Has anyone ever shrunk an Aneurysm?

Posted by tripleaaa @tripleaaa, Apr 30, 2024

On 2/5/24 I took myself to the ER for ongoing sharp back pain (waited all day). The CT scan revealed a AAA at 7.9 on the verge of rupturing, plus 2 others. The next largest one is a 5.4 Ascending. I’m still recovering from the first life saving surgery and I was wondering in anyone has any information on shrinking an Aneurysm naturally.

I’m 51, in good shape and never smoked however I chewed tobacco or used nicotine pouches for 30 years (up until the surgery). My next scan is September. I’ve tried researching this topic but there is no information and no one says you can’t shrink it holistically but they also don’t offer any other information.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aortic Aneurysms Support Group.

Profile picture for jjs2955 @jjs2955

@JustinMcClanahan Yes. I did in 6 months. 1st ultrasound tested for AAA in April 2025 had a 3.83 x 3.39 lower non bulging aneurysm. Had a 6 month follow-up ultrasound had 2.56 x 3.38. In April I told my PCP the 6 month will be smaller as I found a supplement that nonAAA research has addressed. It is recommended for heart and Arteries as it strengthens the connecting tissue. I figured the weak AAA walls would shrink a bit if they were strengthen like a weak saggy muscle pulls tight. So it either did or was a freak occurrence. A 9.3% reduction I read would be called significant. The supplement was Hartshorn Berry 565 mg from Swanson. This is not an add but not sure if the are all the same. I have a vascular surgeon meeting today to review the results and will ask for another 6 month follow up to see what happens.

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@jjs2955 Do you also take a BP med with the hawthorn?

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Profile picture for moonboy @moonboy

I would say, given your situation, assuming that you’re somewhere in a beautiful remote Pacific Island, that you probably should consider the prospects of meeting with the thoracic surgeon in a major Medical Center near you. This is not the kind of condition that lens itself well to emergencies. I dissected in 2015 I was in the middle of San Diego and was in an ambulance within three minutes. I barely survived. If access to medical care is hours away the likelihood that you would survive a sudden dissection is pretty small I would think. So given that, I think you owe it to yourself and your family to meet with a thoracic surgeon who specializes in aortic repair. I don’t say that lately I sat with direct experience. If you live out in the middle of nowhere and emergency, open-heart surgery is hours away by boat or helicopter, you’ve got a real problem I would think. So the solution is to meet with the thoracic surgeon who does the surgeries and explain to them your geographic situation and ask them whether or not that risk could be mitigated by earlier surgery. I’m not a doctor, but I am a survivor of a massive aortic dissection and I can tell you that having been in downtown San Diego made a massive difference in my survival chances. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve opted for surgery 1000 times out of 1000 rather than wait for a dissection. And one more important point: my experience has been that cardiologist who prescribe pills and even do interventional cardiology with stance do not have any Real concept of what a dissection feels like or how to surgically survive it. You need to meet with a thoracic surgeon who’s an aortic specialist. They’re out there. Especially in a Pacific Paradise! Peace.

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@moonboy
I would love to meet with the thoracic surgeon. I had thoracic aneurism surgery in 2022 and had no follow-up for 3 years. This site told me that was wrong, so I phoned the hospital and they did a cat scan right away which showed I have another one that is 46mm. I cannot see the surgeon until I have another scan in 6 months.

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Profile picture for annieboo @annieboo

@jjs2955 Hi Justin, I have been reading that Cayenne supplement will also strengthen arteries, etc. And I am taking Pycnogenol (French Maritine Pine Bark) that supports eye, joint and skin health and circulatory health.

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Hope it works!

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Profile picture for thevikole @thevikole

I lost 15 to 20 pounds and mine shrunk from 4.8 to 4.1. However, just learned it is not stable again CT w contrast next week...

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@thevikole Any way that you can provide me/ us with an update? These are great results and very interested in an update and more specifics on what you did.

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Profile picture for seasidesandy1 @seasidesandy1

Has anyone researched red sage drops to keep aneurysm stable? A holistic MD has recommended red sage, green tea, and collagen for possibly AAA stability. I have also been taking Repatha injections to control high cholesterol for about 5 years, managed by my internal medical doctor.

At 80 yrs old with a complicated descending 5.9 mm AAA, two surgeries are recommended. One is extremely extensive. Am “caught between a rock and a hard place” as whether having surgery or not, outcomes will be “grave” (a bit of humor) due to several autoimmune issues and a lowered immune system.

Have been followed by Mayo vascular surgery dept for about 20 years. Mayo’s website is the only support group I can find in northwest FL and appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and opinions with others.

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@seasidesandy1 Are you followed by Mayo in Rochester or Mayo in Jacksonville?

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Profile picture for hsminc @hsminc

@seasidesandy1 Are you followed by Mayo in Rochester or Mayo in Jacksonville?

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@hsminc

I am followed by Mayo Jacksonville FL.

A holistic MD in Jacksonville, not Mayo, recommended Wise Woman Sage (Liquid) It’s a bit pricey.

Just wondering if anyone is taking this supplement for aneurysms and if it slowed aneurysm growth.

At almost 82, my aneurysm is currently 6cm and size hasn’t changed in over a year. Am not sure of the reason.

I’m not endorsing Wise Woman Sage liquid
or saying to take red sage without a doctor’s OK.

A long answer for a short
question!

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Profile picture for seasidesandy1 @seasidesandy1

@hsminc

I am followed by Mayo Jacksonville FL.

A holistic MD in Jacksonville, not Mayo, recommended Wise Woman Sage (Liquid) It’s a bit pricey.

Just wondering if anyone is taking this supplement for aneurysms and if it slowed aneurysm growth.

At almost 82, my aneurysm is currently 6cm and size hasn’t changed in over a year. Am not sure of the reason.

I’m not endorsing Wise Woman Sage liquid
or saying to take red sage without a doctor’s OK.

A long answer for a short
question!

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@seasidesandy1 Have you considered a second opinion at Mayo in Rochester? Is it an ascending aortic aneurysm?
As you most probably know, 6 cm is above the cut off where surgery is usually mandated unless there are clear reasons not to do it.

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