Anti-arrhythmic drugs and sudden cardiac death

I just found a very interesting study called:
The Cellular Health Solution to Irregular Heartbeat: Study here

I read into this study:
More significantly, almost all these drugs have severe side effects. The most important and frequent of these side effects are the generation of even
more irregular heartbeats and, not infrequently, cessation of the heartbeat (sudden cardiac death)

I am suffering for rare Afib episodes and I am talking Rytmonorm(Propafenone) in reduced dose combined with potasium, magnesium, taurine supplements recommended by this site.
Since I am taking supplements my Afib episodes are almost non existent and I reduced Rytmonorm does at 75mg/day (half pill).
Still from time to time I have periods with frequent heart ectopics that are not afib but usually could trigger an afib episode.

The above site recommended different other supplements that could reduce/eliminate heart disturbances and is totally against anti-arrhythmic drugs.
Could someone with experience in this field comment the topic?
Thank you,

Hi CatalinRo,

Could you please provide a full URL link to the article in question? Just copy the URL and past it into the little icon button in the edit strip immediately above that looks like the earth with a little good chain link at the bottom and once you paste the URL in the first dialog box that appears, a second box pops up and just write in the blank space something like 'supplement article'. Then we can better comment on what the article is suggesting.

There is some truth to what you've shared so far in that certainly AAR drugs are powerful agents that have some toxic properties as well and all are subject to the possibility of side effects to one degree or another. From the little you've shared from the author so far, though, I get the impression he or she is exaggerating their case against the drugs somewhat in order to try to try to sell or promote something or a given supplement formula.

For example, while it's very true certain of these drugs can have sudden cardiac death as a rather urgent event that goes beyond the term 'side effect', that is hardly a "not infrequent" occurance. It's quite rare and for those few if these drugs that have that remote tendency, they are usually started in a hospital setting to help prevent that calamity which typically only happens, if its going too in the rather rare susceptible person, during initiation of the drug therapy.

Nevertheless, I whole heartedly agree that these drugs are certainly an imperfect solution that most often even fail to be effective much at all after some time, on a weave within the first year of two after starting them, though some get many years of real relief from AFIB when matched to the right drug for their body and degree of AFIB.

But, without question too we encourage everyone to make a dedicated attempt to incorporate a well thought out nutritional supplement plan mostly based are key mineral repletion and supporting natural anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents which have so often been found to significant lessen the appearance or at least frequency or intensity of the beast.

We often recommend that people add this protocol called The Strategy and found in our AFIB Resources link at the top of this page to their daily routine along with whatever AAR or rate control drugs their Cardio of EP has prescribed and very often people like yourself have found a big reduction, and at times even total cessation, to their AFIB episodes after taking these supplements for some time religiously.

Some are even able to stop the drugs altogether as well, which is always a good thing when it works, but others find the supplements just help make the drugs work more effectively but both are needed in the battle. Others still get marginal to little benefit and for a fair number of others the nutrients help for a good while and then the beast returns again with its underlying progression ongoing and an ablation is required along with the continued help of the nutrient restoration to get the best odds of freedom from AFIB and the most amount of NSR time as possible for ourselves.

There is no question that the natural supplements and herbs used are far more benign and generally much safer than this class of drugs used long term, but it's rarely as black and white as some of these promoters with an agenda to sell us something would like to hype the situation, and that is true whether its a new wonder drug Big Pharma is hyping or someone with a new 'cure to everything' new supplement they are promoting. These are all just tools to use in the fight against a very complex and vexing condition and there are times when said drugs are invaluable in buying prolonged relief in this war of attrition and to try to condemn them all out of hand is going overboard as well.

And yet, whenever someone can graduate off of these drugs either due to the supplemental protocols and/or from a solid and successful ablation
process, that's a very good thing and a real goal to shoot for.

Shannon



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2014 01:45PM by Shannon.

The article is:
Double blind, Placebo controled study

Shannon, thank you for your complex and informative answer.

I also agreed that study author formulation: not infrequently, cessation of the heartbeat (sudden cardiac death) it is exaggerated.
In my opinion it is not good when professionals exaggerate in any direction, creating unnecessary concerns for the patients.

Anyhow the author is director of a research institute and did different studies regarding efficiency of supplements for different diseases.
His site here

Have a look at his article and come back, please, with some comments. He recommend supplements I take (Mg, K , Taurine) but also others like B vitamins, Coenzime-Q1, Biotin, Vitamin E, Zinc, Phosphor and many more.