Lots of thumps and bumps today...feeling worried..

So it's 6.5 months past my 2nd ablation, and today I've been feeling a lot of skipped beats, "thumps and bumps" etc. I had a 7 day monitor on and just returned it last week - and of course, didn't have as much "activity" then as I am having today..but am still waiting to hear the results. (I was told that they didn't see any Afib, but maybe some tachy stuff going on...my words...they are still reviewing it). I just took some extra magnesium and some Taurine (which I haven't taken in a few years....with an expiration date, so not sure if it'll do any good...).

How common are skipped beats and "thumps" even after an ablation? I would love to be one of those people who has a perfectly quiet heart after having an ablation, but I can't say that. It hasn't been bad, but not totally quiet. For some reason though, more concerning today.

Not sure what - if anything - I should be doing.... Sure wish I lived closer to Austin...

Barb

Hi Barb,

I have periods like now where I have quite a few pacs pvcs whatever the thumps and bumps are. I wish I had NONE because I seem to be sensitive to them. For me those are included in my opinion as to whether my ablation was a success and of course to the EP they are not included because they arent a "sustained" problem. I have also tried to increase my mag for now. Somewhat quieter so far this week but as soon as I start thinking that I get hit so I try not to think!!!

Hi Barb - Initially after the August 2014 second ablation, I had that bout of flutter plus random PVCs that I didn't feel but did show up on the HeartTrak monitor that was sent home with me for weekly recording and transmittal.

I pushed the intake of magnesium, potassium, taurine along with CoQ, carnitine and d-ribose and thought it seemed to help because when I'd do the weekly recordings, I didn't hear as much of the skipped beats as I heard with the earlier weekly recordings. It took at least a month before Austin said the PVCs were far less than originally documented.

So, with that in mind, if you haven't kept up with your magnesium, potassium...etc, then it may be a signal to do so in the hopes that once your IC magnesium is high enough consistently, the potassium will even out the tendency for the skipped beats. Be sure you are watching the potassium-to-sodium intake ratio from foods ...especially the sodium factor.

How much magnesium are you taking daily? Consistently? Can you estimate your dietary intake from potassium-containing foods?

Best to you,
Jackie

HI again - so amazingly, after just adding 200 mgs. of magnesium and taking 1000mg of expired (!) taurine, my heart got much quieter. I am thinking that I should just add those 2 things in daily for awhile and see how it goes.

I have not been tracking sodium or potassium...am eating a lower carb diet right now and adding more vegetables, which should bring my potassium up more, and sodium down. I take 400 mg. of magnesium daily - and fairly consistently...but I will now add this extra 200 mgs. and the taurine. Does the ablation have anything to do with this activity or would it likely happen irregardless?

I did send in several recordings today and will ask to keep the monitor for a while longer so I can send recordings in as needed. I feel much better when I know they have reviewed it and have an eye on me.


Barb

I'm of the opinion that besides having monthly blood tests for INR levels, it would be good also to check electrolytes on a monthly basis. I have no idea if I'm low on magnesium, potassium, sodium, et al. After a two-year span of post-ablation calmness, I went back into A-fib on Dec. 14. I finally was able to have a cardioversion on Jan. 6, but have experienced some palpitations since the cardioversion which make me nervous that the cardioversion won't really last. It would be nice to know if any of my electrolytes are low.

Barb - As I've mentioned frequently, for some reason, many afibbers and former afibbers seem to limit their daily magnesium dosage to 400 mg which almost always is not enough to keep the heart quiet.

The body has many needs for magnesium and it's not just for heart cells...so if one is deficient in magnesium intake, there isn't much to be spread around to satisfy the over 350 enzymatic reactions that require magnesium...meaning 400 mg from supplements daily is certainly better than nothing, but for some individuals, it may not be nearly enough. Could be that dosing needs to be 2 or 3 times that amount.

As often discussed, the bowel tolerance or laxation signal is one indicator for magnesium saturation.... but it is not 100% a guarantee that your intracellular levels are optimized because magnesium only works inside the cell... and it has to be accepted by functional receptor sites on the cell's outer envelope. If the receptor sites are damaged by trans- fats, magnesium is not able to access inside the cells... Therefore, it will accumulate in the intestine and cause the laxation effect. So laxation can be a false signal for some individuals until they clean up the health of the cells outer layer or envelope.

Without measuring the intracellular electrolyte levels reliabley by Exatest, we can only 'guess' that at least some of the magnesium supplements we consume make it inside the cells... because otherwise, we'd probably not be here as it's an essential electrolyte. So that's just more reason to keep pushing the saturation level by ramping up dosing slowly... to just before the laxation effect and keep at that level consistently because daily demands vary and magnesium requirements may be higher or lower depending on various influences ...(also mentioned previously.).. such as stress (depletes magnesium quickly)... etc.

Anyone who has a history of afib... just remember: Magnesium: At the Heart of It All

If you have blips and missed beats... think Magnesium first and then focus on the Mg/K intake ratio as well.

Jackie

I just increased my dose today, Jackie - and will watch for how I respond, increasing it if needed. Not sure why I had such a day as yesterday - it wasn't terrible, but it was unsettling as it felt like Afib was trying to 'come back" (but according to my recordings, it didn't)

Thanks for your advice ~ Barb

Mary Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm of the opinion that besides having monthly
> blood tests for INR levels, it would be good also
> to check electrolytes on a monthly basis. I have
> no idea if I'm low on magnesium, potassium,
> sodium, et al. After a two-year span of
> post-ablation calmness, I went back into A-fib on
> Dec. 14. I finally was able to have a
> cardioversion on Jan. 6, but have experienced some
> palpitations since the cardioversion which make me
> nervous that the cardioversion won't really last.
> It would be nice to know if any of my electrolytes
> are low.


Like Jackie said the Exatest is the only way to know for sure. In my case my Blood draws were all pretty normal, but the Exatest showed low Mg among other things.

AlsoI think there is a special blood test for intra-cellular Mg, but I don't know how accurate it is.

Where do you get the Exatest?
My DR said she has never heard of it and can't find it listed in any of the blood tests.
Thanks for any information you can give me so I can tell her. Maybe she will be able to order it for me.

Thanks again,
Maryann

[www.exatest.com]

Either you or preferably the Dr. will have to order a kit from them through the mail. Usually they only will send the kit to the Dr's. I have talked them into sending directly to me though. They will want a Rx from your Dr. for the Exatest. It is an expensive test . Most insurances cover the $500 fee for the test. You would need to check with them on that.

Once you get the kit, then take the sample right when you are having issues.

When you get the results back then look on this site for guidance on how to interpret the results. Not sure where to look, but start with a simple search.

Maryann - you can have your doctor phone the Exatest people, they can tell him about ordering in the kit for you.
If your insurance won't cover it, they offer a discounted price for those who won't be submitting insurance claims... and I believe it is now $275. I certainly hope he is willing to go along with ordering it for you.

The turnaround time is around 2 weeks so the sooner you can get started the better because knowing all of the electrolyte levels and their ratios tells an important story about what you need to keep your heart energy or voltage continually optimized and only the electrolytes can do that.

Jackie

I also know that skipped beats, extra beats,PVCs can be caused from Stress/Anxiety. I have been magnesium for months. I had my Cather Ablation almost 11 months ago in Feb. 2014.

I started having Anxiety really bad in early Dec. 2014 and the heart responded with PVC's, skipped beats etc. I have a Linq monitor embedded in my chest so Dr. Natale's staff sees my Heart response everyday.

I called the nurse about it and there was no AFIB. Winter months, Holidays can be high Anxiety period for many. Lack of sunshine,gloomy days having to stay indoors etc..

I have been taking at least 1 gram of Magnesium a day for months even though I have been ablated; I try and take to bowel tolerance but what you eat can affect that.

Triggers of Ectopic heartbeats

Some people find the following factors trigger Ectopic heartbeats:-
Alcohol intake
Caffeine intake
Stress
Tiredness
Cold medicines that contain decongestants
Anxiety
Smoking
Pregnancy
Undergoing the menopause

5 mg Valium a day as needed.
20 mg Prozac daily
15 mg Prevacid a day
60 cc shot of Testosterone Cypionate every 10 days. Testosterone is low due to schedule two narcotics.
.5 mg Arimidex 2x a week to keep Estrogen levels in check. T shots can cause rise in Estrogen.

100 mg Metoprolol ER 1x a day
25 mg HydroDiuril fluid pill 1x a day every 2 days.
Neurontin 900mg a day (for Neuropathic pain IC/CPPS)
800 mg of Magnesium daily . Different types
81 mg aspirin 1X a day. Heart Doctor order due to stent installed in Jan. 2012.
2.5 mg Eliquis 2X a day

Miralax 1x a day for constipation issues. I have tried so many different methods for Constipation since 2008. Fiber is in my diet but to much Fiber really Constipates me.




25 mg/hcr Fentanyl.patch changed every 2 days

1st ablation done Feb. 27, 2014 for Long term persistent AFIB Dr. Natale
2nd Ablation done June 16,2016 Dr. Natale LAA isolated

Toberhd:

I have been told by an Ablationist, and have also read elsewhere that an AFIB Ablation stops the Ectopy from progressing into sustained AFIB, but does not stop usually the process which causes the Ectopy itself. Without AFIB, and unless your getting alot of PVC's, your condition should be benign. I would listen to what Jackie has to say about stopping this.

Thanks again for this reminder to keep up wiht the magnesium in particular. I am just about to get up and take some more. Also get a new dose of Taurine, which has already expired (although I've heard that supplements and such are still good for quite awhile past their expiration date). Nonetheless....

Yes, I do believe that whatever has made us get Afib is still there...it just can't manifest as AFib after a (successful) ablation.

What I ofen wonder is....why won't we just get more Afib in other parts of our heart that weren't ablated - especially if the root cause is still there....



barb

My "magic" supplement seems to be Potassium and if I permit my serum Potassium to drop I wind up with an episode of skipped beats according to my "event monitor" and my pulse oximeter graph. 1.5g of Potassium Gluconate in seltzer water gulped down usually eliminates the skipped beats in 20 minutes. Once my supply of Potassium Gluconate is replenished I think I will supplement regularly. The other supplements do not seem to do very much for me.

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.