up fine, but other areas of the same
arteries became blocked, thus the additional stents. My last stent was
a drug eluding stent in July. The FDA guidelines specify Plavix should
be taken for 3 months following the drug eluding stent to avoid clots
from forming. My cardiologist wants me to take the Plavix for 6 months.

In my case the thallium stress tests did not indicate how well the
stents were performing. It did indicate that my heart was not receiving
sufficient blood supply, which could have been due to a stent failure or
a new blockage.

--

Herb
Boulder, CO

"Brian Sandle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Markthree said:

I, unfortunately, have 4 stents. Three of the old kind which have

presented

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

restenosis problems which apparently have been satisfactorily

resolved - and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

one of the new drug eluting stents inserted last June. My

cardiologist had me

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

take a thallium stress test after 3 months, no separate doppler or

ekg. My

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

previous cardiologist did the same except he used the echo stress

test after

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

three months instead of the thallium. I guess they each have their

favorites.

Quoted message said:

Does stent acceptance have to be found totally by trial and error?

Could

Quoted message said:

some sort of allergy test to the material help in advance? Or a

genetics

Quoted message said:

test be developed?

There is a recent mention of sirolimus caution on Medscape. Is it

possible

Quoted message said:

to get some for a test without having to pay for a whole stent?

I did not have stents, I had a bypass, but before I had the angiogram
stenting was mentinoned. When I asked for some material to test in my
mouth or something the cardiologist was non-committal. Maybe such

would

Quoted message said:

not give a useful indication of how the material would be accepted by

the

Quoted message said:

heart arteries, or would it give a little indication?

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http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
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