Minerals Magnesium Potassium

So for whatever reason I am on day 44 of weird ectopics, pac's, few pvc's, weird patterns etc. Last summer I felt so well I considered to start running.....not now... So I do magnesium in the morning about 400 mg and I supplement with a little potassium 175 mg. Since the beginning of all this I still hear my EP who when this all started said DONT OVER DO ANY SUPPLEMENTS. Even now some 17 yrs later if I increase the magnesium I sometimes think it causes more ectopics?? Is that in my head?? Should I try and take a max load of potassium? I always read that helps with ectopics. Turned in a 14 day monitor last Saturday still no word.

As somebody who has taken buckets of mag and lots of potassium over the years, I'd say that anything is possible. Listen to your body.

Over the time I've been on this board (since 2004), everything plus or minus has been reported for the supplements.

My motto - if something isn't working, try something different...

George

Thanks George. I think tomorrow I'm trying a leftover potassium Er tablet from my last ablation. I need a break.

How about getting a Blood Test done to check your Electrolytes? That might make the decision easier. Loading up on Mg is much safer than overloading on K+.

Anti-Fib - just remember that the standard blood (serum) test is not accurate for intracellular levels of magnesium.
So...absent having a reliable Mg test, using bowel tolerance can give a fairly close indicator. Many take 400 mg and think that's enough and don't really push to the tolerance level and keep at just below that signal consistently - month on end - and many times, they learn later that they actually tolerate double or more that amount. If you are low in IC magnesium, then adding potassium can make palps and arrhythmia worse. However, potassium is definitely important as well and serum levels of the other the electrolytes are often close enough to use as reliable markers. If serum Calcium shows up as high, then the IC levels are undoubtedly quite disruptive because Ca blocks the functioning of Mg.

Jackie

I did have a blood test and as usual my minerals were all good! In my 20 years now of tachy, ectopics, afib I have never had a low or bad reading on thyroid function or minerals etc...... The numbers are always good even testing during events. So to me it's not an indicator. I think if you have a bad mineral level on a blood test you must so low (or high) that you are way out-a whack!