Joyce - thanks for this. Very interesting. Curcumin is very effective, also, in reducing inflammation and is finding use in treatment of cancer. Amazing herbal. Sabinsa's curcumin is the ingredient of choice by the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas. Researchers at M.D. Anderson say that this pungent yellow spice found in both turmeric and curry powders, also blockby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thom - I feel very privileged to have become e-mail friends with many from down under so hope you continue to post and exchange thoughts and ideas. Not all are posting regularly, but there is quite a contingent 'down there'. I believe Michael may be on holiday so I'm sure he'll be back posting eventually. Dean is another name who cured his own afib by correcting his digestby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike - I went in at 6 am one day and went home by 2 pm the next. I live in a suburb East of Cleveland, Ohio...so access to the Cleveland Clinic was easy. If you are traveling for the ablation, many out-of-towners like to plan to stay a day or two longer just to be sure all is well; the bleeding is controlled, etc. Some people don't feel well because of the anesthesia and are grateful forby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carol - it's the antimicrobial activity of caprylic acid and monocaprylin that's beneficial in fresh coconuts. I have no information that anything processed delivers the same benefits and I also believe it is more of a preventive measure than therapeutic. I could be wrong. Consider Oil of Oregano capsules... you have to get the potent ones and take larger doses than labeled but Oregby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - I agree with Hans about the time. That's way too long. I believe someone posted that Dr. Jackman doesn't do ablations - but rather supervises the trainees. That could account for the long procedure time. Consider, if nothing else, how much radiation exposure one gets in a long procedure. My fluoroscopy time was 38 minutes and my Natale procedure was just under 3 hours totalby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Benj - how could you have been going all this while and not know about the Graves disease? I'm certainl glad you know now since you may avoid an unnecessary ablation. Good luck with your treatment plan. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Arnold - listen to your cardiologist - don't push it. I believe there was a link posted to a video of a heart in fibrillation. I don't recall the link...perhaps someone will offer it. I've seen video clips of hearts in afib. If you were to see this yourself, you would have no doubt about whether you would ask this heart (laboring just to function in its chaotic pattern) to tby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Steve - consider also that the IC and pain may be coming from something other than potassium - you are just making that association - If you haven't had a culture of the urine to see what pathogens may be harbored in the bladder or other structures, you should consider it. The typical remedy for a minor case of IC is cranberry juice which prevents bacteria from adhering to the wall of tby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Valda - I'm sorry to see this post. I don't think there is ever an excuse for a doctor to be rude or 'Godlike' to his patient. It's a team effort and if you don't feel good about the interaction, I'd definitely consider another opinion. There is another UK doctor with a good track record and of course, there is always Bordeaux where you are treated both compby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lon - a few years ago, one of the posters was a large man - tall but not overweight. He was on minimal dosing of flecanide and it wasn't holding him in NSR. When he consulted with an EP, he was told that for his size, he needed a larger dose. I don't recall now what the low dose was or what he went to in the higher, but it was effective and held him in NSR until he had ablation. So-by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - I was not suggesting you stop warfarin but to have your doctor learn from Dr. Holsworth how to dose when combining the two - warfarin along with nattokinase. He commented to me this was especially important for people with prosthetic/mechanical valves since the mechanical valves tend to 'chew' up blood cells and leave fragments that can form clots as well. I'll email youby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Steve - do a google search and type in the words "potassium bladder pain male" and note the various links indicating there can be a correlation in some individuals. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - Dr. Holsworth can address your questions and concerns if you choose to go that route, email me. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Welcome Thom - When you do a search - look for the name Aldona. She had a disastrous ablation attempt in Australia and ended up going to Bordeaux France to have her second go at it. At least from her story, you can learn who to avoid. I wish you well in your search. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
William - calcium inside heart cells in quantities that unbalance the magnesium content is what causes AF in many people. Mildred Seelig, MD, magnesium researcher addresses this issue in her book, The Magnesium Factor. Calcium is excitatory - or causes muscles to contract; magnesium relaxes. She says this: p. 17 Magnesium: The Silent Guardian If the level of magnesium within a cellby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - why don't you see if your cardiologist would consult with Dr. Holsworth on combining nattokinase with warfarin. Dr. Holsworth does do this and it may set your mind at ease about the risk of hemorrhage. It certainly is an option to consider. I can appreciate your dilemma. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
David - how long ago was your diagnosis of cardiomyopathy? Any connection, do you think? Cardiologist, Peter Langsjoen has been researching in this area for years as has his father before him. He feels there is a definite connection - called statin-induced cardiomyopathy Statin Cholesterol Lowering Drugs have the following characteristics: 1. They deplete the ubiquinone (vitamin-like)by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
jb - at the 2004 CCF AF Summit, this risk of fistula was mentioned frequently. It was stated at the time that the CCF has not had any occurrence of this injury. I don't know of other stats from other EP labs but EF is one of the reasons why it's important to do good research about equipment available and experience of the EP who will do the ablation if you are thinking of having one.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carol - yes and no. When I think about it - probably 3 - 5 times a week depending on what I'm eating, I take 500 mg. 2-3 times a day. In Eric Braverman's book, "The Healing Nutrients Within" he has awhole chapter devoted to: "Lysine: The Herpes Killer" which is 11 pages. On p. 263 - He says "How much lysine does the body actually need? The Nationalby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kay - thanks for this post as it reminds me of a similar case where a person with afib started the fainting episodes. After the second episode, he had a pacemaker installed and is absolutely fine. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Benj thats great news and youre with a great EP. I wish you a safe and successful ablation. I can appreciate your trepidation about this step, but believe me, the bliss of NSR is going to be worth it. Best to you. The angels are always ready. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks, Carol - I dimly recall the unusual cough I had with it as a teenager. It was awful and sounded so weird I remember being laughed at which was totally frustrating. I hope by now you are beginning to improve. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
George - Should you ever decide your decision to use magnesium supplementation to full advantage is questionable, you have only to go to Dr. Seeligs book, The Magnesium Factor, Dr. Carolyn Dean's "The Magnesium Miracle" or the website operated by Paul Mason (www.mgwater.com) that is simply loaded with study references by all of the well-known magnesium researchers including Drs. Seelig, Alturby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cynthia - Thanks for the alert. I had a bout of shingles back in 04 brought on by stress. I had chicken pox as a teenager so I was aware that a recurrence in the herpetic lesion form might visit. I was able to see a doctor immediately who prescribed Famvir (famciclovir) which, when taken immediately, completely stops the progress of the shingles virus so no pain is involved. It was nothby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gordon - Yesterday, I just started reading this article. On the surface, it makes sense to me. As you know, I take Armour which has a short half-life and find it does not last long enough for me.... in that I get cold later in the day. Perhaps this is the answer. I'm seeing my FM MD in a few weeks and I'll get her opinion and post her comments. (She also has an ND in her office soby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
I wasn't disagreeing with Benj - just saying if you don't go with this, then what are the other options...wait longer? who would be an alternate EP? etc. ... perhaps my post is obscure. I think the ultimate decision is a highly personal one that only that individual can make. Jby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carol - how did they determine your diagnosis? Swab/culture? I was of the impression that if you had Pertussis as a child, (before vaccines were available) your body had the advantage of a built-in immunity. Whereas, perhaps vaccinations for same would not be as effective? Dont' know, but I'm old enough not to have had the routine vaccines for children. Speedy recovery! Jaby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Following are my notes from the CCF AF Summit from October '04 on the genetic connection. A special note of interest: The Cleveland Clinic has set up an LAF Gene Bank. Dr. Chung and CCF colleagues are collecting tissue and blood samples so patients and offspring can learn if they have the polymorphisms. Sounds like a large collaborative effort. Her opening comment was that a possibleby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ann Thorac Surg. 2007 Mar;83(3):1225-30. Guidelines for reporting data and outcomes for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. Shemin RJ, Cox JL, Gillinov AM, Blackstone EH, Bridges CR. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California. Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac rhythm disturbance, affectingby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Europace. 2004 Sep;5 Suppl 120-9. Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation: a review. Cox JL. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. jamescoxmd@aol.com The optimal treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) depends upon a proper understanding of the eby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM