VERTICAL FINGERNAIL RIDGES AND AFIB

For years I have had vertical nail ridges. I don't know when they first appeared and do not know when I first noticed them but it has been several years and getting more ridged as time went by.I looked on line and the reasons were old age,drying skin,bla bla bla, not good enough reasons for me.I came to the conclusion no one knew, and no one did.

I had been diagnosed with mal absorbtion some years ago and my bilirubin was high indicating I had a congested liver.Of course doctors can tell you these things but never ever tell you what to do about it and since I did not know what to do, I just did nothing. So now sometime in the early nineties I had high bilirubin, vertical fingernail ridges, and poor absorption and of course the occasional A fib I thought was a whole different issue.

All this was before I had full time 24 hr A fib. Over the years my blood tests have usually shown bilirubin a little high, but thats another issue dealing with liver congestion or fatty liver or poor liver performance. With the nail ridges I read one other thing that may have something to do with the body not absorbing minerals properly. That made sense since I was taking minerals and they seemed to do nothing. So to make a long story short the bentonite and probiotics are improving my fingernails. I still have ridges but not as bad, I still have a bloated looking stomach, but not as bad,and it seems all these seemingly minor problems were all tied in together and had to with gut performance. One can not pour junk into the body and expect that body to keep performing at peak efficiency. Fingernail ridges are a gut issue not that the skin dries up around the nails like the garbage some throw out online. Fingernail ridges could also be a tell tale sign a person may get a fib or may have afib.Fingernail ridges are not good .I wonder how many a fib sufferers have nail ridges, poor absorption,and liver congestion with high bilirubin. It may be something to address and that can be done with the bentonite and probiotics. The body is one unit and one sign can lead to a another problem. The body needs to be treated as a whole and not just treat one symptom while ignoring the rest of the body. The gut is everything in health. Bad gut equals bad health. That was certainly the case with me and I suspect others as well. It seems all bad health leads back to the same place, health of the gut.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2013 05:08PM by ronbn49.

Vertical ridges are attributed to various nutritional deficiencies which result in systemic dysfunctions...including iodine deficiency which is well known to cause thyroid dysfunctions that are a source for arrhythmias. You can spend days reading the results of a Google search on the topic of vertical ridges in fingernails.

There is a very complete nutritional analysis test that evaluates how your body absobs and utilizes nutrients from one's diet.

Genova Diagnostics offers NutrEval and Metametrix has a Comprehensive Metabolic Profile.
Both are described extensively on their websites and can be ordered by medical practitioners.

Right along with the NutrEval, it's advised to do a Comprehensive Diagnostic Stool Analysis with Parasites (CDSA) also from Genova Diagnostics. I'm on Medicare and Genova does cover the tests... at least they did up until now.

Then based on those results, one can begin with the 4R Gut Revival Protocol discussed in the GI and AFib connection report that was formulated by Jeffrey Bland, PhD who founded the Institute of Functional Medicine. And, also begin to replete the various nutritional imbalances the tests indicate.

[www.ibsgroup.org]

Jackie

Thanks Jackie. You verified what I suspected. Nutritional deficiencies due to poor colon function resulting in non stop Afib.I know I had parasites and candida, and the bentonite has and is removing it. I have long suspected a small intestine infestation but until I found out about bentonite and probiotics, nothing else I did ever worked. Colonix,colonics,herbal colon cleansers, parasite herbs etc never did the job because my infestation was severe.I suspect it can even go back to my military days when I was in Asia about 50 years ago.

Ronbn49 - if a person has a big gut, it is probably not only fat stored, but also partially digested (yuck) foods inside of the gut. This of course leads to all kinds of dysfunction when it comes to absorbing nutrients and leaking toxins into your system, and some people can get some relief by working the problem from both ends and cleaning out your colon. Many, many other affibers are very athletic people who do not carry any excess weight, and this means having plumbing that is effectively flushing itself. We can develop malabsorption issues, but for many of us this does not mean we need to eat clay or shoot water up our butts to get things cleaned out. There are many other things we need to try and do to correct gut health - ie remove stress, alcohol, coffee processed food, get daily exercise, and supplement with whatever the scientific tests say you are deficient in.
Just sayin s'all.
Ron

Those that do not have the larger gut issue can have the toxins stored in the organs which can be ten times worse that having them stored in fat tissue. The reason retired pro athletes have a life expectancy of age 62 is an indication of that fact. Those that are fat and get the fat off by exercise force the stored toxins into the organs where they can do damage.They may feel better but the toxins remain. I do not suggest or recommend colonics. I do suggest that the bentonite has helped me but it may not help you. Please do not read something else into what I am saying here. I am not suggesting anyone do anything they do not feel comfortable with.Toxins are not an issue just for the overweight it can be even more of a problem for those that are not. Probiotics is something everyone needs to address if they have ever drank chlorinated water, taken antibiotics or eaten antibiotic injected meat that they sell at every grocery store and restaurant or if your mother had poor probiotic health when she gave you birth and nursed you with milk that came out of a package instead of nursing you with healthy probiotic natural breast milk.Healthy probiotics also help eliminate toxic waste while poor probiotic health allows them to accumulate either in the organs or fat tissue. therefore slightly overweight people can many times live longer than skinny people.Just because one is thin does by no means mean they are any healthier. A very common misconception. How many times has a player dropped dead on a basketball court or a football field, or during a distance run? Think about it.How many football players ever make it to 90, 80 or even 70. Not many. Doctors in all their wisdom live 10 to 15 years less than the average couch potato.If these facts surprise you do not feel alone I was surprised when I heard them myself. Being athletic does not mean a long healthy life by any means, in can be the opposite.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2013 03:52PM by Hans Larsen.

"if a person has a big gut, it is probably not only fat stored, but also partially digested (yuck) foods inside of the gut."

A big belly is more likely a body's response to a high carbohydrate diet - note the big bellies of herbivores, from great apes to oxen. The gut gets longer so that probiotics can spend more time doing the almost impossible task of converting vegetable matter into something resembling a carnivore diet. (actually fativore)

I've tried eating both ways. Too bad it takes years to get results.

BTW I had the vertical ridges on The Finger (acupuncture meridian to the heart). They disappeared during the paleolithic diet years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2013 03:22PM by William.

Sorry but I disagree. Excess cortisol is the culprit indicating an excess of acidity in the body and poorly functioning adrenals, the very same glands that can create afib.I think acupuncture is useless as well as the paleo diet. Just my opinion, sorry to disagree.The program I am on addresses the poor adrenal function and will level out the cortisol.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2013 06:27PM by Hans Larsen.

Hi ronbn49,

Longitudinal ridges are a prime physical sign of Growth Hormone deficiency and is close to diagnostic for adult GH deficiency by itself. These vertical ridges or lines almost invariably correlates with too low of a functional GH and/or IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio levels.

Of course, they also correlate with select nutritional deficiencies that are up stream as Jackie noted above, but those tend to be more vague and variable from one person to the next and it typically takes a combination of several such nutritional deficiencies to coincide for the reduction in enzyme functions necessary to contribute to a significant enough longer term GH deficiency to manifest as notable vertical lines or ridges on the finger nails.

By far, the best and fastest way to mitigate those ridges on the nails is bio-identical replacement of GH itself (expensive though that is), especially when over the age of 55 or so when nutritional repletion itself, though vitally important, is not typically enough to reverse such major signs of entrenched GH once we get past the half century mark. And of course there are far more physiologic and global health benefits and improved mood and sense of well-being that having an optimal level of GH and IGF-1 bring over and above just minimizing finger nail ridges.

Good work in sorting out what seems to have made a big help in lessening your AFIB. Paying close attention to gut health is a big key for sure as, obviously everything else flows from proper nutritional intake and assimilation. The proper selection and dosing of high quality probiotics (and both Dr Ohhira's and Key Biotic are among the better formulas out there without question and I take one or the other each day alternating between the two every quarter) and probotics can be a real part of the puzzle for many afibbers. Also,good recommendation about the betonite clay which is a well-vetted intestinal detoxifier for many people, and I can imagine in your case, with the excess bloating and big belly you report having had, that bentonite would have been particularly useful. Its a good thing for most people to use periodically, whether or not they are too heavy and bloated or not.

However, not taking anything at all away from the major improvement in your felt symptoms of AFIB over the last 9 months or so, experience has proven to many of us that the better part of valor is to be cautious in proclaiming a real and total 'Cure', certainly without much more time and in-depth investigation to take place.

Its also very possible that a fair amount of the credit for the reduction in your symptoms may be as much, or possibly even more, relative to the big weight loss you report, as Iatrogenia also noted above, rather than it all being strictly as a result of what you described as 'getting rid of the putrid filth in the colon' even though the later certainly may have contributed strongly to the former and is often a good step in any event.

Obesity and excess weight is one of the prime predisposing factors for triggering more frequent episodes of AFIB. Many people have dramatically reduced their AFIB activity simply through significant weight loss, often accompanied by magnesium and potassium repletion, without ever having directly addressed the probiotic issue or adding gut detoxification with bentonite clay.

Others have achieved near total freedom from AFIB adopting a good Paleo diet which, when done right, inherently can help all of the above over time. And many more others are free of the beast from an expert ablation process with a highly skilled EP and, if they are wise, will help buy themselves added long term insurance for that gift by adopting a much healthier diet with a Paleo-like approach including paying close attention to gut health and proper mineral repletion etc ... and by adopting as much as possible an excess-stress mitigating lifestyle.

In addition, its important to verify just how free of AFIB you might really be. Its wonderful and a big achievement to greatly lessen your noticeable episodes as you have, but pronouncing it a complete 'cure' implies ZERO AFIB or Flutter of any kind at any time. To verify that for yourself, would require either an onboard dual chamber pacemaker, or an implantable under the skin 24/7/356 event monitor and I don't recall if you have either of those devices on board? You could also get a reasonable idea with very active daily and evening monitoring, but even then there is always the very real possibility of silent breakthroughs when you aren't testing and at night while sleeping.

Of course, the main way how one feels about their AFIB is driven by symptoms of AFIB and with the big reduction you have experience over the last 9 months or so, I can well imagine it might seem like a real cure. Just don't be too discouraged if at some point and in spite of all the good you have done, the flippies make a reappearance as well. When some one is so sure they are cured it can be a real blown psychologically to suddenly discover it wasn't quite that after all, and if it does happen, that is still no reason to think of the gains you have made as anything other than a big success in better managing your AFIB.

You mention too about having 'silent AFIB' and yet then speak of very clear symptoms of AFIB, and now the recent lack thereof. I presume you were once diagnosed with Silent AFIB and it subsequently become more symptomatic, is that right?? It's also possible that the excellent work and investigation you have done toward better gut and overall health have helped not only lessen greatly your AFIB, but if you are still having some unrecognized activity its quite possible that it has simply reverted to a lower intensity and more Silent AFIB expression.

The point of all this being, that while your enthusiasm for the improvement you have noted in recent months this year is well founded, just be a little careful about boldly claiming this to be the universal cure for AFIB, even if just for yourself, based on what you have shared so far.

AFIB is a very complex, multifaceted and humbling condition with a lot of individual variability. Making a dedicated effort at educating oneself and adopting a more functional and integrative approach to one's AFIB and overall health care makes all kinds of good sense and is the first and leading recommendation emphasized repeatedly here at afibbers.com for how best a new Afibber can help themselves gain better control over this, while also partnering with a top tier EP ablationist so that when, and if, that aspect of the puzzle might also be needed to really put this behind you you are already well in the loop and connected.

With a 30 year history of dealing with this beast and mostly with poor to mixed results until this past year from what you describe above, its almost a given that there has been a good degree of structural and electrical remodeling of the atrial substrate .. ie scaring or fibrosis inside the left and/or right atriums. This remodeling can at least partially reverse once complete absence of AFIB is achieved for a good period of time. And this is way its important to verify whether or not you really are AFIB free or simply, more or less symptom free at the moment?

Knowing this not just by, 'gut' feel, but through verifiable long term monitoring, can help you feel more confident that no ongoing remodeling is going on that might only rise up to bite you again in the form of greater activity later on, or even slipping into silent persistent AFIB with the subsequent stroke risks having unrecognized AFIB can present.

Best of luck too you in your efforts to work all this out for yourself.

Shannon

Ronbn49,

I also have a high bilirubin score whenever I do a liver function test. I have followed this thread and no one has mentioned it so I am thinking afib is not effected by it. I have had this for at least 25 years and no doctor has told me what it means (in my case).

If you do a search, I have seen where about 5% of the population has higher than normal numbers of bilirubin when doing liver function test. Gilberts disease is a common reason for it and seems that it is nothing to worry about. Many young people have it.

ronH

Thanks for the feedback Shannon, however much of the jargon and fifty cent words have gone right over my head since i try to keep things as simplistic as possible. i have a chemical imbalance in my body caused and created by a bad colon situation and some body abuse with chemicals and such. I assume the body is made up of cells and two fluids the blood and the lymph system. one brings nourishment the other takes out the trash.
Some where in the maze of cells something is askew and i think I am fixing it by taking out the trash and eliminating the toxic waste dump and getting the lymph system to do a better job of taking the trash to the garbage dump (the colon) and getting the dump to do a better job of evacuating that trash. That is the limit of my words to describe the situation. I have assumed by Jackies comments that my body has not been absorbing nutrients needed to address the fingernail ridges, and that is currently being addressed with the current therapy I am doing. I also believe that the fluids in the body need to be clean and not filthy as a swimming pool can be clear or cloudy or a mess depending on the ph of the water. These are the things my mind understands and the way I look at healing. All else the long words the chemical reactions and so forth are foreign to me. But I do know this, I do know my afib is a condition brought on my an internal stagnation and that my bodily fluids were not in the proper ph and that in the process of getting that ph in line I am eliminating my conditions and one of those conditions is Afib, another is nail ridges, another is excess mucous after eating another is tinnitus, toe nail fungus, etc. all will disappear soon. But thanks for the reply I just wish I was more in tune with what you were saying. I have chosen to address the body in a simplistic way and that works for me.

RonBn49 - you can't go wrong with a detoxing protocol. If you went to an upscale holistic clinic, after an evaluation, that's the first thing they would be doing. Clearing out not only heavy metals but other toxic residues that accumulate over time...especially with a stagnant colon or lack of sufficient pure drinking water... not tap water that contains fluoride, chlorine and other toxic chemicals used in the "purification" process.

I'm glad to see you mention pH... as that is a critical consideration for making progress... as was mentioned in the post on making the homemade version of magnesium bicarbonate water which we also call WW or Waller Water. Drinking ample amounts of that each day will speed up your detoxing process. One thing at a time. System by system, you should make continual progress... slowly, but still progress.

Shannon - Could you give a per-dose cost for using the bioidentical Growth Hormone and how one goes about finding a clinician to prescribe and supervise it;s use and testing?

Jackie

ron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ronbn49,
>
> I also have a high bilirubin score whenever I do a
> liver function test. I have followed this thread
> and no one has mentioned it so I am thinking afib
> is not effected by it. I have had this for at
> least 25 years and no doctor has told me what it
> means (in my case).
>
> If you do a search, I have seen where about 5% of
> the population has higher than normal numbers of
> bilirubin when doing liver function test. Gilberts
> disease is a common reason for it and seems that
> it is nothing to worry about. Many young people
> have it.
>
> ronH

It may be nothing to worry about but to me it is an indication of a poorly performing liver and I intend to heal it along with the heart, the adrenals and the colon. Thanks for the info RonH. To many Rons around here.

Whey protein isolate made my fingernails very strong.

______________
Lone paroxysmal vagal atrial fibrillation. Age 62, female, no risk factors. Autonomic instability since severe Paxil withdrawal in 2004, including extreme sensitivity to neuro-active drugs, supplements, foods. Monthly tachycardia started 1/11, happened only at night, during sleep, or when waking, bouts of 5-15 hours. Changed to afib about a year ago, same pattern. Frequency increased over last 6 months, apparently with sensitivity to more triggers. Ablation 6/27/13 by Steven Hao.

Iatrogenia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Whey protein isolate made my fingernails very
> strong.


Whey is a protein and animal protein is not needed for the body and it is my belief that many of the ills we face originate with intaking more protein than necessary for human health. The human body is fully capable of making its own protein from plant matter containing amino acids. Also the problem with ridged fingernails is not soft nails or brittle nails its a sign something is off in the intake and absorption of nutrients. The concern for me with the ridged nails is poor nutrient absorption and this once again goes back the small intestine function and assimilation and delivery of nutrients to the cells. For me health is that tiny little thing called a human cell and if they do not get feed and if waste is not removed we have a problem and that problem does not go away with putting perfume on the trash.I consider supplementing with vitamins and minerals putting perfume on the trash It may work as long as you do it but once you stop the problem remains.Those that push nutrients and sell supplements are as bad as the drug companies selling you things you really do not need as a supplement. What we do need is a good house cleaning so the body can take it nutrition and take out the trash.75% of the fluid in the body is lymph fluid and this fluid takes out the trash. When that system is backed up the ladies recognize it as cellulite and the men see it in others ways possibly as gut fat or flabby skin rolls over the waist. These statements are not gospel, just my opinion in plain words we can understand.

Ron,

I was visiting with a lone afibber friend at my office. We've both had the illness for over 9 years. Anyway we chatted a bit about diet and he says he has a friend that only eats rotten meat and has for 20 years. The reason is for the enzymes and bacteria.

The fellow in this video has been doing it for over 30 years and claims it cured his incurable cancer. <[www.youtube.com] I understand the probiotic logic though this guy takes it farther than anybody else I know.

Cheers,

George

Hi Jackie,

Regarding GH its rarely given just by itself as a well implemented BHRT protocol includes replenishing a number of major hormones that are found deficient and need to address, often first in steps toward eebalancing ones overall hormonal symphony paying attention toward addressing those that compliment and cross balance with one another. GH is typically added after some months or even a year after getting the foundational hormones in good shape ... Sometimes GH is added in earlier in the case of severe GH/IGF1 deficiency for those who wish to add and can manage the real thing.

Cost are high and often prohibitive in the US for high quality GH and can run anywhere from around $3,500 a year bare minimum to $7,500/ year depending on dose one requires for maintenance.

The cost will hopefully come down a good deal after two new large manufacturing sites in Europe are set to open over the next two years should help increase supply to better meet demand and drive down the higher prices somewhat. But until then in the US it's still pretty pricey for sure.

Shannon

George, I can't personally see eating rotten meat is an attractive proposition.

George and afhound, maybe we can bottle some cherry-flavored 'rotten meat' and make a fortune! :-) The point of George's post though is that our guts and intestinal flora evolved over the last few millions of years for the vast majority of that time not eating only FDA inspected cuisine and perhaps some well chosen 'dirt' in the diet ... or clay if you will ...can come in handy as well.

Of course life expectancy was in the mid 20s or so for most of those eons too, though I suspect that was more due to sabber-tooth tigers and Atilla the Huns running amok as well as the vagaries of child birth and risks of growing up, more so than the quality of intestinal flora at the time.

Shannon

What an odd thing to say, ronbn49. We all have different nutritional needs. I got good results from whey protein isolate.

______________
Lone paroxysmal vagal atrial fibrillation. Age 62, female, no risk factors. Autonomic instability since severe Paxil withdrawal in 2004, including extreme sensitivity to neuro-active drugs, supplements, foods. Monthly tachycardia started 1/11, happened only at night, during sleep, or when waking, bouts of 5-15 hours. Changed to afib about a year ago, same pattern. Frequency increased over last 6 months, apparently with sensitivity to more triggers. Ablation 6/27/13 by Steven Hao.