alcohol, caffeine and LAF

Hi, I'm 43 and I had my (so far) lone AF experience just over a week ago, it was very worrying, requiring hospitalization and an electric cardioversion. Something totally new to me! Echocardiogram did not show anything abnormal. I was discharged after 36 hours.

I still don't know what the cause for my AF could be. I used to be a binge drinker, but stopped it two years ago.

Then I kind of substituted alcohol intake with caffeine, drinking on average 4 espresso coffees every day (I live in London, and this city has experienced a coffee-shop revolution since 1995 with the arrival of Starbucks etc. people seem to drink coffee all the time). I am also a smoker.

I am aware that all these habits can be triggers for AF, but I also know of many people who are still doing it, are older than me, and have never had heart trouble. Why me then? Is there anything else I should consider?

I have obviously stopped caffeine and smoking, hoping that this will improve the situation, but have lived the last few days in a state of latent worry, not feeling quite myself any longer, and feeling my heart beats with trepidation.

I must say that I had noticed irregular heart beats for a while, but my GP thought nothing of it. Are there effective ways to stop an oncoming AF episode? I was told to contact the hospital immediately if I had a relapse, but in this forum I've read about people sleeping through attacks!!!

Is fast AF a dangerous condition or just a nuisance then? Thank you for any enlightening thought.
(forgive my inexperience, being a newby)

Good Morning M. Spano,

I'm very sorry to hear of your experience with AF, especially in light of being so young. The assaults you have given your body can be devastating, but I think the body can do miraculous things, given the right tools to work with. There is a wealth of information here and in the book that Hans has written, so I recommend you read both, so as to gain further knowledge about your body. Here are some recommendations that could possibly help you.

1. Reduce your stress as much as possible, as this puts nutritive demands on the body, that you may not replenish quick enough, and can cause further AF attacks.

2. Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. When drinking caffeine, this acts as a diuretic causing the body to loose water, which in turn causes the body to excrete the hormone aldosterone. This helps the body to hold onto sodium, for preservation of the water that is left, and excrete potassium, but in turn causes inflammation. The potassium that the body gets rid of is very important to the body and the heart, but needs to be in balance with sodium. That's a crude explanation, but just know that water is very important to every cell in the body.

3. Eat a good diet of quality proteins (organic) with plenty of fresh salads, vegetables and fruits. I personally eliminated all simple carbs, i.e. potatoes, rice, bread, sweets, corn, etc. The amino acids in the protein are the building blocks of every cell in your body, but aminos need cofactors of vitamins and minerals. Two here, Fran and Erling have eliminated their AF, both by diet, but the latter by diet and supplements.

4. Take magnesium (Mg) glycinate daily. In the US alone, it is believed that 80% of the population is deficient in Mg. Mg is needed for 300 enzymatic functions within the body and is a natural calcium (Ca) channel blocker. Ca is an excitory mineral, whereas Mg is the calmer. Some here have taken as much as 800-1200mg per day, until they feel that there levels have been replenished, and then back down to about 400-600mg per day. Kal, Metagenics, and Carlsons are good brands, but make sure it has NO calcium. This has helped many here.

5. Eliminate all processed foods and bad fats, such as hydrogenated and trans fatty acids. Not only are these processed foods lifeless, but they contain free glutamate, which is excitory to the cells in the body. Some fats that are good for the body are fish oil, or fresh fish and organic cold pressed olive oil. Omega 3s are what you want, but in moderation. Lecithin in eggs is equally important. Good fats (phospholipids) are what make up the cell membranes, as well as 60% of the brain.

5. Other nutrients that many find important here are as follows:

CoQ10, fish oil, quality multi vitamin, extra B complex, antioxidants such as, E, C, and A. There may be some I missed, but hopefully others will add their thoughts.

I personally look at my situation this way. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 55, so I spent much of my life eating and drinking what I wanted. It's now time to get down to business, and treat my body with more respect. I am thankful that I had the warning signs, giving me time to rectify what I have done. Although, it may be too late, I am becoming healthier by what I have changed. This is a site that Erling gave us back in Feb 03, and this is what convinced me to change my diet, but Fran has been an inspiration to me as well, because she follows this same premise, and has eliminated AF, which gives me hope.
www.dfhi.com/interviews/rosedale.html

It sounds as if you are trying to get healthier, by eliminating what you have, and I commend you for that. That takes great willpower. Good luck on you journey of body and self awareness, as it is a fascinating journey indeed.

Richard