Comments on: Recommendations for Atrial Fibrillation

By: Harold

Harold — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:54:53 +0000

My wife had to go to the emergency room the other night because of several days of A Fib. They gave her morphine to calm her and to help with shortness of breath. They also had her on oxygen. She has tried several prescription medications but they were intolerable. Is there anybody out there that can give me some good advice as to what may help? She also tried coumadin, lopressor, digoxin and so many other hit-and-run medicines, that caused her to get worse including bouts of nausea and vomiting.
We notice that her A Fib is worse, as far as the shortness of breath goes, in the late evening. Thanks for any help that you may provide. Hospital stays just make her feel worse as the doctors and nurses just put her in a room and then they go back to their computers and, most of the time, don’t even seem to know that the patients are there. Thanks again.

By: anneh

anneh — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:20:19 +0000

Hi I am a very healthy 70yo slim/vegetarian and walk daily. I try to do everything naturally. Due to a stupid dr overdosing my thyroid med (I have low thyroid) I went hyperthyroid and ended up in ER with A-Fib a couple months ago, cardiologist put me on beta blocker/aspirin but agreed I could wean off which I did. I thought it was over but early hours this morning to my shock it was back. After a couple of hours I went ahead and took the beta blocker and then it seemed to subside a short time later. I have an appt with the cardio next week. Its not my thyroid meds as I just got the result of most recent test and all is well. I hate to be on these drugs but I am terrified that I am going to die :( I have the Natural Calm but was taking another form of magnesium (along with hawthorne/cayenne/garlic and high potassium diet)so will go back to the NC. Thanks for any encouragement or help as I am so disappointed that it came back :( anneh

By: Steve Schaich

Steve Schaich — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:50:19 +0000

I was diagnosed with A-Fib 2 years ago. Was first put on beta-blockers and metaprolol (sp) to slow my heart down. All that did was slow me down and A-Fib came once or twice a week. Changed Dr’s who put me on coumadin to keep me from having a stoke, then last fall admitted me for 3 day stay in the hospital to monitor giving me flecainide 100 mg twice a day. Still had A-Fib once or twice a week, but felt way better from being off slow down drugs. I read on this site a month that dehydration is a contributor. Bingo, I thought dizziness was from A-Fib but it turns out I was dehydrated which caused dizzy and A-Fib. I have double my water intake and have gone 19 consecutive days without A-Fib–which is the longest by > double of reoccurances. Dr says if I go another month without afib he will take me off rat poison (coumadin). Happier now than in a looooong time. Drink up folks and lemme know if it works for you.

By: Ann Wyatt

Ann Wyatt — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:55:27 +0000

Hello Truus.
You could also try the magnesium. Apart from the benefits to your body generally, it helps to support the heart muscle and control blood pressure. As I suggested to Darrell (my apologies to him for spelling his name incorrectly in my posting) take a note of the foods and drink you are having. These days the preservatives 220 (sulphites) and all those in this range 220+ are horrendous and trigger Afib episodes. 220 is in wine and many packaged foods, including the Weight Watchers products. I would be very interested to know how you get on if you start taking magnesium. I have my cardiologist and my GP very interested in my results and that’s amazing. In fact, my cardiologist commented that on my last ECG that my heart seemed to have got ‘younger’ in the way it was operating. He said that normally it would be showing more wear and tear for my 69 years. I love my magnesium.

Good luck.

Ann

By: Truus

Truus — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:33:26 +0000

I’m now 66 and the aortic valve replaced 17 years ago with a mechanical one. A few years later developed CONSTANT Atrial Fibrilation. Had 7 cardio-versions in a about 5 years time. AF kept coming back. After that had an Ablation which didn’t work. My heartbeat right now is between the 80 and 90 beats and the cardiologist wants to change the Dygoxin to Bisoprolol, but just reading the possible side effect this is a no-no for me. I try to avoid medication (although I am taking Coumadin – I see the importance of that) and would rather try anything natural to at least get the heartbeat down to an average of about 70-75 even if it stays irreguar. (I got sort of used to the irregularity, although to get a steady heartbeat would be a gift from heaven!)
Any advise will be very much appreciated.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:40:47 +0000

This is a great website and I am so glad I found it. I am a new A-Fib patient who just had an unsuccessful ablation and am looking for ways to deal with the problem.

By: Karl

Karl — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:59:15 +0000

very reassuring to read. I don,t feel as alone after reading this, thankz