PAC's

Hi Jackie, Hans, and all:
Been a while since I have visited this group as I continue to be Afib free following Maze surgery in 2007. Once of the best decisions I've ever made and gave me back my life after 20+ years of being in Afib.

I do get PAC's (medically diagnosed) and more recently have realized that these seem to occur following the evening meal which is our main meal. I somewhat recall others who ID's arrhythmias following meals and seem to think that it even helps determine the type of Afib you may have. I would like to revisit this information and welcome anyone who has the same occurrence. I am gluten intolerant and have sometimes thought I had gluten exposure, but now am convinced it's related to digestion.

If anyone knows, I would welcome recommendations to dealing with it.

Best wishes to all of you and hope you are each finding your way out of Afib and into NSR!

Lois

Hello Lois - Good to hear from you and so glad you remain pleased with your procedure decision.

When PACs occur, it's typically because you are low in potassium (and magnesium)... or as you mentioned, a food sensitivity ... especially if it can be associated with a meal. If you are gluten intolerant, then you absolutely have to avoid it continually. No choice.

More likely, it's that if you may be running low in the daily intake of core nutrients (electrolytes) magnesium and potassium that help maintain the consistent flow of "power" or electricity (voltage) or electrical conduction your heart requires. If so, then skipped beats are the result. Think of a flashlight beam that flickers when the battery is almost used up. Once you restore the power or energy source with a new battery, the light is strong and constant. In this case, low potassium allows the shortening of the refractory period or the time between beats, faster pulse or can proceed to outright arrhythmia or just be the attention-getting PAC activity. In other words, you have low voltage or low rate of electrical conduction.

It's important to assess not only your intake of the magnesium and potassium, but also intake of competing minerals that block the function such as ...calcium blocking magnesium and sodium blocking potassium's function. By any chance do you take supplemental calcium?

Refer to CR 72 and the importance of making sure that your sodium (salt) intake meets at the very minimum the 4:1 ratio - Potassium to Sodium. Packaged, processed and restaurant foods are typically loaded with salt. Unless you make a special effort to get your potassium up 4 - 5 or more times higher than the sodium, you will have PACs. Fresh whole foods do not have that sodium risk factor.

When I had some outright AF breakthroughs in the years 5, 6 and 7 post ablation, I reversed that trend by making sure that I was optimizing magnesium supplements and foods that were high in potassium count. Because I don't eat a carload of food, I also used and still do, potassium supplements.

I wrote a report that I called The Strategy - What Metabolic Cardiology Means to Afibbers... based on my successes in turning around the Afib breakthrough events. That report is now in the process of being revised to include other key points that I neglected to mention initially ...mostly because they were such a part of my daily routine that I forgot to include. In part.. these are attention to maintaining an alkaline pH most easily achieved by using the magnesium bicarbonate water or WW (Waller Water), as well as eating an alkaline ash forming diet, nightly high-count probiotic to maintain good GI health and function, consistent use of the fibrinolytic enzyme Nattokinase, daily Iodine dosing and avoiding sources of fluoride... drinking water, beverages, fluorinated prescription medications and more.

Here are the links for your reading pleasure.

Let me know if I can elaborate.

Best to you,
Jackie



The Strategy - What Metabolic Cardiology Means to Afibbers
[www.afibbers.org]

Conference Room Session 72
Potassium/Sodium Ratio in Atrial Fibrillation (February 7 - June 11, 2011)
[www.afibbers.org]

Thanks Jackie! As always you so nicely laid out the possible issues. I am pleased to say that I started corrective actions in the electrolytes some time ago and do use Willard Water, etc. Yes, I am gluten free and only occasionally get into something unexpected. That's where PIP (something else I've learned here) comes in and pulls me back again. I won't bother to detail all the other things I am doing right; however, you did offer me some good leads.

FYI, I did have a gluten upset one evening and learned a few things. My irregular heartbeats were PAC'S and they were so concentrated the professionals dx low rate "A-flutter." My wonderful cardiologist helping me stay drug free over a chemical conversion right in ER, held me overnight to be sure it held and it did! Then she reworked my PIP solution and handed the ball back to me so I can do as much as I can for myself.

I take most of my supplements in the morning, including Potassium and I'm pretty sure that this is where I have gone wrong. Need to supplement throughout the day. I wonder if anyone has taken the Willard Water and created a total electrolyte water drink CAL MAG POT all in their appropriate ratios, say for a recipe for a one litre bottle. I think this would be ideal since a person can sip this throughout the day and get exactly the right amount of each. Powdered products of course will be use.

So.....what I am saying is.....I am drug free - no statins, no blood pressure meds, no Afib meds, EXCEPT on demand when the PAC's occur.

If anyone has put this together, I'd love to hear about it. Otherwise I think I will pull "The Strategy" out of the file and see what I can figure out. Jackie, I have shared that document with so many others........but for many, they are looking for a quick fix not self management and that's what sets us apart.

By the way, in 2013, I had a good cancer scare. It turned out to be negative (Praise God) but, once again, I turned the situation into a learning experience. There is a group at www.nutritional-solutions.net who will help you tailor a personal anti-cancer diet. It's based on thousands of studies, etc. Anyone desiring to live cancer free or recently diagnosed might find this helpful. I have purchased the dietary program and am in the process of determining what changes I'd like to make now, if any, and as needed, consult with a dietitian when it seems appropriate.

Wishing all of you NSR and good health!


Hope others find this information helpful; always like to share good news.

Jackie and others, isn't there a connection between AFib and the gut? That was what has originally wondered about. I thought many people ID's meals with AFib? Because I had Afib 24/7 for so many years, I never saw a collation, but now I am wondering since it seems to follow the evening meal within an hour or two.

Lois

Lois - Definitely you have to take your minerals throughout the day. If I were to speculate, I'd think your PACs occur because you run low continually in both the magnesium and potassium.... along with an overabundance of too much salt/sodium intake. Often people are surprised when they do a calculation or log for everything they eat for several days and assess the intake of magnesium, potassium and sodium.

There is a gut connection. See this report: [www.afibbers.org]

With the Waller Water or WW - which is magnesium bicarbonate... the alkalizing benefits of the bicarbonate ions really enhance the overall benefits of magnesium throughout the body. I would not want to be using a water that contained much in the way of additional calcium as that competes with magnesium... and you get an adequate amount of calcium through diet...whereas that's not the case with magnesium and often potassium as well.

Let us know if you note any changes once you spread out and optimize your electrolyte intake.

Be well,
Jackie

Jackie, thanks so much for providing the gut connection report. I have read almost all of the reports through the years, but somehow must have missed this one. I do not have it on file, but remember discussions about it. There's got to be a link here too.

I will make every effort to do more tracking and analysis and let you know what I learn from this. What we each learn can always benefit others and that makes it all worthwhile.

Again, thanks! Keep up the great work of helping Afibbers when doctors can't seem to!

Lois