Thanks to all

Hello again: I'm new at posting messages on the bulletin board and I'm not sure if I should send a thank you via the board but I was so happy to hear from all the people who responded to my message that I have to say thank you. I don't know anyone beside myself that has A-fib and it's so rassuring to hear from all of you and to know that most of you have experienced some of the same things I experienced.

I am 56 years old and up to this July had never been on any medication other than something for an ear infection. I think my a-fib started with changing blood pressure medicines. Anyway thanks to all of you who responded. I don't feel quite as anxious after reading the messages.

Sherry,

It is a nice support group, and I am happy to have found it, as well.

Could you clarify something for me. What blood pressure med were you on, and then what were you changed to and why? Also, how long had you been on the previous med, and how long were you on the new one?

I'd also like to ask you how much water you drink daily, and do you drink any caffeinated beverages?

Thank you,
Richard

Hi Richard:

I was on Toprol XL 50 mg, 1 tab/day for about 6-7 months, maybe longer--I can't remember when I started the blood pressure medicine. I changed doctors in July, 2003 and the new doctor put me on Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg., 1 /day on 7/14/2003. On 7/16/2003, I went into A-Fib and had my first cardioversion--I truly thought I was dying. The doctor in the emergency room said that I probably went into A-fib because I changed medications.

I drink 1 cup of coffee in the am, 1 diet pepsi in the pm. I drink at least a quart of water a day.

Drink a minimum of three quarts of water a day. Try one quart 20-30 minutes before each meal. Then drink some water at other times as well.

Regards,
Glenn Camp

Sherry,

So let me see if I understand this. You were on Toprol for a number of months for blood pressure (or something else?). Then you were put on the blood pressure med, Hydrochlorothiazide, and then went into AF 2 days later, for the first time. I know about Toprol, but I'll have to read about the other. Sherry, I agree with Glen, that you need to drink a lot more water, but I would like to make one other suggestion. Don't drink diet pop. Not only is it a diuretic, but it has aspartame in it, which is an excitory amino acid, just as free glutatmate and MSG, are. These are neurotransmitters for your cells, and they can, literally, excite the cells to death. When you eat aminos, such as aspartic acid or glutamic acid in normal proteins, they are bound to other amino chains, but when ingesting them in their freed form, they have a completely different effect, and there's nothing to balance their excitory nature.

When you don't drink enough water, to begin with, throughout the day, and then couple it with a cup of coffee and a diet pop, the diuretic effect of the two makes the body eliminate water that is needed. When this happens, the kidneys sense a drop in hydrostatic pressure. This causes the kidneys to perceive the problem of an imbalance of fluids, so then they release the hormone aldosterone, which makes the body hold onto salt, to preserve what water is left, to maintain the important pressure balance. During this process the kidneys excrete potassium, in favor of sodium, which then causes an imbalance of electrolyte exchange within the cells, which is important for the electrical transmission of every cell in your body. Aldosterone is also inflammatory. So in a nutshell, by not drinking enough water and drinking diuretics, you get high blood pressure, which then you take a drug to bring the blood pressure down, which then leads to arrhythmia.

There's a book you might find very interesting, but I don't remember the authors name. "Your Body's Many Cries for Water".

I'll get back to you on the blood pressure med.

Richard

Sherry,

Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic, as well, so this would explain why you went into arrhythmia.

This is what one site said:
Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic (water pill). It decreases the amount of fluid in your body by increasing the amount of salt and water you lose in your urine.
[www.subscriberx.com]

So your body is crying for more water, which has possibly created your high blood pressure, and then the doctor gives you a med that further decreases the water, that your body is trying to hold onto.

Was there any other reason for administering this med. Did you have high potassium or edema? How high was your blood pressure before Toprol, and after Toprol? Did they prescribe any meds for your arrhythmia?

I hope you don't mind all the questions, and just to let you know, I'm not a doctor and am not giving advice, only giving you information, to discuss with your doctor. The more you know the better off you'll be.

Richard

Sherry - we're glad you found us too. It's a good support group.

Anyone going on a blood pressure med which has the word "zide" in it needs to either be on a potassium-sparing version...such as Maxzide...or be told to take supplemental potassium... shame on the doctor who prescribes but doesn't give the precaution of the potassium.

I'm not at all surprised you went into afib - especially if your potassium stores were low to begin with.

Jackie