Newby Here, just looking for support and advice!

Hi All,

I was referred to this sight through someone on another Atrial Fibrillation forum. A little background..33yr old female, diagnosed with A Fib June of this year. Went to the hospital because I woke up tachycardic..heart beat was over 160bpm..very scary moment. After I was given a Mag drip and some other cocktails through an IV, my heart beat would still not convert to sinus rhythm so I was sent to the ICU overnight and given a special drug only ICU docs could monitor. Long stort short, I was in the hospital for 5 days, am now on Cardizem 90mg/day, Metoprolol 100mg/day and was on Eliquis 10mgs/day. I say was on Eliquis because my Cardiologist just took me off of it last week because of my period lasting too long and so he has switched me to 325mg of aspirin but its unbearable for my stomach so I have stopped it. Waiting to hear back from him to see what BT he wants me to try next. I cnt be on Coumadin(which is the only BT my insurance will cover) because I am anemic ans Doc doesn't want me getting blood drawn too much. I guess my question is, what should I be taking as far as supplements? I just started taking 500/mag per day, Vitamin D3 w calcium, 81 mg of aspirin (as it doesnt bother my stomach like the 325s did until my cardiologist tells me what to try next as far as a blood thinner, and 2 iron pills, 50mgs of levoxthyroxn for hypothyroidism and B12pill. I know there are other supplements that I woyld benefit from, I just dnt know what and am at a loss for words over the Blood Thinner issue because of my menstrual cycle issue with them. Any advice would be helpful. P.S. My Heart rate spikes to 140's when I am active (climbing stairs, speed walking) but goes back into sinus rhythm 70's fairly quickly!

How and when did you convert to NSR on that 5-day Hospital stay?

I converted with a cocktail of sorts. I totally forgot the name of it as I was out of it but then I was put on cardizem. It took until the end of 2nd day for me to truly convert

I believe the main one was Amodorone?? Not sure

Jay1215 Wrote:
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> I believe the main one was Amodorone?? Not sure


Yikes! Amiodarone really isn't good in my opinion, especially given your age. So it sounds like they chemically cardioverted you rather than electrically.

The aspirin is just about useless as an anticoagulant. That thinking is really quite dated. Anti coagulation strategy is driven by your CHADS/Vasc score. Your age doesn't count against you, for sure, but sadly being female does. I'd ask about trying a lower Eliquis dose. I know certain folks here have reported taking only 5mg/day. There is also clinical evidence to suggest a "pill-in-pocket" approach to anticoagulation is effective as well. The time it takes Eliquis to "build up" and "break down" in your blood serum is actually quite short (~ 12 hours). So perhaps you could discontinue use on those days. I must admit to owning a Y chromosome, however, thus rendering both my experience and opinion with the menstrual cycle rather moot!

Are you happy with your cardiologist? Has he or she suggested a consult with an electrophysiologist?

Yes I was chemically converted. He is an electrophysiologist actually. He was also the same Cardiologist in the hospital in charge of my chart when I was admitted. I spoke to him today and he said until I see my Gynecologist next week to stay on the aspirin and then he wants to try Plavix. Ugggh its frustrating because I dnt know much about the drug except for what he says about it and the reviews online. I know he definitely doesnt want me back on the Eliquis.

As far as supplements, in general, Magnesium has helped the most Afibbers. Although for a few it made things worse.
Taurine at 1-2 grams has also helped many.

If you were Cardioverted to NSR after 2 days, then why the 3 more days in the Hospital?
Did they say why they did not want to Electrically CV you?
Not that they did it wrong, they tried the Mg Cocktail first along and then proceeded to the Amiodarone, now they know that the Mg Cocktail doesn't work, and that the Amio does work.

Just to let you know, most people are CV'd Electrically, and their in and out of the Hospital in less time, like 6-12 hours, although they have to put you under anesthesia.

They kept me because my heart rate and my bp would drop while I was asleep the first few nights. They said the first few nights so they wanted to make sure I stayed in sinus rhythm. Also they had to switch my BP meds because they were not helping to control my BP. I would live to know the symptoms others have had while taking the magnesium.

Mag doesn't have many side effects. Mainly loose bowels if you take too much. That's more of a problem with the magnesium citrate form, though. As mag supplements go, I'd rank them thusly:

Magnesium oxide (worst, not really bioavailable but probably the cheapest of all)
Magnesium citrate (OK but watch out for laxative effect)
Magnesium glycinate (Best, no bowel issues but moderately more expensive)

Taurine is really cheap. If you live near a Whole Foods then it's like $5 for a bottle.

Hello Jay and welcome. Couple of questions and comments:

What are you doing to address the anemia? The B12 is good but you also need supportive components such as zinc, the right type of iron that is bioavailable or useful.. ie,the patented version identified as Ferrochel… a chelated iron that is a neutral, fully-reacted molecule, that doesn't break down in stomach acid and is delivered intact to the intestine where it is easily absorbed and has none of the typical, unpleasant GI side effects of iron supplements. You don't get iron overload with this form because if you don't need it, it's not absorbed.

How much B12 do you take and is it is methylcobalamin form?

Magnesium supplementation is very important to help stabilize rhythm and since you mention you take supplemental calcium, I’d like to suggest you not take that as it interferes with magnesium’s function. Magnesium has relaxing properties and calcium is excitatory and stimulating. Calcium can trigger arrhythmia. What is the form of magnesium you are taking?

For the most part, afibbers find great benefit from supplementing with magnesium as the majority of people are deficient and often highly deficient. You should start with low doses spaced throughout the day and night and gradually ramp up to just below the bowel tolerance stage over time. And then, there is the importance of potassium.

Tell more about your hypothyroid diagnosis and what your tests results indicate and what the cardiologists have said about your thyroid status and relationship to arrhythmia.

I'd like to direct you to the Resource box at the top of the page at this link...[www.afibbers.org] There are many helpful reports there that detail the benefits of the various supplements for afibbers Other tips as well, found in The Strategy link there... plus many regular posts on the importance of maintaining an alkaline pH.

We can find the links for you if and when you are ready. Lots of considerations, so don't become overwhelmed.

Best to you,
Jackie

Hi Jackie,
Thanks for the reply. Just answer a few of the questions that you had. I was on a 500mg of magnesium Oxide 1 pilm /day, I have discontinued taking the as I didnt feel quite right for the 2 days I was on it and also I believe someone on here said Oxide is not ths best form to take. So I am going to pick up some later that is either Mag irotate, citrate or gluconate and start of with a low dose like 100mg/per day and work my way up weekly. Does that sound beneficial for me? Next, I do take an 2 iron supplements a day-27mg of elemental iron which I believe is 82 mg if ferrous sulfate monohydrate form, is there a better one out there to take? Also, I am currently not on any Potassium supplements, I do eat 2 bananas or zucchini every other day are both loaded with potassium. My cardiologist did say that there could be many reasons why I have an A FIB episode, could have been my hypothyroidism, anemia, sleep apnea or my hypertension. He does not know for certain which one if not all caused it to occur. What he did say is that getting my thyroid under control is crucial and also everything elss especially the sleep apnea and the anemia because both are causing my heart to pump harder because of the lack of oxygen and blood. My TSH was 4.59 back in June, I go for more blood work in about 2 weeks so I will know if it has improved with me taking SYNTHROID at first and now Levothyroxine and losing 15 pounds. Do you know anything about the blood thinner Plavix? Cardiologist wants to switch me to that after I see my Gynecologist this afternoon so get her to stop my period. Im not sure what she will give me..either BC pills which she has to be aware of the potential clash Cardizem has with most of them, or a progesterone pill. Then he can start me on Plavix.

Your story sounds similar to mine back when afib started for me around nine years ago. I had heavy bleeding during my cycle which it turns out was because of low thyroid, also had the heart racing and anemia which was caused by the blood loss. Back then the standard of care for anti coagulation was a baby aspirin and that's what I took plus fish oil and some enzymes. Floradix is an herbal liquid iron that works great and quickly too. Once you get your thyroid in order I bet the heavy bleeding won't be an issue.

There is lots of good info on this board regarding diet and supplements. With thyroid issues you should avoid wheat and gluten. These have always been afib triggers for me and many other people.

Hi Jay, thanks for including more details. Definitely, it's well known that apnea can trigger AF so that should be a top priority for managing. Also top priority is your thyroid function.

Although the TSH is commonly flagged as the sole indicator of thyroid health and function, it is only one measurement and does not give the whole picture. You need the complete panel that includes T3,and T4 Free T3 and Free T4, Reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies, since your June labs indicated your TSH should be lower. The Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), guidelines calls for doctors to "consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0." (some doctors like to see under 2.0)

However, keep in mind that the TSH is not the total picture of thyroid function… just one indicator.

Most afibbers definitely benefit from magnesium supplements and the very best form for consistent absorption and fewer side effects like the bowel issue… is the amino acid chelate version called magnesium glycinate. The label should identify it as an Albion chelate or have the TRAACS(R) designation. The oxide form is not very useful since that form hard for the body to absorb…..so the gluconate and taurate forms are also good... and keep in mind that the citrate form has a tendency to cause bowel tolerance issues more rapidly than other forms, although some people do tolerate that even in higher doses as well. You'll just have to experiment, but as I commented previously, start with low doses and work up to higher doses so your body has a chance to get used to it. Many afibbers who are quite deficient find they need at least 600 mg a day if not more.

Potassium can definitely make a difference for afibbers and unless you are consuming a lot of potassium-containing foods every day, you'll probably need to supplement that as well. The RDA which is a minimum amount is set at 4700 mg daily.... and often needs are more than that. You can read more in CR 72 [www.afibbers.org] and many other potassium posts including those in the Resources section. And some here at this search [www.afibbers.org] Watching your sodium intake from commercially prepared foods is also important as sodium competes with potassium. While the body needs some sodium, the required amount is very small by comparison to most dietary intakes.

I’ll stop there because by now you are likely to be on information overload. Glad to help direct you to more info when you are ready. We have yet to discuss the importance of iodine and also that many people need to avoid gluten.

Jackie

Hi Jackie,
Thanks so much for all of your feedback and help regarding the supplements. So I went out and got the Mag glycinate and since they come in 400g for 2 pills I bought a pill cutter as I want to take small doses at first to build my body up to a full 400g. Also, I still have yet to buy any taurine but will next week. I want to add a different supplement every 2 weeks to see how they effect my system. Also I have been researching the iodine and have bought the drops version of iodine w kelp in it which is said to help aid in my thyroid functions. I also started taking vitamin C and a vitamin B supplement as well. I go for blood work for my thyroid next week, I am going to make sure that my Endocrinologist put in a work up...a complete work up which includes T3,and T4 Free T3 and Free T4, Reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies. Hmmm what else? Also had my PCP put in a work up to see what vitamins I am deficient in.

Jay - Good to be adding those in separately so you know if any seems to cause a problem. Typically, they don't but one never knows. Go slowly with the magnesium... and when you are ready to order more, let me know so I can help you find one that isn't a solid tablet. The capsules are much easier to use.

I'll be interested in your test results, so let me know what you learn. You can post or send me a PM...

I wish you well with your 'process.'

Be well,
Jackie