Gregg - that's very unfortunate that those tests are not routinely available for you... I understand cost containment but in this case, it only helps the system, not the patients. Too bad the system isn't enlightened. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Smoking causes more than lung cancer.... ie, emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, wrinkles, premature aging, erectile dysfunction, oral cancer especially of the tongue and throat, heart disease, increased tendency for blood to clot, elevated blood pressure, vasoconstriction in small capillaries to eyes, fingers, toes, ears, depression and so on. Bad breath from the tar and charred lungs. I always knby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Doug - I presume you mean the site in the groin area? One of our former posters who had ablation some years ago experienced that problem and had it surgically repaired by a vascular surgeon. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - I'd consider increasing your dose to the 150 mg. twice a day. As I commented previously, the former afibber who was about your size had to increase his dose to maintain NSR. I also took that higher dose and it finally held well when I optimized magnesium and potassium plus taurine intake. In fact, it held so well that I was able to cut down on the dose to 50 mg twice a day until aby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom - one of the websites...either heart.org or the EP Lab Digest had a clip by an EP that said nicotine was contributory to atrial fibrillation.... I read it but didn't save it. It is a stimulant and vasoconstrictor as well so it raises blood pressure. This doesn't even begin to address the toxic burden brought in to the body from the chemicals added to enhance the tobacco plus thby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you, Wil. That's very well put. I agree totally that a natural approach that works for one person is apt not to work for another but there's no harm in trying as long as one keeps an open mind and isn't devastated if it doesn't work at all or if the afib worsens. The worst that can happen is that individuals who clean up lifestyle and diet may then prevent otherby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Doug - Everyone should be tested for vitamin D levels. This is the 25OH D level. While most labs report that 32 is an acceptable "normal" level, those working with patients find that the higher recommended levels are actually producing good results and increased immunity is only one example. Most are saying that a level of at least 50 is a realistic goal and that levels between 7by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good find, George! Thanks.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sarah. I had a slight enlargement of the atrium prior to ablation but it was noted later that the size had normalized. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Julia - vitamin D is certainly an important nutrient to take as finding are indicating that a large number of people are deficient. It helps to reduce inflammation and also helps reduce arterial stiffness which lowers blood pressure so it likely has a positive (although very subtle) effect with afibbers. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Julia - the most important thing to remember about magnesium supplementation is that you want to flood the cells with magnesium and to do that, you may have to try various doses starting from low and ramping up a bit more after a few days but also avoiding loose stools or diarrhea which is a distinct possibility with magnesium supplementation. So... the advice is start low and go slowly. The maby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great report Smitty - Enjoy your reclaimed life in NSR! Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Greg - yes it's still current and even more important (and popular) than back in 02. You should ask for the HighSensitive CRP or cardiac-CRP as that is specific for cardiovascular inflammation and the regular CRP is general inflammation. All of the natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants help lower CRP but specifically Omega 3 fish oils and products that contain curcumin like Zyflamby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Peggy - that's such a common problem. My dental hygiene career was always about beating the clock and staying on on the appointment time. If we ran over for some reason, then that eliminated the opportunity to take a quick break between patients. UTIs were also a common complaint among hygienists as well. The things we do that sabbotage our bodies! Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
I presume you eat a healthy diet with plenty of leafy greens and other calcium containing vegetables and fruit like spinach, kale, broccoli, oranges? Nuts? Beans? What about fortified grains? What's your source of protein? Beef for example has low levels of calcium content. Bone broth is a good source of calcium. Just google for Calcium Content of various foods and check your intaby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Paul - it would be unlikely that money was spent to determine that finding but maybe it was. The high glycemic index of banana (or any sweet fruit) will always use a considerable amount of potassium in the metabolism/insulin production to manage the sugar intake. Some people may be able to tolerate one banana a day and have no adverse effects on blood glucose metabolism or insulin; others mayby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lance - with a healthy diet and not consuming beverages that contain phosphoric acids (cola) to leech out calcium from bones as a buffering agent, most people get ample calcium in fact, often too much. Unless diagnosed with osteoporosis, men rarely need to supplement. However, muscles need a certain amount of calcium to function and that's pretty much easily obtained from the healthy food intakby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
William - actually K2 is abundant in soybeans, a vegetable, when it's in the isoprenoid form of menaquinone 7 (MK7) If you check CR Session #40 - scroll to page 36 - the usefulness of vitamin K2 in the form of MK 7 is discussed. There are many benefits now attributed to vitamin K2MK7 including what Hans just offered about being helpful in stabilizing warfarin dosing. Knowledgable physby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
William - my point was - these patients I referenced didn't know they had a dry mouth (hard to believe) and weren't thirsty. When asked if they drank water, they typically answered, no..didn't like water and drank coffee and we know coffee is dehydrating. Compounding the problem, many of them were taking meds that contributed to dehydration. I agree that many people accept disby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Actually, William, the author has probably not heard either of the enigma of a body becoming dehydrated but not causing thirst. That's a fairly common occurrence especially in the elderly and when tissues become dehydrated a number of things suffer. One example comes to mind. As in clinical practice as a dental hygienist, I saw numerous cases of obvious dehydration manifesting with dry,by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Rob - I am glad to see you emphasizing the importance of potassium and along with that, I continue to remind readers that in order for potassium to function properly, there absolutely must be adequate intracellular stores of magnesium to facilitate the function of potassium. Otherwise, the potassium can make arrhythmia worse. It's easy enough to take both electrolytes in the optimal doses weby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
George - there you go... that's the important point... eliminating gluten/gliaden and all that does to the GI system and reactions from it. That's the focus of CR #54 - why Paleo eating is probably successful. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hans - I asked Dr. Natale that question when I started back on nattokinase post ablation .... not the same enzyme as serrapeptase but similar in purpose. He said, "no." But because of the information so many put forth on the benefits of proteolytic enzymes reducing scar tissue, I feel there may be some merrit in that consideration. How does serrapaptase know which scar tissue toby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - pay attention to the sugars in these types of waters. Sugar lowers both magnesium and potassium. Beware of artificial sweetners that might be used. They are mostly hype for the uninformed but seem to sell big-time. Coloring is another chemical you don't need and too much vitamin C in some individuals will contributed to loose stool and often diarrhea. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Bill - At age 67, I had my PVI ablation with Dr. Natale in 11/03. All went very well until I had a period of extreme stress that brought about my first breakthrough event in Feb. 07. Most likely, both my intracellular levels of magnesium and potassium were low. I was working very hard packing and moving my son out of state in stressful conditions and not paying good attention to my typical sby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - when I experimented with hawthorn - mostly because it seems to be on many of the holistic cardiac health protocols - that it gave me more arrhythmia than prevented - and this was while I was on flecainide. I was mostly vagal and I felt because hawthorn helps lower blood pressure, it took mine too low. I soon learned that in the evening, and especially after the evening meal, it was beby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks George - I certainly couldn't eat a bale of kale myself on a daily basis but it's always good to know that one can overdose even on veggies. Jackie KALE CAROTENOIDS REMAIN STABLE WHILE GLUCOSINOLATES AND FLAVOR COMPOUNDS RESPOND TO CHANGES IN SELENIUM AND SULFUR FERTILITY Authors: D.A. Kopsell, C.E. Sams, C.S. Charron, W.M. Randle, D.E. Kopsell Abstract: Dietary intake oby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
George - I tend to agree with your assessment. I think the more aerobic exercise involved, the more likely the oxidative stress/inflammation issue surfaces and contributes to the ongoing problem especially with endurance or extended strenuous exercises or activity. There obviously is merit to cardiovascular exercise within limits but from what I've concluded tends to exacerbate the problemby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - At the '05 AF Summit here in Cleveland, one of the presenting EPs made the comment echoed by several others that some day in the future, they hope to be able to tell the ablation patient they are "cured." It was acknowledged at that time, the word 'cure' was not exactly accurate. It certainly is hoped that after one or two procedures, we are 'mostly'by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kale and other leafy greens are a great source of a multitude of nutrients including the potassium we all need. Green drinks have been popular in detoxing protocols for many years and juicing is a quick way to take in a large quantity. Detoxifying the GI tract is the first step toward health. It certainly lowers inflammation and reactions to residual toxins quickly... assuming the greens you uby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM