Thanks Jerry - This goes back almost a year. Interesting story. Last year, I requested a new Rx for Toprol XL once I realized that my emergency stash was generic and the troublesome form. (I just keep a small quantity on hand in case I have breakthrough arrhythmia). I only get 20 pills at a time as that's what my Rx plan allows me to buy at the local pharmacy (rather than mailing away forby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Welcome, Joe. Sorry it's necessary for you to join us, but glad to have you. Youll find a wealth of helpful information here. Two thought come from reading your post. The first is easy, your TSH level is actually high compared to the new guidelines and either hypo or hyper-thyroid can cause arrhythmias. You may find it helpful to locate an endocrinologist who is familiar with the changed guby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Nel - thanks for posting that. Lactose intolerance can definitely create enough gas that it will impinge on the vagus and cause some heart sensations even if it isn't afib. Many people are unaware they are lactose intolerant. Another reason why the Paleo diet works so well for those with afib... eliminates both dairy and grains. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
"is there a normal time period for it to kick in" The late Mildred Seelig, MD, MPH magnesium researcher. indicates magnesium repletion may take weeks, months, years or never, if a person is a magnesium 'waster.' If a waster, then it may be extremely difficult to optimize or come even close to optimizing intracellular magnesium. As with many other personal experiments in nby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Larry - if you truly have pericarditis, you should stay on top of that as it is not a common or typical side effect of ablation. Check back with the EP who did the procedure for evaluations. Weren't you discharged with instructions for activity? Typically, they say to limit strenuous activity while the heart is healing - 6 - 8 weeks. After a week or 10 days, light activity is fine. Rby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gregg - an internet google for natural anti-inflammatories will bring up lots of ideas. Same with foods. In my list of favorite a/i supplements Omega 3 fish oils (heavy emphasis here... 4 - 6 grams daily) Curcumin (C3) - tumeric Boswellia Ginger root Bromelain Rosemary Extract MSM - very effective Anything that inhibits formation of prostaglandins - the Metagenics product Kaprex comes to minby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Did they suspect you were aspirin resistant? There are several links via a google search that explain the numbers... type in 'aspirin resistance assay'. Here's an article that appeared on heart.org about a year ago. Check this one for an explanation of lab results Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gay - intestinal parasites can cause itching. Not uncommon to pick up that up. Also with Lyme disease, itching is a prevalent symptom. If you haven't seen the doctor, you probably should get tested. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Larry - On the mercury question, a dentist who practices biologic dentistry would be the one to test for mercury; or a functional medicine MD who can order a mercury challenge test for you with DMSA. As far as my EP ordering any nutritional evaluations, it was zero. My Functional Medicine MD (Board Certified in Family Practice) however, was diligent in watching all of the critical electrolytby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Susan - always good advice to check for interactions with drugs. I took Quercetain and flecainide with no adverse effects. That was just my biochemistry, however. In fact, I took all of my many supplements with flecainide for well over two years. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - start taking now and continue to take the probiotic, Saccharomyces boulardii. It is effective in killing C diff. Continue it right through your ablation and afterward. Probably, they gave you antibiotics for the C.diff and now you have an imbalance (dysbiosis) in your intestinal bacteria (flora). You also should take a general probiotic to help restore all of the other important bowelby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Last year, FDA began listing on their website drugs that are under review for potential safety issues. <> They say: "The appearance of a drug on this list does not mean that FDA has concluded that the drug has this listed risk. It means that FDA has identified a potential safety issue, but does not mean that FDA has identified a causal relationship between the drug and the listed risk." If you tby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Gay! Nice to see you posting. My doctor recommends quercetin as a remarkable natural antihistamine... (I've taken it with and without afib with no adverse effects). Another important consideration would be to know if your liver enzymes are withing the acceptable levels. And you should also determine if you have a Candida overgrowth. That can cause intense itching. If you can doby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Check out this thread. You will be in good hands with Dr. Pinski. <; Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - I chose to recommend Dr. Callans based on his location and some personal input from one of our members no longer posting. He was the one who actually died on the table with his first ablation (elsewhere) and was left with horrendous complications including damage from amiodarone. Long story. He spent a good deal of time finding an appropriate EP to attempt to bring his heart back to heaby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lou - To elaborate on your medical care ranking and just to set the record straight, while the US ranks surprisingly low in healthcare delivery, last year, and for the 14th year in a row, Cleveland Clinic's cardiac care has been ranked No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report "America's Best Hospital" survey. For Electrophysiology, though, I'd have to say now that Dr. Natale has left the CCF and is wby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Steven - thank you for sharing your story. It seems incredible that you went through so much without a definitive diagnosis. Happily for you, that's now history. You were certainly fortunate to have found Dr. Hao and he was certainly fortunate to have had benefit of Dr. Natale's expertise. We hear great things about that team at Marin General and Sutter Pacific Heart Center. So gladby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
This post should be of interest to afibbers who have digestive disorders including GERD. I was listening to an interview with an osteopathic physician and the issues of digestive ailments and GERD were mentioned. Typically, he addresses these problems with hands-on-physical manipulation of the organ systems (Osteopathy) as well as using Chinese Medicine (acupuncture) to open up or free the meriby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
If you live in the US, the Public Broadcasting Station offers a National Geographic program on fake imported goods including fake pharmaceuticals. Title: Illicit: The Dark Trade Not that I expect anyone on this forum to be so naïve as to purchase Internet pharmaceutical drugs, but I just wanted to alert you to this really eye-opening broadcast. Tell your friends to be on the lookout. Apparby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Latest News: Generic Toprol XL (Metoprolol Succinate ER) Recalled Along with 60 Other Drugs (Date Posted: 1/30/2009) On January 28, 2009, ETHEX Corporation, a subsidiary of KV Pharmaceutical, announced a nationwide recall at the retail level of all strengths of Metoprolol Succinate ER tablets (25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg). ETHEX issued the recall as a precautionary measure because theby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gregg - there is probably a subset of a few patients that may benefit from the use of statin drugs; however, given that statins interfere with key metabolic functions needed to maintain a healthy body, before one buys into this type of marketing hype, they should be aware of the consequences of statin use. There have been many posts on this topic in the past. These types of new studies will bby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
This seems like a good place to include a few of clips from (many) available articles on Holiday Heart.... follow the source link to continue the entire article. A google search on Holiday Heart Syndrome yields 227,000 hits. Hard to imagine that cardiologists aren't always recognizing this as a trigger and advising patients to avoid alcohol. Also, be sure to read this post from about a year aby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dennis - I love to see your acknowledgement about your personal growth experience through participation. That's really what it's all about... growing, enlightenment and awareness. Glad you recognize the happening in your case. It does my heart good to see this post. Best to you, Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Peggy - Since I once earned my living by typing and since I'm a touch typist, I don't look at the keys. When I get flying, sometimes my fingers hit wrong keys that actually are commands to change something on the screen. I've never figured out which does what because it's all accidental and hit/miss. I can understand your puzzlement. Here on the BB, if I type in the boxby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Brian - I'm really happy to see your progress report and so glad to know you are now living blissfully in NSR. Long may it last. You were smart to consult with Dr. Natale. He's a special clinician and certainly my hero. Best to you for a wonderful life. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Valda - I was initially wanting to comment on this but refrained; after reading your following responses, I am still wanting to comment about physicians recommending alcohol in situations where their sanction obviously will perpetuate an ongoing addiction problem. I often wonder if that permission is rooted in habits of their own and they are thinking they would hate to be told to eliminate alcoby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sue - the old remedy for snoring was to sew a pocket on the back of the PJ top and insert a tennis ball. When one would roll over, the ball would remind them not to be there.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - if its a new toxicity issue, how would you know it is not the herb?by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'd definitely consider David Callans, MD, EP at U of Pennsylvania. He's done some remarkable work on difficult afib patients. He's well-respected in the field of Electrophysiology, and besides that, he's a really neat human being. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM