Is Ginger My Cure

My Ginger Story.

I have had lone afib for about five years. I have tried most arrhythmia drugs with no success and have experienced bad side effects.
This time last year I was having three episodes a month and lots of ectopics, I was prescribed Flecainide and after two months of bad side effects stopped taking it. It reduce my afib burden to one a month.

Late last year after reading the posts by Hans and GeorgeN about ginger I decided to give it a go.
I started by taking a teaspoon of ginger from the spice cupboard in a glass of water. It was quite unpleasant, so I ordered some ginger capsules from a local supplier. (Lifestream brand)
In the mean time while waiting for the capsules to arrive, I had an afib episode and thought this is not working for me and stopped taking it.
After about a week or so I started to get ectopics / pounding heart and thought I would try one of the new ginger capsules, within 20 to 30 minutes I was back to NSR and with a calm heart.
That's when I first realised ginger was helping me better than anything I had tried before, including all the fancy drugs the Doctors have given me.
Encouraged, I started taking 1 capsule before breakfast and 1 before dinner.

I was afib free for ten weeks.
At that time I received some ginger capsules I had ordered from iherb that included some that ware recommended by Hans. (New Chapter, Ginger Force), also some of their cheapest available (NOW brand 500mg), thinking ginger is ginger.

The Ginger Force capsules were too strong, and made my feet hot, so I tried the cheaper capsules and within a couple of days I had an afib episode.
The episode was different than before in that it wasn't so severe and I didn't have that choking feeling. It was mild, and lasted about three hours.
Previously I found that the afib episode I have had, have been preceded by gas and bloating, and sometimes a couple of days before I start getting skipped beats. This is not noticeable now.

I went back to using the Lifestream capsules before dinner and one of the cheap ones before breakfast. This seemed to work for about a month when one day I triggered afib by taking a very sweet candy late in the afternoon.
This started me thinking there may be a time limit of effect. So I started taking one cheap capsule before breakfast and lunch and a Lifestream capsule before dinner.

I did some research on the different ginger capsules and found that the Lifestream ginger was Ginger Root Extract and the other was plain ginger. The difference was, the ginger root extract contained gingerols and the other didn't, or very little.
After some further research I discovered that ginger with 5% gingerols has been compared to ibuprofen see [www.ams.ac.ir]
The pdf is basically saying that one ginger capsule with 5% gingerols is equal to one 400mg of ibuprofen and is just as effective as far as inflammation is concerned.

A side note: About 18 months ago I had bursitis of the elbow and was prescribed an antibiotic, Losec and ibuprofen which I took for seven days. After that I didn't get Afib for six weeks. I think taking the anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen helped in this case.

My last afib event was seven weeks ago when I went to a meeting an hours travel away and was in a hurry. I forgot to take any supplements at all including ginger. I remembered when I was almost there and wasn't going back to get any.
For lunch I had a two course roast dinner and a glass of red wine. (mid winter dinner, its winter in NZ now) on my way home I had afib. When I got home I took one of the Ginger Force capsules (1500mg) and within 20 to 30 minutes I was back in NSR. This was the first time I had used ginger like a PIP. I am sure I would have prevented this episode if I had taken the ginger earlier.

I now believe that afib is triggered by an irritable vagus nerve, that is why the vagus nerve is ablated from the pulmonary veines, (I could be corrected if I am wrong). So, by calming the vagus nerve at the source, afib will not start, ginger seems to do this.

I am currently taking 4 ginger capsules with 5% gingerols a day, one before meals, and one at night before bed, but I am not sure if that one is necessary. [www.iherb.com]
And there are NO side effects.

Is ginger my cure? I think so.

I do hope ginger can help others as it has for me.

Colin

I take
600mg magnesium
2gm of omega 3 fish oil
4 ginger capsules
1 100mg asprin, which I may stop.

Possible benefits of Ginger

[www.boost-immune-system-naturally.com]

[www.whfoods.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2013 12:16AM by colindo.

Colin,

Thanks for your post. My husband is the afibber and I have added ginger to our diet. I use actual ginger root and I incorporate it into our breakfast. He takes about a 1 inch piece of the root each morning. It seems that it really helps his digestion. He has had two ablations but still gets runs of etopics at times. He has had a few short and rare episodes of afib. I think the ginger is helping but there are too many variables to know for sure. I hope others will write about their experiences. I make pancakes with oatmeal and egg whites in the blender most mornings. I add K powder and ginger root to the batter. We top the pancakes with berries and a little honey or molasses. I might add one of your ginger capsules at dinner.

Debbie

Ginger is a known natural 'herbal' remedy for many ailments. Happy to hear that it is helping you out. I take mine pickled with raw fish.
Murray L

Murray L

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Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.

Colin - thanks for posting this. It should definitely be very useful for many afibbers. Moreover, I'm so glad it is working well for you.

Best to you,
Jackie

Hi Debbie, Murray and Jackie,


Debbie,
I think you are on the right track giving your husband ginger in his breakfast, it is not a lot compared to what you can get in a capsule but would help.
I would like to suggest he try a ginger capsule (the brand I recommend) with his lunch and dinner, because it's not only good for his digestion but has a lot of other benefits. I take one with each meal.

Murray,
I wouldn't dear suggest you change form Tikosyn to ginger, your Dr. would excommunicate you, although I wouldn't be surprised if it helped you as well Tikosyn.

Jackie,
Thank you for your post.
There is a couple of links at the bottom of my post you may find interesting, about the benefits of ginger and cancer.

Colin

Colin,

Thanks for this helpful info on ginger. Glad it is working for you. After reading Han's post, I too considered taking it, but found out from my nutritionist that it is one of many spices that I am allergic/sensitive to. I've had one food allergy after another and my digestive system is a mess! I'm working with a nutritionist on it, but after fixing candida overgrowth, H.pylori, taking HCl while adding iodine and zinc supplements to my diet so I could make my own HCl, and "clearing" many food allergies and staying away from gluten and wheat, I am still struggling.

Yesterday I tried 1000 mg of Jarrows d-limonene for the first time at dinner. Like Ginger, it helps calm the digestive system, which as you say, seems to active the vagus nerve when there is inflammation or digestive upset, causing AFIB or recently for me, PACs. I have been having intense burning for months from gas rising from my stomach because my LES isn't closing properly. So far, I still have the burning, but one is supposed to take d-limonene every other day with a heavy meal for 20 days. Research has shown that it reduces GERD for most people by the end of the 20 days. For some people, the GERD has not returned. For others, the effects seem to last 6 months. One can go to iHerb and read 97 reviews of Jarrows d-limonene, which is what convinced me to try it. I will post this on a new topic so others can read about it too.

Nancy M

Colin,

Thank you for sharing your experience with ginger. It certainly looks promising. Just to make sure I have got your regimen correct: You take one 250 mg capsule of NOW Foods ginger root extract before each of your three main meals and one before bed. In addition you have found that one GingerForce capsule (New Chapter) works as a pill-in-the-pocket to terminate an afib episode. As your afib is of the vagal variety it makes sense that the 4 capsules of ginger root extract would help prevent episodes. However, your finding that one capsule of GingerForce is effective in halting an episode is most intriguing.

Ginger increases adrenergic (sympathetic) dominance and thus would increase heart rate rather than slow it down. Thus your finding is kind of counterintuitive considering that your heart rate may already be 120 bpm or more during afib. However, I believe there is evidence that the shift from afib to normal sinus rhythm (NSR) often, if not always, is preceeded by a period of sinus tachycardia. Perhaps ginger has the effect of putting the heart into tachycardia and from there the change to NSR is "easy". Any thoughts on this?

Hans

PS. GingerForce and the NOW Foods ginger root extract are both available in the afibbers.org vitamin shop [www.afibbers.org]

Hans,

You have got my regimen correct.

When I took the GingerForce capsule while having the Afib event my pulse was in the 90's.
I to was surprised by the result, having read previously what you had to say about it increasing the heart rate.
I didn't notice any sinus tachycardia, although I wasn't expecting to, I think that the ginger just calm down my digestion or the vagus nerve.
I carry a GingerForce capsule with me all the time now, just in case.
I may add that my Afib episodes are quite mild compared to how they used to be.

Next week I am going to Bali and will have to endure a ten hour flight, and restaurant meals for two weeks, so will be hoping I will still be Afib free when I get back.

Colin

Colin, I'm not following your reginine. You say Now Brand 500mg (Hans thinks your taking the 250mg), and you reference the Lifestream with gingerolis. You indicate the capsule you take has the gingerols - is that the Now brand or the Lifestream? Would you mind indicating exactly what capsules you are taking? Thanks, Ralph

Ralph,

Hans is correct.
I was taking the NOW brand 500mg and Lifestream but not anymore.
I am taking four 250 mg capsule of NOW Foods ginger root with 5% gingerols a day, one before meals, and one at night before bed.
Click onto the link below or go through the afibbers.org vitamin shop. [www.afibbers.org]
[www.iherb.com]

Colin

Thanks Colin. I ordered it. My experience with ginger has been mostly positive but I haven't had the success you apparently have had. I'll try your regimine and let you know. I have been seeing an Osteopath lately who has been helping and I'll write more about that soon

Colin,

I'm really glad this is working for you! I'll post a bit more on my experience with ginger when I return home,

George

I just ordered Now Foods, Ginger Root Extract, 250 mg -- also interested to hear of others' experiences with ginger.

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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.

Sprinkled the 250mg on my oatmeal this a.m. I think it made me feel a little queasy. Only half a capsule next time.

______________
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.

Latrogenia,

I think I would feel a little queasy if I put ginger on my oatmeal, that is why I ordered capsules. I take the whole capsule before or during my meal.

I jumped on the bandwagon with Now Ginger Root Extract 250mg

Fingers crossed.