Turkey Trigger???

I am half embarrassed to post this situation but I need a little advice (or a little push) from the wise people here.

Quick background: 40 y/o male - Have had two afib episodes. 1st in 2001 during a tennis match. Erratic rate - racing into 200's bpm. Cardioverted 36 hours later. 2nd episode in March 2002 - also during a tennis match - converted right back on my own.

I have concluded that the adrenaline rush of competetive tennis coupled with high level cardio workout is my trigger. I still exercise and play tennis but not competetively and have had no problems.

Early during the day of my 2nd epiode, I had turkey for lunch. (I don't recall what I ate before the 1st epiode). I have not eaten turkey since thinking there MAY be some connection. My thinking has been 'I can live without turkey - why take a chance?'

I know I'm being over cautious and should bite the bullet - Thanksgiving is coming!

Any advice? Is turkey a trigger for anybody?
Toby

TobyGet a free range organic turkey for your thanksgiving. I know that intensively farmed chicken and turkey will set me off. Also if it was prebasted it will be full of MSG, and sometimes they even inject them with water and MSG to make the poor 6 week old chick - grown with the artificial aid of hormones and antibiotics taste better. Your average supermarket chicken is a very sick animal.

Fran

Toby:

It is a strange thing but I too have gotten AF and also had eaten turkey it has happened more than once, I rarely eat turkey now. Fran is right about getting a fresh free-range turkey which of course would be the best way to go. The funny thing is I buy my chickens from the supermarket and do not have the same effect, maybe it was just coincidence.

Liz H.

This may be off the wall, but if it isn't the additives, could it be the setting in which you were eating the turkey that stressed you out ? In other words, was it a social setting with some triggers embedded in it?

Turkey is a rich source of tryptophane, which is calming.

Carol

although I would not dismiss the rationale as to why certain types of turkey might be a trigger, it sounds like one big coincidence to me. If it isn't, then
how come you have not had episodes from other foods that I am sure you have consumed that probably have the same ingredients?

I wouldn't stress out about thanksgiving.

Toby

Just found this link to additives in Turkey.

[www.eatturkey.com]

Fran

Toby,

I think the only way to get to the bottom of this is to try an organic free range turkey and see what results you get. This can tell you a few things. If the organic turkey affects you then the possible culprit of tryptophan, and the imbalance of serotonin/dopamine could be your problem. Too much serotonin and not enough dopamine. If you are not affected, then the addition of additives are your problem. This could possibly tell you that free glutatmate is a problem or nitrates are. I found that I was extremely low in molybdenum, which is an important element necessary for the enzymatic functions of toxic element clearance. Have you ever noticed bananas as a trigger, because they too have tryptophan, as well as serotonin?

Richard

Bananas have tyromine, which triggers migraines. Do they also have tryptophan?

Carol

Toby - anytime I had turkey in a restaurant as in a turkey club sandwich, I always got afib from the preservatives. That holds true with roast turkey that is not free range or organically raised.

This restriction really limits my choices but I'm not willing to risk the trigger...and now that I've been ablated, I certainly am not going to risk anything until I am darn sure I'm cured!

Free range turkey for me on Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...Jackie

Carol,

Yes they do. PC shared a link on bananas, but I don't presently remember what it was. You might do a search in the old archives and see if you can find it. Are bananas a trigger for you?

Richard

Thank everybody for responding!

I have never had a problem with bananas. The common denominator for me has been competetive tennis. I am probably irrationally considering turkey as a trigger because I happened to eat it the on the day of my last afib episode.

I will try a free range/organic turkey this year. Happy Thanksgiving.

Toby