What I've Learned about AFIB

After 10 years of paroxsmal afib and faithfully reading this forum and trying various experiments on myself, I have found the following to be true. I hasten to add this may not be applicable to others.

1. Potassium supplementation helps prevent vagal mediated afib but does not totally eliminate it.

2. Magnesium supplementation absolutely prevents adrenergic mediated afib. If I fail to supplement with Mg, after 2 days I can easily slip into afib while exercising. I have tested this about 6 times and it always hold true.

3. If I minimize cardiac inflamation, I can sleep on my left side, drink a beer, or do just about anything that is a typical trigger and I will not go into afib. Recently I pinched my sciatic nerve and experienced severe pain down my left leg. After 2 weeks of heavy use of naproxen and ibuprofin, I noticed I have zero palpitations when laying on my left side. No matter what I do, my heart remains quiet. I have resumed exercise but am using an occasional naproxen or ibuprofin to keep the inflamation at bay. I assume the 2 week use of the NSAID's did the trick. Hopefully I can keep it at bay.

As I stated at the top, I don't know if this is any value to others. As Jackie is fond of pointing out, we are all biological experiments of one.

Thanks Larry and Happy New Year!

All good insights from your experiment of one as you say. And while they may not all work with everyone to the same degree of efficacy as you have experienced, its not surprising at all that the steps you have found most helpful in your case are amount the most tried and true aid that can help for many of not most of us, to one degree or another in the life long quest of keeping appearances of the beast at a minimum.

Even after a good ablation, these are good ground rules as well for supporting a quiet atrial substrate and adding more chips in one's now larger back account that is often the case after a solid ablation(s).

Best wishes for even more NSR in 2014!
Shannon

I too found ibuprofen to be helpful. About 2 years 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.
I now take ginger extract, its anti-inflammatory effect is the same as ibuprofen.

I agree about the magnesium,but ibuprofen has absolutely no affect on my afib (good or bad). I have had chronic knee pain for years, and Advil is the only thing that calms it enough so I can walk. I have taken Advil regularly for several years and have found no relationship between it and my afib showing up.

Nancy

Hi Larry - Happy New Year! It's good to see you posting...especially with your great news about determining what works for you. The magnesium observation you mention is not surprising nor is your observation regarding reducing inflammation and the calming effect on the heart.

How much magnesium do you find it takes to stabilize your heart consistently? Do you use the magnesium bicarbonate water as well?

I don't recall if you were reading and posting back when Erling Waller wrote about his magnesium experiences and curing his afib... but as he mentioned many times, he found that his Colorado water was high in calcium and low in magnesium. His past posts on the important work of magnesium researcher, Mildred Seelig that resulted in her magnesium book written 34 years ago (1980) deserves continual mention as Chapter 9 Magnesium Deficiency and Cardiac Dysrhythmia was the guide to his cure. You can view the entire book on Paul Mason's very excellent website

Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of Disease
[mgwater.com]

Every afibber should read at least Chapter 9.

Be well, Larry. It does MY heart good to read your post!
Jackie

Jackie - You've got a great memory!!

I take 600 - 800mg / day of magnesium glycinate/lysinate chelate.

If I drop below 400 mg / day, in a couple of days, I'm gambling with adrenergic afib.

Larry - Thanks. Your range seems to fit with what most people commonly find they need for daily intake.
I've sent you a PM.

Jackie

I started using those Magnesium suppositories but had to stop. I couldn't stand the taste.

Murray L

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