Supplements / Prescription timing

uppleeDo those of you who take Magnesium and/or other supplements - do you take with your prescription meds?

I take my BP and Eliquis after breakfast (and another Eliquis at night). I want to start with the supplement that is 3x day. Pharmacist told me to wait a couple hours after taking Rx.

So: theoretically:

9AM Rx (BP & Eliquis)
11AM Supplement
5PM Supplement
9PM Eliquis
11PM Supplement'

I would rather space the supplement out more, but don't want to get up in the middle of the night.

And, can the Magnesium be taken without food?

I take a lot of supplements so I split them up into a couple of doses over the day I’ve never separated them from my prescription meds. I don’t take much in the way of prescription medication just Eliqus and also Metropolol as needed.

I just read that Magnesium could possibly interact with calcium channel blockers, diuretics and anticoagulant drugs. I take all of those (like most ppl with Afib.

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katesshadow
I just read that Magnesium could possibly interact with calcium channel blockers, diuretics and anticoagulant drugs. I take all of those (like most ppl with Afib.

Can you show us what you read? Magnesium is commonly prescribed by EPs for people they also prescribe those other drugs for.

[www.rxlist.com]#

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Carey

I just read that Magnesium could possibly interact with calcium channel blockers, diuretics and anticoagulant drugs. I take all of those (like most ppl with Afib.

Can you show us what you read? Magnesium is commonly prescribed by EPs for people they also presyescribe those other drugs for.

Yes I know. I ask my cardiologist and she said it wouldn't make that big of a difference. I planned to still take them in when I asked the pharmacist about interactions just to double-check he said space them out. I think the people that know best are the actual patients who have taken them.

The only interactions with CC blockers and anticoagulants is a possible enhancement of those drugs, and with diuretics possible increased magnesium levels. There are a lot of people with afib on this and other forums who take magnesium supplements along with those other drugs and I've never heard of anyone experiencing problems (I've taken mag with all of them and still do take them with an anticoagulant and a CC blocker). I doubt there's an issue as long as you're taking magnesium in reasonable doses. As already mentioned, always a good idea to spread things out during the day and not take everything at once.

Kate - I've taken magnesium and other companion supplements for a very long time and when I added Eliquis to the regimen in 2014, I didn't alter my intake whatsoever. I do space out the Mg doses throughout the day and always take a bedtime dose as well. A typical dose is 200 mg and I take between 600 and 800 mg... sometimes more - daily.

Jackie

Thank you both. I'm sure you get tired of answering the same old questions but this is all new to me. I have to admit I did not even know exactly that AF was until this happened

It was new to all of us at one time. Hang around a while and soon you'll be answering other people's questions.

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Carey
It was new to all of us at one time. Hang around a while and soon you'll be answering other people's questions.

How long have you had AF?

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katesshadow
How long have you had AF?

Since 2002 but an ablation with Dr. Natale in 2017 ended it, so call it 15 years.

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Carey

How long have you had AF?

Since 2002 but an ablation with Dr. Natale in 2017 ended it, so call it 15 years.

Wow. 15 years.
Many here have said that ablation is more successful if done fairly early. after AF is discovered. Was the 2017 ablation your first?
I thought AF could not be "cured." You are saying yours ended? "Ended" as in remission? And, did I see on another thread that you no longer take an anticoagulant?

Is there a place on here for "success stories"? Some of you have been through a lot of trial and error and have encouraging stories to tell.

One ablation and done after 11 years of afib. No meds now except the usual three (mg, k, taurine) to keep the short (2-3 seconds) bursts of arrhythmia away, which does work. The ablation was 12 years ago.

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katesshadow
Was the 2017 ablation your first?
I thought AF could not be "cured." You are saying yours ended? "Ended" as in remission? And, did I see on another thread that you no longer take an anticoagulant?

Not even close to my first. You might want to read this.

In August 2018 I had a Watchman device implanted as part of a clinical trial of a new version of the device. A Watchman device seals off the left atrial appendage (LAA), which is where 90% of all afib-related clots form. This reduces my stroke risk to the same level as someone who's never had afib. Next month will be six months post-procedure, at which time I can stop anticoagulants. However, I'm strongly considering continuing a half dose of Eliquis anyway. Half dose Eliquis is extremely safe and it offers protection against other sources of clots such as DVTs, arterial plaques, etc.

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katesshadow
Is there a place on here for "success stories"? Some of you have been through a lot of trial and error and have encouraging stories to tell.

I've had afib for 14 1/2 years. Peggy Merrill, who still occasionally posts, put together a lis of success stories around 11 years ago <[www.afibbers.org] When I joined this forum in August, 2004, There were many posters trying all sorts of things trying to figure out how to put afib in remission, an admittedly difficult task. As i posted to you previously <[www.afibbers.org] , I had a 2.5 month episode within my first 4 months of afib. Meeting with a highly recommended, very bright, cardio during that episode, I was so naive, I thought he'd help me figure out how to put the afib in remission as all the then posters here were trying to do. Turns out I was really wrong. He wanted to prescribe digoxin for me (his "favorite afib med"). I knew I had a vagal trigger for my afib - he didn't "believe" in the difference between vagal and adrenergic triggers, despite the work of Professor Philippe Coumel MD FESC, the French EP. We would have hour long "discussions" while I refused to take his med and he would not give any credit to vagal afib. I was trying to figure out how to switch to the EP in the practice (the echo tech told me he'd be more sympathetic to my point of view on vagal afib & electrolytes). With luck or divine intervention, my cardio referred me to the EP without me having to say anything. I think he was tired of our discussions. The EP was more sympathetic and told me that as a vagal afibber he would not prescribe meds like digoxin to me. As I said in my link above, he also approved of my "Plan B" approach.

There is a lot of interesting work in the Conference Room here: <[www.afibbers.org]

i don't want to give anyone the idea that what I've done is common or easy. It takes a lot of luck and work. There are and have been many very very bright, determined and motivated people here who could not get into afib remission without an ablation with a very high end EP like Natale. But, it can happen. One thing that has served me well over the years - if something isn't working, do something else.

Should my af burden ever increase materially, I'll be booking an appointment with Natale, post haste. I know the 2.5 month episode make me a "complex" case. I would likely need LAA work to solve my problem with an ablation.

George

Thank you both. Your stories are helpful and encouraging. I appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions.

George and Carey,

I read your stories.

George - do you take anticoagulants?

Carey - you said that you ignored your 1st episodes. Were you not concerned with the increased risk of stroke?

Neither one of you seem to "fear" Afib? What's your secret? I have had the one episode and it scared me to death.

My episodes reliably lasted 6 hours or less and I was a CHADS-Vasc 0, so no, I didn't fear strokes. Once they started to become more frequent and longer lasting, that changed and I went on warfarin, and then later Pradaxa when it was approved in the US.

I was an EMT when my first episode occurred. I woke up at about 4am with a pounding heart rate of 180. It was very irregular, so I knew it was probably afib and I knew from training and experience afib was nothing to fear. I actually drove myself down to the fire station, got an ECG of myself, cursed the obvious afib I was looking at, and drove back home. I was bummed out but not afraid.

Always remember that afib won't kill you. Nobody ever dies of afib if they take anticoagulants and keep the rate under control. So there really isn't anything to fear as long as you follow common sense precautions.

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Carey
My episodes reliably lasted 6 hours or less and I was a CHADS-Vasc 0, so no, I didn't fear strokes. Once they started to become more frequent and longer lasting, that changed and I went on warfarin, and then later Pradaxa when it was approved in the US.

I was an EMT when my first episode occurred. I woke up at about 4am with a pounding heart rate of 180. It was very irregular, so I knew it was probably afib and I knew from training and experience afib was nothing to fear. I actually drove myself down to the fire station, got an ECG of myself, cursed the obvious afib I was looking at, and drove back home. I was bummed out but not afraid.

Always remember that afib won't kill you. Nobody ever dies of afib if they take anticoagulants and keep the rate under control. So there really isn't anything to fear as long as you follow common sense precautions.

I read that 2 complication of Afib are stroke and heart failure. I know the stroke risk is why I need my BP under control and to take the Eliquis.

Heart failure develops when you heart is working harder (top chambers not working correctly with bottom chambers). How is that controlled with Afib? Keeping the rate under control (beta blockers)?

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katesshadow

I read that 2 complication of Afib are stroke and heart failure. I know the stroke risk is why I need my BP under control and to take the Eliquis.

Heart failure develops when you heart is working harder (top chambers not working correctly with bottom chambers). How is that controlled with Afib? Keeping the rate under control (beta blockers)?

Yes. Heart failure is avoided by rate control, and those medications are beta blockers.

If you are in AF and take both an anticoagulant and a beta blocker then you have nothing to fear in terms of mortality. You can exist, quite safely, in that state while you figure out your next step to get back to normal rhythm.

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wolfpack


I read that 2 complication of Afib are stroke and heart failure. I know the stroke risk is why I need my BP under control and to take the Eliquis.

Heart failure develops when you heart is working harder (top chambers not working correctly with bottom chambers). How is that controlled with Afib? Keeping the rate under control (beta blockers)?

Yes. Heart failure is avoided by rate control, and those medications are beta blockers.

If you are in AF and take both an anticoagulant and a beta blocker then you have nothing to fear in terms of mortality. You can exist, quite safely, in that state while you figure out your next step to get back to normal rhythm.

Thank you wolfpack!