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After a visit to my regular physician on Wednesday and my cardiologist today my medications have been changed at my request. I had a heart attack last June followed by CABG X3. Since July I have been on Lipitor but I also have experienced documented verbal, memory, and attention problems. I suspect the statin might be contributing to those problems which I perceive as getting worse over time.
My total cholesterol was 201 a year before the heart attack and the following numbers show the progression from October to December to May:
total cholesterol; 116, <100, 140
Hdl; 33, 27, 46
Ldl; 49, ?, 89 triglycerides; 169, ?, 58 glucose; 92, 88, 80
(The December/middle numbers were from a quick screening test. The recent lipid numbers are from a VAP test)
After continuing to gain weight following a low-fat diet, I went on a reduced carbohydrate diet around New Years and have lost about 10-12 pounds. (I want/need to lose about 25 more.) I also started to take
100mg of niacin at that time.
Since the numbers are good now, I asked my doctors if I could switch from Lipitor to Niaspan and they agreed to change my medications and monitor my progress with respect to the lipid panel and cognitive effects over the next few months. I'm hoping the niacin, exercise, and weight loss will keep improving the Hdl and triglyceride numbers and that my cognitive function will improve from being off the statin. (Maybe I'm just suffering from "pump head" or anoxia from the MI but it seems to be getting worse, not better as expected.)
So, to get to my question, I filled the Niaspan prescription today and the pharmacist noted the recommendation by Kos pharmaceutical, the maker of Niaspan, to take a regular-strength aspirin about a half-hour before the niaspan. The same info is given on the Niaspan website.
However, I am also on a daily 81mg aspirin regimen. I thought that taking an aspirin dose greater than 81mg negated the positive effect aspirin has on platelets. I thought I read somewhere, perhaps on this
and in fact destroys the effect of a lower dose. I'm confused.
Can someone shed some insight on the dosage effect of aspirin for me and also provide information as to why aspirin is recommended before taking
Niaspan? If I didn't take the larger dose of aspirin, what would the consequences be? Can I take take the larger aspirin at night with the
Niaspan and also take the lower aspirin dose in the morning without losing the 81mg aspirin benefit? Wouldn't the higher dose aspirin in combination with Niaspan increase the potential for stomach distress?
Any insight or references appreciated...
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