July - Before next VAP Test

I met with my specialist yesterday and got excellent advice about the timing of my medications. I will be taking the Crestor 5mg in the evening rather than the morning. I suspect that this is the better time to take it anyway and that I should have been doing so all along. In the morning I can add the Citrus Pectin supplement for additional fiber, which may bind (or sequester) some cholesterol. Taken with the Crestor, it would bind with it and make it less effective.

Since I am tolerating 4 grams of Lovaza, I will try a 5th, starting today. But we agreed that increasing the Niaspan would help HDL in particular. I'm averaging about 2/day (1,000mg) at this point. I am going to try to build up to 3/day (1,500) within the next week prior to the next VAP test, which will I'll take in the July 5-13 window.

She advised me that it would be good to add a source of alphalipoic acid, so I've laid in a supply of Trader Joe's 100mg Alphalipoic Acid as well as a 250mg Milk Thistle. I'll start with one a day of each so that I'll have at least a week on these, too, before the next VAP. Key metric: HDL -- will it be higher than 45? Important metric: Pattern A rather than Pattern B. Will there be substantial movement from B to A?

Recap:

• Take Crestor in evening rather than morning
• Start Citrus Pectin in the morning
• Up Niaspan to 3/day
• Up Lovaza to 5/day
• Add 2 sources of alphalipoic acid
• Keep rest as usual (see earlier posts)

Trader Joe's also has a Reservatrol supplement which I'll try if I don't have a pill overload. Wal-Mart now stocks a Reservatrol liquid in their fruit juice section, but it is pricey at about $7/half gallon.