Hi Peter, Am very sleepy after flying all day from Holland to San Fran. will be back home tomorrow and back in the saddle more or less by Monday. We can discuss it all then. Good news about your appointment! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Will be flying back to the US early tomorrow morning from Holland and will hopefully have more time to address this too tomorrow afternoon from my San Fran hotel. Quickly there are a a growing number of very skilled ablationists and we use Dr Natale as a template for excellence and for teh easy slam dunk decision. AS Researcher noted, use his template as a guide for good selections when and ifby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi PH, I think you might have the term confused with structural and/or electrical remodeling. Remapping isn't something that happens to the heart or cells within the heart. Mapping is a technical process for identifying certain areas of the heart tissue such as inside the left atrium and using Electroanatomical mapping systems like Carto 3 or the FIRM rotor and focal mapping or the non-iby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi George, I think it has changed to include ablations more readily for several reasons, firstly the major increase in ablation knowledge and success rates among the top-tier ablationists has certainly inspired much greater confidence than 10 years ago in both the overall safety and efficacy of an expert ablation when making a good choice for ablationist and center. Secondly, while importaby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good for you Peggy, Its always good to hear of those able to get good management of this thing with the Strategy alone. It does happen at times and hence why I so strongly urge people to give it their best effort. And even if its not enough to avoid a quality ablation to get the job really done securely for the long haul, it very often helps keep even the ablated and AFIB free heart more stablby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Smackman Just use the topical Mag as a spray on other parts of your body ... sans the 'man parts' .... no worries. You can also just use a small foot soak tub avaialbe at most pharmacies or larger drug stores and just put 2 ounces of topical magnesium in warm 105 degree water but not too hot for 20 to 30 minutes soaking both feet with the water just at the top of the feet but notby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yep Louise, things can often work out a lot better than we might have feared at first blush. Glad you got some good information regarding Medicare and Supplemental Medicare. Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Liz, Its very hard to draw a hard and fast conclusion about immediate intake of magnesium and any particular AFIB episode. Repletion of IC mag is rarely quick, yes it happens quicker with IV but can still take a good month of two of twice weekly IVs to settle down an arrhythmic sensitive substrate .. if it is going too ... and as you noted it does not always work to everyones hopes and satisby Shannon - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Hi Chubakah and Duke You have to experiment with the topical magnesium and how you apply it to determine what works best for you. The oral will have more of an impact typically on bowel tolerance but restoring IC mag is fastest typical with topical and/or IV mag. I use the Activation Products 'Magnesium Infusion' brand and do 20 to 25 sprays twice a day on my chest upper abdomen andby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
In my experience, the RB cell test is a bit better than the typical serum test Liz, but does not correlate as consistently and as accurately with the gold standard which is direct biopsy of muscle and organ tissues for IC ionic mineral testing as does the Exatest. Studies have shown a very close correlation between biopsy samples taken during open heart surgery with corresponding the epitheliaby Shannon - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Hi Smackman. Just noticed your 'issue' here. And the advice given by a number of folks here that is spot on that its nothing to worry about taking more magnesium, It will not hurt your heart at anything close to doses you could take by the oral route without eventually relieving all signs and symptoms of constipation in a far bigger way than you might have bargained for... the old aby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Louise, First of all, there is no reason to feel badly in any way about how you have approached all this It made sense to try to address this in a natural way while also getting connected with a top tier ablationist. You may have been relatively protected with your nattokinase and other nutritional methods these last couple years, but I would not recommend that approach alone for someone wiby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for your experience Neil, It's good to reinforce the reality of the situation and particularly for folks who have long standing persistent AFIB. There is a huge gulf between otherwise good and decent paroxysmal AFIB ablationists, or which there are a pretty good number now, and those very few who one would want on their short list for persistent AFIB.. especially when the persistenby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Louise, Thats certainly fine getting your Echo and general heart work done at your local center. Im just suggesting to let your existing cardio do those tests to at least take to Dr N for a consult of one afternoon to get your best options laid out for you by one of the true experts in the world in your type of AFIB instead of trying to set up with an unknown EP at this point who may give aby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Louise, Absolutely Dr Natale takes Medicare which paid fir both of my ablations plus my Lariat procedure with him in both Texas and San Francisco. I'd recommend you go to San Fran or Austin and please listen to me when I tell you supportively and with all positive intention that I STRONGLY urge you not to make this decision as out your ablationist based on conveniences any way shapby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yep the Cardymeter Laqua twin it is called Randy. That's the newest and most handy version.to get. Best, Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Louise, if you are set on UCLA then ask for Dr Shivkumar if your only choice is solely UCLA Louise. He is an outstanding ventricular tachycardia ablationist and knows Dr Natale well. Im less sure of his direct AFIB ablation experience, and am not sure of his experince level with long standing persistent AFIB, but have heard he is very good ablationist in general. However, for someone in youby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi PH, c Thanks for the tip, but please check on the search function, there are numerous threads on the Alivecor dating back well over two years when the first hints of this device made the news and many of us here have had one for quite a long time. I've had mine for just at a full year when they first became available in the -phone 5 format. Its a great little tool and you should get onby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great to hear PH, and superb choice as you know! Now I get the context for your PM to me a while ago, I just got settled into my Dutch apartment for the next week before taking the bullet train to Brussels to see my Endo, then return home after 6 more days there so I missed the first part posted above. Anyway, I saw your PM first off after opening my Mac and getting it online here in the Neby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Louise, Nattokinase can be used with Warfarin under a knowledgeable Cardio or GP who understands how to combine both safely while using home INR monitoring which is an effective way to screen INR and keep things relatively safe.. But with 4 years of persistent AFIB, I'd be a bit uncomfortable depending only on Nattokinase for protection! The 4 grams of fish oil may well help some toby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Chubakah, Have you had any Exatests to confirm if you are getting adequate IC mag and K from your WW and dietary K alone? With the cardiac drugs too, and possibly including a genetic wasting tendency for these electrolytes, its entirely possible your frequent annoying PACs are, at least in part, from some combination of the above. Try adding in Now brand Potassium Gluconate powder to a bby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Everyone is different Smackman, People like George and me have required huge doses of Magnesium to get enough and even then it was hard to keep IC levels decent. Keep moving higher and try the topical magnesium as Ive suggested a number of times previously. With your other health issues and the meds too its quite possible you do have some digestive/absorption issues that prevent a lot of theby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good points Jackie and George, Murray, I think you might be surprised how many people will engage you about it once they know you understand a good deal about AFIB and have experience with it as well. At least that has been my experience with non-afibbers. So many people either have a family member or at least know some one with AFIB and I don't think people look at it as that disabling iby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Its a balance Duke, that each has to discover for themselves to some degree. And the answer will be different for many at different times in their progression of life with this condition. I don't see any rush to early ablation being suggested here. What most of us support in communicating and answering questions for newcomers here, is them adopting first and foremost a concerted and dediby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Gary, Thanks for the detailed report and Im very glad to hear the stenting seems to be holding. PV stenosis bad enough to require stenting, or any treatment really, isn't very common these days. At least not with most of those who have posted here at our message board in recent years. There were a few reports from some others who quite a few years agoi= from somewhere around 6 to 9 orby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
You are welcome Peter, Be sure and tell Dr Natale of your frequency of breakthroughs after a first ablation elsewhere and see if they might be able to fit you in earlier. May well be able too and they have cancellations at times too so you might well get lucky .. Cheers Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
The ideal optimal range for an Afibber for IC magnesium in the Exatest is 39-42 the far upper end of the reference range. Anything under 37 is progressively more risky for ectopics and then AFIB as you descend the scale and, of course, your tendency for ectopics and fibrillation/ flutter/tachycardia is associated with relative levels of both IC Mag and IC potassium and the potassium levels tenby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Happy 2nd Mailman! Great to hear all is well and you are on the way toward another long trek in the wilderness! I recall your recount of when you had to stop the last time and that that had been the turning point toward deciding it was time to get your ablation. Keep us posted as always.. Cheers! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good to hear from you here Mark and I'm very pleased, and not one little bit surprised, at how well you've done with the choice you made. Being a long time successful physician yourself I know how thoroughly and deliberately you researched the whole process and asked me the kind of in-depth questions that a person who really knows medicine might ask during our calls over the year and aby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi John, Not sure I would use Magnesium in the Cpap water? I would think that might be a little irritating on lung tissue with direct exposure and it copuld potentially scale up your humidifier portion of the machine. You need to confirm all that with a Cpap expert which I am not. But getting your IC levels up via either topical, IV and/or oral magnesium will service your left atrial tissuby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM