Protein S Deficiency

[jpoww]

Ofonorow and Johnwen, I have posted several topics on this site about my husband and his CAD. We recently got him tested for MTHFR Mutation and he tested positive for one mutation A1298C.
We also got him tested for a series of genetic blood clotting mutations and diseases. He tested positive for Protien S deficiency. His level was 33 and the range was 70-?(I forgot the number)
The blood doctor claimed there has been some case study that show low levels of this protien are associated with CAD. She said the only thing they would recommend would be Coumadin and since he is on Effient already she isn't sure adding coumadin would help. So for now we are choosing to do nothing about this.
I wanted to know what ya'll think about this? Is there a natural way to increase Protein S?
quick history, my husband has had 3 heart attacks, last heart attack he has muscle damage. He had clotted once when plavix was stopped and that cause a heart attack , third time he had stopped his lipator and lowered his effient to 5 days a week instead of 7 and had a heart attack 18months after lowering those two drugs. He has been on linus pauling since the third heart attack, so a year and two months now.

[Johnwen]

She said the only thing they would recommend would be Coumadin and since he is on Effient already she isn't sure adding coumadin would help.

Thank God she didn't start him on warfarin (coumadin)!!!
Low protein S is a Vitamin K deficiency, Coumadin is a Vitamin K antagonist (It stops it's action)!
Find a good low dose K complex supplement.

Question: Did his stents reclog or were they fresh Blocks???

A low A1298C is actually kind of a good thing it means his homocystein levels are being held low. Which means his inflamation markers are being held low. Thank you effient!

If both the A1298C and C677T were low he could have a genetic problem but since they didn't mention it in the report it's probably not relavent.
A low 677CC/1298CC genotype would be indicitive of a problem brewing but again it's not mentioned.

Sounds to me like he maybe a little anemic. If you have a recent blood work see what his hemoglobin level is.
if it's low get a good multi vitamin with some low dose Iron in it.

Hope this helps

[jpoww]

Not sure what you mean with the stent question. The cardiologist had stopped his plavix for a week when his white blood count was low and within that week he developed a clot and had a heart attack, when he came out of the cath lab they said it was because they stopped his plavix and to never get off of it again. A month after that, we tried to gradually started to decrease his lipator and within 18months he was off lipator and taking 5 effients a week instead of 7 a week. toward the end of those 18months he has another clot in the same stents that clotted the previous time. So I think I would say that is a reclot right?
Now, if low protien S means he is at danger for producing clots, and vitamin K helps the blood thicken or clot, why would taking Vitamin K help him? wouldn't it help him make more clots?
what is a good dose of Iron to take?

Thank You
Josie

[angiew]

[Johnwen]

[jpoww]

Johnwen, I think I understand. So your saying that the Vitamin K indirectly works with the fibrin? No completely sure how vitamin K works in giving the platlets something to grab onto but is that basicly what your saying? So taking vitamin K will help him not clot instead of hurting him right?
Will taking Vitamin K actual increase his protein S levels?
If so, how would we know the correct doseage to take?
Could he take to much Vitamin K?

[ofonorow]

Thanks johnwen. Excellent. I learned a great deal. Note: The "never stop for a single day" is in regards to taking Vitamin C by the way.

When vitamin K is either deficient or blocked by a drug (e.g. warafin/coumadin) one result is hardening of the arteries, calcifications.

I don't like medicine telling heart patients not to take vitamin K - because it interferes with their drugs !? It gets ridiculous, to the point of advising against leafy green vegetables, etc. Vitamin K is involved in the clotting process as Johnwen tried to illustrate (like vitamin C is involved with the production of collagen.) I have never heard that taking too much vitamin K actually increases clotting (above normal) just as taking a lot of vitamin C does not leave to an over abundance of collagen.

The definition of a vitamin... should be .. that which is missing in the diet kills. That is how all the vitamins have been found. People got sick and died without the vitamin in the diet. Now, our gut flora apparently make some vitamin K (which is why babies sometimes need vitamin K at birth) and why I think that intensive antibiotics might make ones arteries hard!

So back to simplifcation - take vitamin C and lysine, take a lot and don't stop. Focus on vitamin K2 (although I dought taking the other form(s) matter much) as K2 apparently has nothing to do with clotting, but a lot to do with keeping the arteries from hardening. Say 200 MICROgrams..

[jpoww]

So op for Vitamin K2 and not so much a Vit. K Complex right? A deficiency in Vit. K could cause low Protien S and in turn increase the likelihood of clotting? I will get him on Vit. K asap..Thank you so much

[jpoww]

I looked back on some blood work from 2011 and notice he had a very high level of factor 8 Antigen. Any thoughts? does the level of protein s and factor 8 fluctuates?

[Johnwen]

does the level of protein s and factor 8 fluctuates?

Normally they stay in range unless unless there is Liver Damage or major injury.

Has he had his liver checked ??
Has he been screened for DVT (deep vein thrombosis)?
Did he have any major OOOps(injury) around this time?
Does anyone in His family have Liver problems?
Has he been to any Asian countries??
Is or was he overweight, not a little extra bagage I mean OVERweight??

He should talk to his doc about getting retested now that things have stabilized for him, to see if these problems are still there. These could have been red flags signalling what has happened to him and hopefully there back to normal now!
If there still a little out of line I would switch him from plavix over to effient. but that's up to his doc!

[jpoww]

back in 2011 when they did testing on his blood he was going thru a neutropenia episode. For 3-4 months his white blood count was very very low. They did two bone marrow biopsies and they couldnt find any reason for this low white blood count. They thought it could have been his meds and took him off plavix and lipator and a week into it he had a heart attack. After that they switched him to Effient instead of plavix and that is what he is currently taking. He is back on lipator but we have reduced it to 40mg 3 days a week and 20mg for 4 days. It was during this time that his Factor VIII Antigen was very high. Eventually the white count went back into normal range.
His Cardiologist checks his liver periodically
I dont know if he has been screened for DVT (I will ask for this screening)
No one in his family has liver problems to my knowledge
He has never been to any Asian Countries but we have worked with people who are from Asia.
He is not overweight at all.
Recently we went to a hemotologist to get blood work done specifically to see if he has any gene mutations for blood clotting and the only thing that came back out of range was his Protien S which was very low. I don't think she checked for Factor 8 Antigen.

[jpoww]

I have read about MK7 Vitamin K2, and most of the sources I see are from Nattokinase. We are currently on a candida diet for intestinal yeast, does anyone know if this nattokinase will be safe to use on this diet? if its not safe then what other forms of MK7 could we use?