Benj - I'm all for Ginkgo and have taken it for years just because of the many beneficial properties involving microcirculation benefiting, brain, ears and eyes. Considering the potential for gastric bleeds and aspirin, I think you're better off with ginkgo. However, is it too soon to be off the aspirin? There is also apparently some elusive and obscure research that aspirin has aby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Check to be sure that Dr. Packer actually does the ablations. He's well known but may also be more into research. I was very impressed with his knowledge at the CCF Summit two years ago. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mary - who is the doctor you'll see at the Clinic? You can add this to Kagey's message: Add Patrick Tchou and correct Salida to Walid Saliba. Dr. Gillinov is a cardiac surgeon. Good luck with your consultation. Won't be long now. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
David - the interpretation of chemicals similar to or producing the same effect of MSG includes maltodextrin. Scroll down through this list and see the various hidden sources disguised by other names. Remember also that the free glutamates are the more dangerous ones.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Benj and Doug - great comments and observations. I agree that most doctors don't really want to have patients coming in with information fresh from an Internet that they haven't seen themselves. I've heard many physicians speaking who address that very issue and actually they are criticizing their peers because many don't bother to keep up with the current literature and whby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Jude~ That's a wonderful post. Congratulations! It's been a long journey for you and I'm very pleased that your experiments paid off so well. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Nancy - that's a shame but a learning experience for sure. We all have done something similar in our afib journeys and it serves as a potent reminder should the notion to do or not do something similar crosses our mind. Welcome to the club. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quite often, brilliant minds are unable to expand to include relating to the seeming lack of intelligence of the masses when it comes to understanding medicine and how it relates to one's own body. There is this and also the time factor. Time and appointment schedules often rule, unfortunately. No time, leads to abruptness, impatience and indifference... or so it would seem and can be intby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jean - I'm really sorry for your latest experience with the implantation and I hope you have success in preventing the afib permanently. However, one person who posted back in '02 and 03, had a pacemaker and was told specifically that it would not change the course of his afib and he eventually went on to have a successful Natale ablation. This doesn't mean it won't work fby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks, Hans - I have some informational resources and I'm going to be spending some time investigating further. I'll report from time to time. I appreciate your delving in as well. Hopefully, we can assemble some accurate information to either rule in or out some sources as being reliable or not. As I commented to one concerned individual, "well, we who take large amounts ofby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
I don't recall, but I think I can find out.... it wasn't overnight and cost a great deal of out-of-pocket dollars because chelation isn't typically covered by insurance. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
I seem to recall reading something about this related to magnesium deficiency.... and also linking it to something similar to the carpal tunnel syndrome which is often corrected with vitamin B6 of at least 150 mg. and a B complex to balance it all out. I can't add anything about the cortisone and afib correlation. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Journal Watch reported : Comment: The treatment of atrial fibrillation continues to bedevil physicians and patients alike, so a more effective pharmacologic agent would be heartily welcomed. Whether dronedarone will fulfill its promise in this regard remains to be proven, both by longer-term trials to ensure that significant toxicity is absent and by direct comparison with amiodarone. Mby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barb - EPs will treat you without your signing up for ablation. They typically only do ablations when drugs fail or the quality of life of the patient is such that ablation is the #1 choice. My experience is that many cardiologists don't really know much about rhythm issues as a subspecialty. They end up giving you inappropriate drugs and don't really know the fine points of arrhythby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Howie - I know a man who did exactly that. He had a fairly well blocked coronary artery and instead of bypass surgery, he opted to be treated by exercise and also had chelation to clear the artery as well. He was supervised daily and eventually, he actually grew collateral blood vessels that took the place of the blocked coronary artery. It was a major task but also a major accomplishment.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
James - I'm reposting here a post about potassium and intake, etc. that followed the original potassium post I did a long time ago.... You may find some helpful ideas about potassium intake and further, why it's important to keep the levels up. It's always important to understand the precautions about taking either supplement - magnesium or potassium relative to your kidney function. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
PC - Dean - thanks for this interesting material. I'm glad you are doing well with your protocols. I'm just a bit perplexed, though, about this 'floating' stomach issue. Not long ago, I posted that I doubted the hypothesis that the heart was subject to 'flopping or dangling' around in the ribcage and was influenced by gravity in turning over etc. Similarly, Iby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good for you, Carol. I wish you a safe and successful second ablation with Dr. Natale. Nice that you didn't have to wait until November. We'll send in the angels. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Brian - will you be hospitalized for the initial flecanide trial? Or does anyone know if they no longer advise that? Good luck. Many people posting here have found the PIP approach with flecanide works well. I'm using it occasionally myself now that I've had some breakthroughs after the ablation some 3plus years later. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Im disturbed over a recent finding that concerns a couple of things about labeling of supplements and Id like to have input from those who are consumers of significant quantities of supplements and what your take is on this. Heres the story. As we know from the plethora of media articles, many supplements, if not most, are made off shore with China being a major source. And we all know tby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Randy - good luck with that. I tried a number of homeopathics directed by a Homeopath, with no results at all other than the money spent. Others here, though, found that the homeopathic, Nux Vomica worked well at the onset to convert back to NSR. This was at least 4 - 5 years ago when it was posted. (That didn't work for me either.) Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks, Lynn, for that heads up. It pays to check labels with a magnifying glass! I was not aware of the maltodextrin. Although I don't take Zyflamend now (prefer high dose curcumin), I never found it to be a trigger for afib. That said, we should always avoid anything that is related to MSG because of the brain toxicity issue - not to mention the afib factor. We need full function ofby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Trent - it may be useless in terms of knowing if it relates to the cardiac portion as there is no way to separate out which comes from where, but an indication of inflammation - ie silent inflammation - is a signal of a potential risk for blood viscosity being too high and the tendency, then for easier risk of clotting and a higher tendency toward stroke or MI. If one has high CRP, they need toby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sharon - my condolences. Do be careful and think about the burden of stress to you and the toll it will take. I've experienced something similar in the past and a few days later, afib set in. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barb - Larry Chinitz has been reported here as doing several safe and successful ablations. I would definitely consider a consult with him. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi James - Good to see you posting again. No question, for most of us, potassium does calm the heart. It's good to get as much as you can from foods - Peggy's Oregon State source list is a good guide...but it's also very helpful to add several doses in the supplement form as well. If you have a sweet tooth, you will definitely be pulling potassium and probably will operate in aby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'm behind in my rading.... Sorry about the duplication of efforts ie International Health News. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Aldona for your input about healthcare costs and experiences in other countries. I think, though, the point of the documentary is (I haven't seen it), that other countries (for every citizen) have better access to either free or affordable care than the US. While your France experience was great, you also were paying for it out of your own pocket. Also the US figure of thosby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
We wish often for more clinical trials. Note this trend. Is cheaper, better and are the results reliable? What to think about this revelation? Jackie "Testing in the Third World" JayaJan Pharmaceutical Research in India was one of the companies with which Merck had a contract to test Gardasil. Like most of the industry, Merck increasingly outsources its clinical trials to Contraby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
This is distinctly off topic, but we all have family, friends and acquaintances who may be facing the HPV vaccine choice. Its very important to be aware of the cloud hanging over this vaccine for the Human Papillomavirus which is known to cause cervical cancer. Gardisil ® is the new vaccine marketed by Merck as a panacea for girls as young as age 9 and young women as a preventive measure.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM