Thank you Lou - It's Independence Day here... and I wish everyone independence from afib. Life in NSR is certainly great. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tim - It makes no sense to me that you were told by your EP that you could resume execise as usual. When I was discharged from my ablation, the instructions were... for a week.. take it easy. Then resume mild activity after a week more of taking it easy. A printed instruction sheet said to remember that the heart would be in a state of irritability for a period of 6 - 8 weeks. It'sby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gay - As Hans points out, there may be a reason for the consistently low potassium levels.... have you had a kidney function assessment? Sometimes there will be wasting or leaking and other times, kidneys will retain too much potassium and then taking more potassium will cause problems as well. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Roger - you may not have caught it when reading but very often inflammation is causative in afib. People here have tried a variety of herbal products that reduce inflammation and found success.... one that comes to mind is the Zyflamend product by New Chapter. Hawthorne is another herbal that some peopole have found useful with afib. Another that has supporting studies is a professional gradeby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Andrea - do a google search on enteric coated aspirin intestinal damage.... even the 81 mg doses of enteric coated are known to cause intestinal injury. NSAIDs are hard on the kidneys, too. I worked with a woman who took NSAIDs and aspirin for years and she ended up with about 30% kidney function. Consider something like a natural antiinflammatory product like Zyflamend or something like Kapby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gay - I agree with George about holding off on the potassium. In some people, it can take quite a while (6 months or more) to optimize the intracellular stores of magnesium and until that's accomplished, adding potassium can worsen afib. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sharon - thanks for posting that. It's important to have the initial baseline vitamin D test - 25 Hydroxy D- to learn your current levels. I've been reading continually on vitamin D for over 4 years since I learned my levels were so low and generally, most people need to be taking 5000 IU daily to maintain the recommended level. This is all dependent on where you live, sun exposureby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - magnesium is actually known as nature's calcium channel blocker... and the way magnesium functions with regard to the sodium would be with optimal magnesium facilitating the operation of the cellular sodium/potassium pump and thereby keeping sodium (excitatory) out of the cells) and potassium inside the heart cells where it prolongs the refractory period. To stay in NSR, you need thby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - phyto nutrients: phyto = plant. There are certainly benefits to plant-based nutrients and one can get an abundance of them from specifically-targeted food choices. Dr. West has been claiming to 'cure' arrhythmias for many years. I recall long ago checking into what he suggested but didn't find anything extraordinary. It all comes down to the basics...the Essential Tby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Magnesium levels in blood tests.... Canadian magnesium researcher, Aileen Burford-Mason, PhD, comments that: "No studies have shown that red blood cell magnesium or serum Mg either one are good reflectors of whole body magnesium status. If you talk to biochemists in hospital laboratories, they'll tell you the only people who ever have low serum magnesium are those who areby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Darcy - yes... he digs in pulls and pushes directionally while directing me to breathe or hold breath. It's a standard chiropractic maneuver which pulls down the displaced diaphragm (muscle) ..... in the hope that a hiatal hernia can be either prevented or reversed. There is a paper on this by PhD researcher Steve Rochlitz titled Hiatal Hernia/Vagus Nerve Disorder: a leading cause of allby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
This is the diaphragm displacement adjustment I have frequently mentioned as contributing to my success in controlling my afib prior to ablation. It's interesting to read about the self-treatment with the tennis ball. If I ever need to, I'll try that. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - Just for information... I was able to maintain NSR consistently prior to ablation with just 50 mg flecainide once a day after optimizing my electrolytes. Prior to that I had been on 300 mg daily and had arrhythmia every day or everyother day. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dick and anyone else regarding the use of statin drugs or any other substance that blocks cholesterol production, the following may be of interest. Its certainly important information as typically, the public doesnt understand what cholesterol is and how it performs crucial functions in the body. Another awareness post. What really is the role of cholesterol in the body? I recentlyby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cute! Remember... use the B's before 2 pm so they don't invigorate too much and interfere with sleep. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Charles - I am so glad you survived. What a terrible ordeal for you and your family. It truly is unbelievable. Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed account. It must have been difficult to relive that. Please let us know what the results of your latest tests show. I can't help but think there was a drug reaction. How long have you been on the flecainide? I wish you thby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lynn - the use of the natural, bioidentical progesterone hormone cream also helps support weak adrenals. This is thought to be useful in these cyclic fluctations. I've used it for many years and during the time of the diagnoses of adrenal burnout, I thought it was helpful. My experience with natural hormones comes as a result of an unnecessary hysterectomy because the estrogen dominanceby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Larry - most likely, you are correct about the irritated vagus nerve. Tincture of time will probably take care of that, but you might also consider trying a good B complex and the high potentency Curcumin known as C3 which helps lower inflammation. Let's hope this resolves quickly. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lois - thanks for posting that info. In past years, several afibbers in the Chicago area came to Cleveland (CCF) for their ablations. It's certainly easier to have it done reliably locally when possible. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Josiah - postural or orthostatic hypotension is a classic sign of adrenal fatigue. It's not uncommon for afibbers to suffer from adrenal fatigue or burnout. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dick - Light headedness is one thing; syncope is quite another. For the most part, we presume that people posting here have been diagnosed with afib by a physician and are under the care of, at the very least, a cardiologist and appropriate cardiac diagnostics have been performed to determine structural heart problems.... along with education about the various symptoms and what to expect. Iby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Josiah I've not read that and I've done a large amount of reading about mgnesium. It does relax smooth muscles (blood vesssels) and therefore improves blood flow. This doesn't mean it will overdo the effect and become dangerous. Of all the minerals we need, magnesium stands out as extremely important... along with potassium. My blood pressure is normal and with all the magnesby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Summer is often a time for casual reading at the beach or our favorite vacation destination. Heres a homework assignment for you and its not as pleasurable as reading the latest Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson or John Grisham. Its about a very important piece of reality (not afib) so its sort of off topic but it will impact every reader. We also know from experience that afibbers tendby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sharon - Glad you converted so quickly with your special remedy/potion. During my afib journey, I had the same experiences and eventually I somehow trained my brain not to allow me to turn to the right side. If I did, I'd wake up and readjust immediately. Post-ablation, though, I am able to sleep on either side. Any chance you may have become low on magneisum or potassium? Be diligentby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Peggy - asystole (of short duration) doesn't always mean death. There can be a pause in the heartbeat pattern where a beat is absent and is identified as asystole... as in what was quoted in Lynn Robinson's post.. Asystole in patients other than those with sick sinus syndrome is usually of short duration (few seconds or less), with spontaneous return to AV nodal or normal sinus rhythmby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
JJ - yes - in my story (which I've posted many times) about my pre-ablation quest to eliminate afib, I increased all the dosing of the Essential Trio and corrected a displaced diaphragm. Either it was the combo or most likely, just optimizing the electrolytes... I went from daily fib to zero but I was still taking 300 mg daily of flecainide. So then, I weaned down to nothing of the drug buby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
jj - I was one who benefited significantly from taking the Essential Trio of supplements before and definitely so after ablation. Using these supplements assumes you have healthy kidney function. If you don't know, you should be tested. If you are deficient in magnesium, keep in mind that it may take as long as 6 months to replete your intracellular stores. Along with that, if your dietby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sue - when the blood can't circulate properly because of the fibrillation, the symptoms you describe are common. It may not be a regular occurrence but they are not unusual. If you are not on at least the Essential Trio, it's a good idea to read up on it and begin. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sarah - I definitely agree with Howie. If at all possible, get a second opinion...and hopefully with Dr. Natale who is well-versed in consulting with patients who have failed ablations. If that's not possible, let us know where you live and hopefully, we can provide a name of another well-known, experienced EP with whom you might consult. You are far too young to have had experienced thisby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Paul - definitely time to start with magnesium and then adding potassium... and I'd consider CoQ10, carnitine and ribose as well. I've posted frequently about my post-ablation afib breakthroughs after 4 years and find that this fivesome is essential in keeping away ectopy and/or afib. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM