Author Topic: Atrial Fib  (Read 7573 times)

headmount

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Atrial Fib
« on: October 20, 2014, 12:39:32 PM »
This forum has many guys in the 50-60 age group and this is a health issue for that group.  Posted is a picture of good pal of mine during a time when we were young and brave.  Now he's about to turn the big 60 and recently had an A-fib or irregular heartbeat.  He still surfs but has gained a few pounds with his typical Australian affection for beer. 

I had an A-fib 7 years ago and the nurses told me I'd be back soon and the Doc said my days of heavy heartrate were over.  Well I haven't been back and I've got 7 years of many hour long runs where HR has averaged near 160 with spikes above 170. 

The answer for me has been exercise and... magnesium, as much as I can handle without getting the shits the next day (750mg), Co Q10 and fish oil.  Wine may help a plaque free heart (avoiding an MI) but wine and coffee don't help a regular heart beat.  Mag before bed and the other two in the morning.  I'm not a doctor, even on TV so take my post with a grain but I'm still ticking.

Remember that the danger from A-fib isn't a MI but rather a stroke.  When the irregular beat fails to fully empty the chamber, the remaining blood can coagulate and throw a clot into the brain.   

I get attached to long time pals and fortunately for him he was home when it happened.  I wasn't so lucky and was out on the water when it happened to me.  There is so much impetus towards great health on this forum and if anyone can avoid these events by changing habits, then that's gold.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2014, 12:41:27 PM by headmount »

SaMoSUP

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2014, 12:59:56 PM »
Aspirin helps too

SUPcheat

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2014, 01:39:09 PM »
Cold water reputedly exacerbates A fib.  May be a stealth cause of surf croaking.
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DavidJohn

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2014, 02:17:52 PM »

Gramps

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2014, 03:13:21 PM »
I had my first and so far only A-Fib episode about 4 years ago, at 63; it took a few hours, but my heart went back to normal rhythm on it's own.  While I was at the hospital, one of the nurses said her elderly mother grabs a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer and slaps it on her chest to shock her heart back into normal rhythm; when I asked my cardioligist about this approach, he said he wouldn't recommend it.  ;D

headmount

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2014, 03:31:34 PM »
Excellent vid DJ.  Great explanation of ablation techniques as well as risk considerations.   My treatment was cardioversion where they restart your heart (I was under when they did this)  That worked and after I took a drug called flecanide for a month, which was like a govenor that didn't allow higher HR.  That sucked but I stuck with it.  No blood thinners for me. 

Since then I've done this (what PBill would call hippie hockis pockis) mineral and enzyme treatment which has worked.  I'm sure many might need ablation but not all.

A side note is that my pal is a surfboard shaper and around toxic fumes quite often.  I was exposed heavily to epoxy fumes without a mask the day it happened to me.

Glowmaster

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2014, 03:48:55 PM »
This is going to sound weird, but I invented a cure for Afib in the 90s and 2000s using laser diodes as the energy source for the ablation.

I started a company called www.cardiofocus.com and raised a bunch of millions of $ from venture investors and then they fired me when I lost control.

Almost 20 years later they have tested it on 1000s of patients in Europe and as part of a US trial. Extremely high success rate, catheter based therapy, looks like a permanent cure.

Idea is to electrically disconnect the electrical connection between the pulmonary vein and the atrium. This prevents having the impulsed from the vein from firing the atrium.

Will never see a $ from it, but it is cool to tell people you helped cure a disease.

It is true, google it.

Here is one of about 10 patents.

https://www.google.com/patents/US20090326320?dq=sinofsky+and+ablation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jpNFVPyWDsiKsQSQm4LIDw&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg


ed
« Last Edit: October 20, 2014, 04:04:16 PM by Glowmaster »

Subber

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2014, 04:09:39 PM »
I've read that a deficency of iodine can cause A-fib.

They recommend taking a kelp capsule daily.
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headmount

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2014, 11:59:09 AM »
Kelp also contains magnesium which is the firing spark for heart rate.  But kelp is also unpredictable and can absorb pollutants from wherever it is harvested.  These days that's pretty much everywhere.

You can OD on iodine to kidney failure so it's important to watch intake amounts. 

Many supplements can be overdone and the result is that you only waste money peeing them out.  But overdoing some can be toxic.  Do your homework.

You know you've taken to much mag when you have the shits the next day.

PonoBill

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2014, 01:55:36 PM »
I wouldn't use diarrhea as the stopping point. From WebMD: Doses less than 350 mg per day are safe for most adults. When taken in very large amounts, magnesium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.

...but other than that. 
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bts

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2014, 02:36:14 PM »
This is probably obvious, but...

Disease with potentially catastrophic complications=see your doctor.

They will sort out your symptoms, relative risk, and goals, and work with you to come up with a treatment plan.  That is their job in a nutshell.

Part of the plan will include lifestyle modification.  That starts with smoking cessation, weight loss, and decreased alcohol intake.  Gotta get all those pieces in place before talking about dietary supplements.

I'm not saying anybody said don't start with the above, just makes me cringe if it is not clearly stated.

My conflict of interest?  I don't get paid until after you've had a stroke or TIA.


headmount

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2014, 06:56:39 PM »
This is probably obvious, but...

Disease with potentially catastrophic complications=see your doctor.

They will sort out your symptoms, relative risk, and goals, and work with you to come up with a treatment plan.  That is their job in a nutshell.

Part of the plan will include lifestyle modification.  That starts with smoking cessation, weight loss, and decreased alcohol intake.  Gotta get all those pieces in place before talking about dietary supplements.

I'm not saying anybody said don't start with the above, just makes me cringe if it is not clearly stated.

My conflict of interest?  I don't get paid until after you've had a stroke or TIA.

Sounds great but here's what is real.   When I had my A-fib in '07 I did see a doctor, in fact he was a heart specialist.  They do what they need to do to get you out of dire straits and send you out the door.  I asked what I should do to improve my situation in the future and he gave me the "these things happen line" which I figured was the typical chicken shit line so they don't get sued for saying anything wrong. 

So that's why i investigated elsewhere and came up with what has worked well for the last seven years.  The nurse sent me away with, "oh you'll be back soon.  Once you have these things, they keep happening."
That went down with me real well.

stoneaxe

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2014, 08:30:26 PM »
See a better doctor.

Pretty cool glow....maybe you can recommend some docs to Bill..... :D

Not sure where you saw your doc Bill but I think it's all about the quality of the doc you see. That kind of attitude doesn't sound very promising.
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PonoBill

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2014, 09:03:29 PM »
I had an A-fib about 15 years ago--One shot deal, competing with my much younger son in law in a basic penis measuring contest on rollerblades. Reverted with drugs. No repeat. I get a full physical including a cardiac stress test every year to hold my car racing license--they don't trust us geezers not to kaack at full throttle. The nuke version every three years. Car racing is surprisingly good for longevity, all kinds of stuff gets caught in the physicals.

So, not sure which Bill you're talking about Mr. Stoneaxe, but I suspect you don't have the benefit of the amount of physician oversight that I have. Or rather I suspect that you would claim you do and Sue would tell me different.

I also have a daughter who is a brand new EMT, who is beating me up about every bit of deferred health maintenance. I'm not wearing these fricking tights because they dress up my plié.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2014, 09:05:04 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

bts

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Re: Atrial Fib
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2014, 12:17:09 AM »
Well headmount,
The important thing is you went to your doc.
So, in addition to getting you "out of dire straights", he almost certainly evaluated you for underlying heart disease and determined your risk for stroke.

May not seem like much, but that is a pretty big deal. It is the difference between a nuisance and something that could kill you. You started at the right place.


 


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