Question for all

How do you know if you are vagal? I don't understand that and the difference between pac, pvc, and chronic tacycardia (which I have).

Is 78 a good resting heart rate?

I feel so dumb, reading all of your technical posts. Perhaps because I haven't been kept informed.

Thanks for your help.

Debbi

I would like to give some info and see what you all think-- a man has been abusing prescription drugs for many years (various ails get lots of pain pills). Six years ago, the runner with a resting pulse of 38, develops atrial fibrillation and was unable to work for 6 months. Pulse went to 140 and docs weren't concerned but his resting was 38... Then the afibs, combined with high blood pressure, and his heart and lungs are swollen, etc. He went to an easier job and stayed in a fib pretty much constantly.

After lots of tests via emergency rooms, he was hooked up to monitor and having to go in at least 2-3 times a week, they said who knows and live with it. He was on beta blockers too. He had to be cardioverted regularly.

The episodes eventually went to once a week to once a month, but they last 16-24+ hours. The problem we have noticed is that when he has a serious (long one) afib session, he then has a serious memory loss. I mean he once forgot where kidneys were and didn't know we have 2 of them. That is NOT norm for him. He remembered by the end of the week.

He seems to be regularly losing memory. He refuses to consider this as a problem. His doc acts like 'he is just a typical duhhh man' but this is not that way. He is 49. The memory issues are affecting us worse than ever. Please consider... thanks

Debbi,

A great place to start is right here on this site: The following link will take you to Hans' FAQ section.

[www.afibbers.org]

Also Hans' has graciously made a dicitionary of afib/heart related terms for us afibbers on his site. Here is the link:

[www.afibbers.org]

As far as 78 as your resting heart rate......

The American Heart Association says this:

The best time to find out your resting heart rate is in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and before you get out of bed.

The heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when we're at rest. Resting heart rate usually rises with age, and it's generally lower in physically fit people. Resting heart rate is used to determine one's training target heart rate. Athletes sometimes measure their resting heart rate as one way to find out if they're overtrained. The heart rate adapts to changes in the body's need for oxygen, such as during exercise or sleep

***************
However, research shows that adults with a resting heart rate over 70 have a greater risk of heart attack than those below 70.

Other things that have to be thrown in to the mix, is your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, cardivascular health, weight, BMI, diet, nutrition and exercise performed to get a real idea of your heart health.

Typically in a NORMAL person the lower the resting heart rate, the more cardiovascularly fit they are. A routine stress test, in addition to other significant things, will also show you the conditioning of your heart. However in us afibbers, we have all kinds of non-normal things happening!

Typically the longer it takes your heart to go back to its normal rate after exertion, the more deconditioned your heart is.

Joe

Debbi: I would agree with Joe about heart rates and tachycardia. As far as the PACs and PVCs, they pretty much go along with afib. Most of us have them, and without the advent of a rhythm strip, you cannot tell the difference between a PAC and a PVC. Generally, PACs would hopefully be somewhat controlled as they are what ultimately triggers afib. PVCs usually are harmless when they are isolated. Couplets and triplets of PVCs are often an indication of some other underlying cardiomyopathy. That means 2 in a row or 3 in a row. Runs of ventricular beats are definately something to be dealt with, pronto. Hope that helps.

Be well Debbi,
Pam

Kem,

Can't say if I have ever heard of this type of correlation. But, if I could go on a connecting stretch.... When people have afib, they have a tendancy to have GERD (check any number of threads on this site).

Some people with Gerd have sucess in handling it with antiacids, etc. If your person were to be using Pepto-Bismal, they would be taking in a known toxin, albeit only toxic in large porportions.

Pepto-Bismal's prime ingrediant is Bismuth, Bismuth toxicity has been known to cause temporary memory problems, just like the one you are saying.... and is documented. This goes away when the people stop taking bismuth after a week or so. Something to think about.

FWIW,
Joe

Kem,

I really don't know what to say to you other than I would try to find a good doctor who would be more in tune with what is happenning ( hell we all want that) . Can Afib cause mild hypoxia to the brain. I think so.

[www.ninds.nih.gov]

What is Cerebral Hypoxia?
Cerebral hypoxia refers to a condition in which there is a decrease of oxygen supply to the brain even though there is adequate blood flow. Drowning, strangling, choking, suffocation, cardiac arrest, head trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning, and complications of general anesthesia can create conditions that can lead to cerebral hypoxia. Symptoms of mild cerebral hypoxia include inattentiveness, poor judgment, memory loss, and a decrease in motor coordination. Brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deprivation and can begin to die within five minutes after oxygen supply has been cut off. When hypoxia lasts for longer periods of time, it can cause coma, seizures, and even brain death. In brain death, basic life functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and cardiac function are
preserved, but there is no consciousness or response to the world around.



It might not hurt to find out if there is an Alzheimers connection and if so begin treatments as soon as possible.

I know this is a poor answer to your question but I hope it helps in some way.

Adrian vagal 49

Kem:
Some good answers here and I would concern myself with Adriens idea of cerebral ischemia. Encourage him to see a neurologist. Perhaps have a CT brain scan. He may have had a mild stroke. I had a stroke and the effect is entirely short term memory loss. The responses are different, depending on where the infarct occurred. (ie: what area of the brain).

Good Luck,
Pam

Kem

I would say this mans brain is TOXIC. All the chemicals from the prescription drugs will be taking their toll. What is his diet like? Could he be having adverse reactions to the meds he is still on?

I say this because these were the things that happened to me after 20 years on various prescription drugs. My brain became like mush. Add to that I was surviving on a really bad diet and my brain/body was getting nowhere near enough nutrients and essential fatty acids. Also I was consuming MSG's which are known to be very excitotoxic or neurotoxic in the brain. They stimulate brain cells to death (not to mention other areas of the body).

My father died 2 and half years ago after an early onset dementia of no known cause. He was only 67 when he died after over 20 years of the dementia starting. I myself was being told by my husband that I had said things/done things that I had no memory of doing. It got really frightening. I thought I was on my way to join my father. It was my own father who first allerted me to the perils of MSG's - unfortunately at that time I took no heed. Not to mention all the aches and pains (fibromyalgia etc) I had developed. His body is crying out for vitamins, minerals, amino acids - everything a body needs to thrive and live on.....

But believe me your friend has to listen to what his body is telling him. His brain and body will totally pack in if he doesn't give his brain good wholesome food.

I'm not trying to frighten you.

Fran

Debbi: Here is another site you might like to show atrial fib, and it's connection to COPD.

[www.rnceus.com]

Pam

Adrian,

It is my understanding that carbon monoxide poisoning causes actual death, not just brain death. Many people have commited suicide with carbon monoxide. Would you please elaborate on this?

Thanks,

Newman

Newman

Carbon monoxide doesn't cause death until it reaches toxic levels in the bloodstream. Some people are fortunate and only get a bad headache from exsposure to CO.

The point I was trying to make in the above post was that memory loss can be caused by hypoxia. Hypoxia means low Oxygen to the brain which can be caused by a number of things.

Adrian