Does heart test involve radiation?

Q. My husband and I each had a test to determine our coronary artery calcium scores. Our cardiologist suggested it.

I would like to know if the large, high-pitched machine that hovered over me for some time used radiation. If so, how much did I get?

A. The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a relatively new tool to detect plaque in arteries of the heart. The machine you heard used X-rays to take multiple pictures of your chest. The amount of radiation from such a CT scan can vary enormously from one facility to another (Archives of Internal Medicine, July 13, 2009). Your doctor should have told you the range of radiation you may have received.

The value of the CAC score is still being debated (Journal of the American Medical Association, April 28, 2010). It is unclear whether knowing your CAC score will reduce your risk of developing angina or experiencing a heart attack.

There is growing recognition that radiation doses from CT scans may be higher than previously stated (Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec. 14, 2009). Experts are concerned that unnecessary CT scans may raise the risk of cancer.

Q. I retired in December, and by April I learned the horrible reality of the “doughnut hole” in Medicare coverage. I take a great deal of medicine. Most of it is generic, but six of my prescriptions are not. Is there someplace to get these at a reasonable cost?

I take Nexium (about $200 a month), Lyrica ($230 a month), Lidoderm (roughly $600 for a three-month supply), VESIcare ($150 per month), Vagifem ($140 a month) and Provigil ($475 a month). This really adds up on a retirement budget!

My friend orders her medicine from Canada, but I am not sure if that’s a good idea. What do you think?

A. No wonder your budget is suffering! We calculate you are spending almost $1,400 on these prescriptions. According to our calculations, you could save more than $500 by purchasing some of your medicines from Canada and others at a discount drugstore such as Costco.

Buying from Canada can be tricky, since some online drugstores claiming to be Canadian are not actually in Canada. Others are sourcing their pills from places such as Turkey, India, Singapore and Thailand.

We are sending you our Guide to Saving Money on Medicines with guidelines for buying drugs from Canada and using generics safely. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. CA-99, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

When available, generic drugs can offer huge savings, but recent recalls have raised questions about the quality control of some products. You and your doctor need to be vigilant.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

2010 King Features Syndicate Inc.

Q. I read your question about the young lady who had problems with poison ivy. I am a dermatology nurse and see a lot of patients with poison ivy. I have them wash ALL their clothing and work tools in soap and water as soon as they come in from outdoors. They take the shoelaces out of their shoes, too, and wash them both!

Poison-ivy oil can stay on garden tools and toys for MONTHS, so washing is important. People say poison ivy spreads, but really it is from new contact with the oil on some object.

A. You didn’t mention pets. They, too, can carry poison-ivy oil on their fur. They are harder to wash, but it may be worth the effort!