Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Here's another one of Paul's cynical comments that may or may not be useful, but here goes anyway:
It seems to me (and we all know that I have a somewhat distorted view of the universe) that the only thing that EP's are selling are ablations. After all they've got a million dollar piece of equipment screaming for payment. Why even participate in any low margin activity, when they can bill near $100,00 for an ablation.
I wonder what an EP could do for me (other than ablation) other than what a decent cardiologist could. After all I can't begin to count the number of EKG's I've had, and cardiac ultrasounds, and nuclear stress tests, and Holter monitoring, and 24 hour blood pressure monitoring.
So, can anyone tell me if an EP could do anything useful for me other than an ablation? Can they even get a better idea of my weird heart without running a catheter around my insides?
It seems to me (and we all know that I have a somewhat distorted view of the universe) that the only thing that EP's are selling are ablations. After all they've got a million dollar piece of equipment screaming for payment. Why even participate in any low margin activity, when they can bill near $100,00 for an ablation.
I wonder what an EP could do for me (other than ablation) other than what a decent cardiologist could. After all I can't begin to count the number of EKG's I've had, and cardiac ultrasounds, and nuclear stress tests, and Holter monitoring, and 24 hour blood pressure monitoring.
So, can anyone tell me if an EP could do anything useful for me other than an ablation? Can they even get a better idea of my weird heart without running a catheter around my insides?
I am do pleased to hear you talk about Dr. Stephen Sinatraa! I have been "following" him for about 15 yrs. I take his vitamins and he has and is on T.V. a lot on talk shows. He DOES believe in natural remedies, but if you absolutely need a "drug" will try to compensate of it. I have always had skipped heart beats and lots of other little issues and was very diligent about taking my vitamins and supplements. Then I was going through a bad time in my life and started to forget to take some of them. In addition to taking his Women's Multi-Vitamins and Omega 3 plus, probiotic (which I have gone back to taking), I was taking Hawthorne berries and Milk Thistle. If I forgot to take the Hawthorne berries for a while, I would get the skipped beats and when I got back on them no more incidence of them. I don;t dare take them now because after two bad a-fibs attacks, I am on Sotalol and Warfarin. I have read many of his books, articles, etc. To make a long story short, I have great belief in his natural remedies, as do many people, I know.
He is very respected by Drs. and Is a Cardiologist. He goes on Crew's ship tours, gives lectures. He used to, and maybe still does, have a Clinic in New England. I wish I had been more diligent at taking the supplements regularly. At least I got permission from my Dr. to take the Vitamins.
Hope this gives you some insight! Do you have a-fib. I would love to just quit taking my "poisons" and got back to Hawrhorne, etc.
Hugs,
Cristine
Dr. Sinatra advocates a controversial alternative health practice called "grounding" or "earthing." According to the theory of grounding, the earth's surface is negatively charged and contact with the earth allows electrons to neutralize free radicals in the human body. Advocates say this can be accomplished by lying or walking barefoot on grass, sand or earth, or by lying on a special pad connected to the earth by grounding wires or a rod, or plugged into a wall outlet with a "modern earth ground system."
Maybe if we get plugged in, we can get rid of free radicals AND get cardioverted at the same time.
petey
Natural remedies can be a good thing but I think after we have already done the damage to our bodies, getting back to basics can be very difficult. The right foods with exercise is a win no matter what ails you.
I respect your opinions about vitamins and supplements and agree to some extent. But, I do know a lot of people who have been helped by them. Sometimes, if we believe something is helping us, it does. I wouldn't quit taking my meds. just to take vitamins and supplements. I do feel,however, that the vitamins help me. Hawthorne has been around for hundreds of years and lots of people take it. I KNOW it worked for my skipped beats for years before I quti taking it and got a-fib.
Always, appreciate your input. Sorry for all the miss-spelled words in my other post - was trying to cook, too. Should have been "cruise" not "crews" and I believe there were extra letters in other words. Didn't gp back to reading it until a while ago! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. GO BRONCHOS!!!!!
Christine
Would be interested to know what vitamins you take:)
Christine
Krill oil
multi
CoQ10
Magnesium
Potassium
Taurine
MK7
Flaxseed
When I'm done taking vitamins, I'm not even hungry.
I eat little meat. I eat lots of beans, vegetables, greens, tomatoes, fruit (apples, pears, and bananas mostly), berries. I have lots of olive oil, no butter, no margarine. I eat salmon, tofu, chicken, turkey, cheese. I don't eat anything with sugar, no chocolate, no caffeine, never smoked, don't drink. I try to avoid bread and eat pasta minimally. I like barley, oats, lentils, etc.
I've been doing this a long time, so it doesn't prevent afib. But I like eating that way.
My cholesterol is always around 150, and HDL around 60.
petey
Maybe I can type correctly this time since I am on my laptop instead of Kindle. My Kindle changes letters AFTER you have typed them!!
Thank you so much for the reply about the vitamins you take, you are most helpful.
I actually take some of the same ones:)
I take Omega Q plus, which has Calamarine oil in it.
A women's multivitamin with lots of potassium and magnesium in the four tablets
I also take a probiotic
All of the above come from Dr. Sinatra!
I don't know what Taurine is, will look it up, Also, MK7?
Do you take your flaxseed sprinkled on your food?
Everything I take seems to be a "no no" with Warfarin, but my Drs. and finally the Co-ag Pharmacist said I could take them.
The Pharmacist tells me that if they put me on Synthroid for my under active thyroid, this will make a difference to my Warfarin dosage and can cause more a-fib with the Sotalol.
My thyroid was fine, before the first hospital stay and before and even for the first blood test after. Then it steadily rose, first to 7, then a big jump to 11 then to 13. We have been waiting to see if it came down once the Amiodarone was out of my system. I was only on it for a month - they never told me. Apparently it was in my "drip" and then they sent me home with it to take for one month, with a decrease after 2 weeks then totally stopped. TSH has come down to 8.5 right now and T3 and T4 are o.k.
It just seems that I have gone from just taking pills for esophageal dysmotility to "rattling" with drugs. I hate to take medicines, especially when they can have major effects. I have got used to the Sotalol now! Still get a few skipped beats but nothing serious and h.r. is good.
I hope your weather has warmed up some, my nephew lives in N.J. and is in research at Columbia University. He lives in Basking Ridge.
Our weather here is "arctic" - 14 below zeero - coldest in 23 years.
Hope you are doing well:) I admire the way you handle your a-fib:)
Hugs,
Christine-