My experience

I am a 55 year old male 5'9" 170 lbs. About a year ago I felt my pulse was irregular my family doctor did an EKG and told me he found I was in atrial fibrillation( I had never heard of it). He sent me to the cardiologist who explained what was going on and put me on coumadin, amiodarone 200mg 1 am 1 pm, digoxin, and Coreg 6.25 mg 1/2 am 1/2 pm. I was already taking provachol 40 mg and Avapro 150 mg for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Which I have had for about 15 years
I used to drink quite heavily and was told to stop which I did completely.
After 6 weeks and no result from the medication I went the hospital for a cardio conversion first a couple of IV bags of a medicine (I think it was coreg) after about 4-5 hours and no results the electric conversion was tried, it worked for about 30 seconds then went back into AF.
I stayed on the same or similar medicines and a second attempt was made about 2 months later. This time the IV medicine worked and the heart went back to normal.
When I went in for a check up two days later I was back in AF. the cardiologist prescribed an increased dose of amiodarone several times a day. After a week or so the heart was normal and has been to this day. The digoxin was dropped a couple of weeks later.
I never did have any noticable symptoms while in AF, outside of the irregular heartbeat.
I have a couple of questions:

This all started with my feeling an irregular heartbeat, my cardiologist tells me that this is not due to nor the cause of the AF. I wonder if that is so because I have only felt it when I was in AF, any similar experiences or opinions?

For many years every day I ate a banana and fat free yohgurt for breakfast, about the time I went in for my second conversion I read that both were possible triggers for AF, so quit both of them. My AF quit about that time I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience.
I must say that when I quit having a banana and yohgurt for breakfast i started eating a bowl of oatmeal made with orange juice. In that time my cholesterol has dropped from 180 to 120, could be from the oatmeal or from dropping alcohol.

It is a long story, if anyone has any suggestions or comments I will surely appreciate reading them.

Thank you
Steve

Steve,

I would really like to know more about your diet on a daily basis, before I assist with my opinion. I would also like to know which one of your doctors told you to stop drinking. Was it your cardiologist? I'm thinking it must have been a previous doctor. How long has it been since you quit drinking and how much did you drink per day? Anything else you could share about yourself would be appreciated.

I will give you one opinion, and you can take it for what it's worth. I think you need another doctor, specifically an electrophysiologist. A doctor who puts you on amiodarone and digoxin needs to have his head examined, even though you said he took you off of digoxin. I've never heard of Coreg, so do you know what type of drug it is? Amiodarone and digoxin would have been last resorts for my EP. I even mentioned digoxin, before finding this site, and she said absolutely not.

I hope I don't come across as harsh, but doctors who haphazardly treat someone with so many meds, and dangerouse ones at that, frustrate me and make me feel very bad for the recipient.

I hope you're doing better, Steve. I'm 57, and consider myself mixed and having flutter and AF, but predominantly flutter. I've extensively changed my diet, and don't know if I have any triggers. I am currently using a doctor in CA, (I live in WA state), as he is having a battery of tests done, more on the molecular level. I meet with him again in Oct. to go over my results, then I will begin amino acid therapy with their cofactors, vitamins and minerals. I began researching, along with my wife, back in Feb. 03, and have come to the conclusion that the only way we will heal ourselves is through dietary changes, and supplementation, to get the body's stores back up to normal. I found through common sense, that we must work from the beginning of what the body is made of, to make it work and run properly. The body is made of water, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids. It's that simple. What one puts into their body, is what they get out of it. I think your liver is a big part of your problem, but once you give me more to go on, I'll tell you what I think, and then you can make up your own mind. I am currently on flecainide, and want and plan, to get off of it, as it's not good either. My problems more stemmed from digestion problems, though I had occasional drinks. No more.

There are a few Steves here, so I don't know how new you are, but I would highly recommend that you get a copy of Han's book, and begin there, as well as, read past posts.

I hope I can help you.

Richard

Steve,

What you said here, is confusing me a bit.

"This all started with my feeling an irregular heartbeat, my cardiologist tells me that this is not due to nor the cause of the AF."

I thought irregular heartbeat was what AF was. It might be the outward symptom, from some other underlying cause, such as fibrosis of the heart, lack of magnesium, neurotranmitter deficiency, etc., and maybe this is what your doctor meant. But, in any case, lone atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat with no underlying cause known.

I hope I didn't scare you away, with my post about the meds that your doctor has you on, Steve, but you really need to become educated about what your doctor is prescribing, as the meds can be just as damaging as the alcohol, and that's why I ask you what doctor told you to stop drinking. A doctor can tell you to stop drinking in one breath, and prescribe a load of meds in another breath. I'm not sure what's worse, but they're both bad.

Richard