George - Thanks for finding this... very interesting. One link at that site quotes a well-known Functional Medicine MD practitioner, Elson M. Haas... His comments fit in with the current conference room topic: Functions: Potassium is very important in the human body. Along with sodium, it regulates the water balance and the acid-base balance in the blood and tissues. Potassium enters the cellby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Steve - thank you for taking the time to reiterate the importance of optimizing intracellular magnesium...and then going on to the really critical electrolyte, potassium. I'm glad you are doing so well as a result of the information you found here. Potassium, as it relates to keeping sodium out of the intracellular space, is critically important because it relates to keeping the voltageby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mac... Hi...first please take off your caps lock so you don't post in all caps. Hard to read. Ribose can cause a slight drop in blood glucose (sugar) so you may feel light headed...the instructions are to take it with meals to prevent that from happening. I've taken it on empty and I've had the same feeling. I'm glad it's working for you. I found it to be an essentialby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Gay - I hate to keep pushing this, but 'almost' gluten free is not good enough. It may take several months or a year to stop the antibody reaction to any amount of gluten..even a microscopic amount ...So to get relief, you do have to go completely GF. And additionally, just because you stop, it still will take a good deal of time for your body to adjust. So...keep trying. I knowby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Gay - as you know, the inflammation associated with autoimmune disorders is definitely an irritant for afibbers. A focus on lowering systemic inflammation is always recommended and a strictly gluten-free diet is also mandatory anytime antibodies are elevated. Omega 3 fish oil helps with inflammation as does vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10, GLA along with many herbals with antiinflammatory properby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Dee! You've been with us a long time. Nice to see you are still reading and glad to know you are doing well. Best to you, Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gunnar - interesting comment... several people on Tikosyn have been told to keep their potassium levels up and to take supplemental potassium to do so... these instructions from EPs. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Debbie - As you know, I am a strong proponent of nutritional supplements as an adjunct to healthy lifestyle practices...on a continual basis; not just occasionally. Supplements don't do any good if a person doesn't eat clean, whole food regularly and eliminate junk food/added chemicals and really take responsibility for what goes into their body and what doesnt. The body was designed to workby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barb - if you take a potassium sparing diuretic, then you have to be cautious about taking supplemental potassium. Potassium-containing foods are fine. The culprit is, as mentioned in other posts, salt or sodium chloride. Everyone gets too much salt from a variety of sources and when that happens, your potassium will be overshadowed by the threat of sodium dominance. Not good. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jack - I can understand your dilemma. You, on the other hand, must understand that if you want to 'beat' this AF thing, you have to eat foods that are fresh and whole and not processed. Processed foods have 'sodium added' risk and some of the numbers are astonishing. It's not difficult to see how we get in trouble. Along with the added salt (sodium), there are oftenby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
So then Mike - what do you calculate your current dietary potassium intake to be? How much in the cans of coconut water? What's the carb content of the coconut water? Any added sugar? You know, it takes a large amount of produce to get close to 5000 mg potassium daily (or more)... and eating too much fruit tends to use up potassium because it's required in insulin production to manaby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mary - I hope this continues to work well for you. The magnesium oxide is not going to be useful so don't waste your money. The more bioavailable and effective form is the patented version of the amino acid chelate: magnesium glycinate - look for Albion process on the label. You can order it from Hans' iherb website. I like the Bluebonnet product. Some people using Tikosyn also nby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Peter - you may be interested in reading the current conference room topic and why adding sodium is not a good idea. The intake ratio of potassium to sodium must be kept to at least 4:1. Most people suffer from far too much sodium intake and this results in hypertension along with many other ailments. It's a significant contributor to afib as well. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tony - that's great news! Stenosis is very difficult to remedy. Now consider using the ubiquinol form of Coenzyme Q10... at least 200 mg a day and start with the protocol for d-ribose. You may also want to add carnitine. Read The Strategy. It has helped me greatly with energy. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jack - what are you doing to evaluate your intake of dietary sodium? Likewise, for potassium? Until you get that ratio in the requisite range, your rhythm probably won't stabilize. There are many people on this forum who have indeed 'cured' their afib through lifestyle changes and supplementation. EPs just want to get you on the table as quickly as possible. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barb - I agree that this is something you'll probably have to experience before you know for sure. In my many years of exercising with afib, I found that I was not able to do yoga - even post ablation. And I'd probably not be able to tolerate the heat, either.... regardless of whether hydrated and added electrolytes. So, I'd just give it a try with the preventive measures of adby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barry - The book was written a long time ago...1956 and republished in 1998; it's considered a classic. There is a recent post offering this background: There is a wonderful book, Biochemical Individuality, considered a classic by those knowledgeable in the field of Functional Medicine that was originally published in 1956 and later republished with a new forward and an "In Memoriam" section.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mark - If your kidney function improved after ablation...that's great. My experience is that I was fine for four years after ablation. Then I began to have one or two AF breakthroughs every six months or a year. Several times, coincidentally to an event, I had just had a routine lab and it was noted that my serum potassium was a bit low. A bit for me is disastrous. I definitely get AFby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Lisa - I felt the same way. It was amazing to me that I could feel so very well after having that done to the inside of my heart. I'm so glad you are doing well. Relax and enjoy a peaceful heart. Don't overdo. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gerard - The vagus can become irritated not only from postural impingement but also from inflammation... as in reaction or sensitivities to various foods, or crowding of the abdomen by too much fatty tissue in critical areas. If you haven't read through Conference Room #61, that's a good place to begin as the testimonials there from people who have found success eliminating AF withoby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - If I take a teaspoon of potassium gluconate powder (540 mg) just before bed at 11 pm, I will have to get up around 3 - 4 am for a very large elimination of urine.... much more than I calculate I drank in the course of the evening and even with urination just at bedtime. So, I gather it's the sodium being released and it is transported via water in urine. I only do this occasionallyby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mark - Refer to the current conference room session... and additionally, refer back to CR Session:14A Magnesium & Potassium in LAF By Patrick Chambers, MD (Excerpt) Absorption and Excretion In addition to passive diffusion, there appears to be an ATP requiring mechanism for Mg absorption from the GI tract(8). Similarly, in the kidney in addition to passive diffusion there appears toby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Barry - In the book, Biochemical Individuality, the author Roger Williams, PhD, provides a page showing the variations of stomach forms. These are anatomical drawings reprinted from the Atlas of Human Anatomy and serve to illustrate that no two stomachs are identical in size, shape or location in the body. The page has about 20 drawings of the various stomach sizes and shapes drawn by handby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gregg - here are a number of links to posts on taurine usage. You can also read the various responses from afibbers regarding their experiences using taurine. Most find this is (once again) an individual thing. As with any supplement, ramp up the dose slowly - every 3 - 4 days so you have time to observe the results and cut back if they are adverse rather than jumping to a high dose immediatelby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom said: " If everyone that has had an ablation made a real effort at their diet, the statistics would greatly improve." This is an important statement and speaks to the critical balance of enough magnesium and then plenty of potassium-containing foods and very very low sodium (salt) containing foods.... if you eat fresh, whole foods and eliminate commercially prepared, packaged or prby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Zach - beta blockers (and other drugs) are known depleters of magnesium. Beta blockers are also known to cause insulin resistance or less sensitivity as a result. I developed insulin resistance as a result of using beta blockers and had I known at the onset, I could have saved myself a lot of problems by not using the beta blockers. Consider reading more here on the reason why magnesium (andby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tish - yes - interesting and thanks. At least 45 yeas ago, the GM of the company where I worked suffered from gout. His doctor told him he was living 'too well' and he should cut back on the booze and rich food. He was a tall, rotund man with the tell-tale red face who wasn't about to alter his yacht club lifestyle and he suffered greatly with gout. I've observed similarby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
There is another form of bioavailable glutathione. This one makes the liposomal version look like a bargain. Acetyl-Glutathione from Allergy Research Group. The literature states: Patent pending Acetyl-Glutathione is a novel oral glutathione formulation that is stable in the stomach and GI tract, well absorbed, and able to enter the cells directly. Usually, oral reduced glutathione is not welby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Monty - I can appreciate what a challenge it is to work late and eat properly... probably when you are very hungry, as well, so urgency becomes an issue. I don't know how to emphasize to you any more strongly how imperative it is for you to be consistent with the digestive enzymes because undigested food is going to be a culprit for most people and they don't have to be afibbers.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Another call for Angels... this time for Lisa Str who is scheduled for ablation this Thursday with Dr. Natale. I know we all wish her a safe and successful procedure. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM