How to get an EXA test?

Hi all.

I found this website a while back: [www.exatest.com]

I'd like to get an EXA test to test my electrolyte levels. Anyone had this done? Should I ask my family doc about this? Looks like you need to have a doctor order the test to interpret the results.

I take magnesium daily but would really like to assess whether its too high, too low....or potassium is off, etc.

I'm going on 3 months post ablation and get a lot of ectopics. Another issues I have that seems to tie into electrolyte levels is I get a lot of twitching in my muscles - chest, back, hand, abdominals, eyes. It might just be that for a day or two my chest is twitching......then fine for 4 or 5 days then it's my eye twitching, etc.

I've read that twitching and ectopics are both indicators of electrolyte levels being off.

Quote
HBK
Hi all.

I found this website a while back: [www.exatest.com]

I'd like to get an EXA test to test my electrolyte levels. Anyone had this done? Should I ask my family doc about this? Looks like you need to have a doctor order the test to interpret the results.

I take magnesium daily but would really like to assess whether its too high, too low....or potassium is off, etc.

I'm going on 3 months post ablation and get a lot of ectopics. Another issues I have that seems to tie into electrolyte levels is I get a lot of twitching in my muscles - chest, back, hand, abdominals, eyes. It might just be that for a day or two my chest is twitching......then fine for 4 or 5 days then it's my eye twitching, etc.

I've read that twitching and ectopics are both indicators of electrolyte levels being off.

The results of an Exatest, 15 years ago, pointed me in the direction of magnesium supplementation for afib remission. I was also experiencing eyelid twitches, which took 3 or so months of supplementation to resolve.

I had to go to an integrative doctor to get the test done, but any cooperative doc could do it. Many here over the years have had this test performed. I've also used RBC mag tests as a substitute, though not as good. I can order these myself through one of the resources I gave Madeline a few days ago <[www.afibbers.org] . Carolyn Dean MD, who does a lot of magnesium work, suggests RBC levels in the 6 to 6.5 range as optimal, as I recall. Mine are typically in the high 7's.

George

Thanks George. I'm wondering whether my regular family doc would be cooperative. I will call his office and if they don't do it then maybe check into an integrative doc.

So, you saw your twitches and afib resolve from magnesium?

The Exatest people have a list of Doctors that work with them. Otherwise you just need a Doctor to write a Rx then he faxes that into them, and they send him a Kit in the mail. Or better yet just get your Dr. to write the Script, and then fax it in to them yourself, and have them mail the Kit directly to you, but I don't know if they will do this if they are not familiar with you.

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HBK

So, you saw your twitches and afib resolve from magnesium?

Twitches took ish 3 months. Don't recall exactly as it has been a long time.

I've posted my afib story here many times II joined around July 2004). In brief, I was chronically fit and competed in endurance races (like the Pikes Peak Ascent Race - ~13.3 miles gaining 7,800' and topping out around 14,100'. It was several days after a training run on another 14er that I had my first afib episode at age 49. For around 2 months I would have 6-9 hour episodes every 10-12 days. These were classic vagal episodes - come on at 3 AM, and some would convert with exercise. Then had a 2.5 month episode. It was during this episode I got the Exatest. My potassium was around 3.1 on the day of first episode, though it recovered to >4 quickly. These were clues that electrolytes were part of my problem. EP wanted me to stay out of rhythm. I proposed converting (did it with 300 mg flec), and him giving me a script for flec for use PIP in the future. I said I'd try to keep in rhythm with electrolytes. He said that was reasonable and agreed to it. The program I created and iterated to was a) detraining from endurance training/competition while remaining very fit; b) magnesium to bowel tolerance (currently about 2 g/day, has been as high as 5g/day); c) 4g/day taurine; d) potassium citrate, which right now is 2 tsp of potassium citrate powder in a liter of water to be consumed over the day (my version of timed release); d) avoiding excess calcium from diet (no dairy or supps); e) use 300 mg flec to convert if the above doesn't work. This luckily has worked very well. I've gone as long as two years between episodes, but have also had several in a row on successive days. Currently I've had two since April of 2018. Generally, flec converts me in an hour or two. Some episodes have been as long as 4-6 hours, but those are rare.