A recent reader shared some new information:
"I knew about melatonin [Editor note-she gives it to her cat] from my professional work (I'm a dietitian specializing in hormones and stress) and with the blessing of the vet, am using it. Initially I wanted it for its antioxidant power, and I wrote the author of the article I found on it to confirm its safety in cats. He wrote me back to say not only is it safe, but it can be used in place of Plavix.
[Editor note-be cautious about not using Plavix if it was prescribed as the blood thinning properties are needed to prevent blood clots and heart attacks in the patient. Check first with the cardiologist before discontinuing it.]
So that's what we're doing. After that conversation I learned it also relaxes smooth muscle and therefore is a powerful antihypertensive. Rodeo started getting better when I doubled his melatonin dose the other day.
We are also supplementing with taurine. I asked the vet if Rodeo didn't need more since his heart is using more due to being hypermetabolic, and he said it wouldn't hurt to give him some. So I bought capsules at the health food store and give him 1/6 of the powder each day with his meds.
By the way, I learned to crush his meds in a dish and pour Cat Sip over them. He was stressing too much when I tried to pill him. He actually waits by the fridge when he hears me crushing because he knows he's getting the Cat Sip which he loves. You can also use human Lactaid if you want, it is the same thing. Don't use Whiskas though, it contains corn syrup and trans fat which is horrible for any human or kitty heart, sick or healthy."
Thank you dear reader! It's nice to know someone is being helped and has information to share. I will look into the melatonin, although Myrna must remain on Plavix, and the addition of taurine.
Our cat Myrna Loy, born March 22, 2009, died of HCM 8/19/15. We will continue the blog and FB page. With five cats, we often have a variety of medical issues. Please share your information. Please check the Archives, Categories, Search, and Tabs for more information.
Here is the article I told you about that I shared with my vet. http://www.heartandmetabolism.org/pdf/44/8.pdf
ReplyDeleteHere is what the author of the article wrote to me:
Thanks for contacting me. Melatonin should be more widely used in both animals and humans. In reference to melatonin and its interaction with Plavix or aspirin, I provide the following information. Of course, both those drugs are “blood thinners”. Melatonin has some similar effects; it inhibits adhesion molecules that allow white blood cells to stick to the endothelial cells and, therefore, it prevents clots (like Plavix and aspirin). Many humans take both aspirin (81mg rather than 300mg) and melatonin without difficult. There is certainly no known direct interaction of melatonin with the two drugs you mentioned. On the other hand, both aspirin and Plavix have significant toxicity. Studies have shown that melatonin markedly reduces the toxicity of aspirin and very likely Plavix as well. Thus, if aspirin is routinely taken, melatonin should also be used. The same probably holds for Plavix, but you may want to reduce the doses of aspirin and Plavix.
Hope you find it helpful! My kitty seems to be doing much better thanks to the CoQ10. He even stalked and attacked a dustball this afternoon and gave it a piece of his mind when it didn't cooperate. :)
Monika