Progression question April 02, 2024 10:28PM |
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Re: Progression question April 02, 2024 11:34PM |
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Re: Progression question April 02, 2024 11:46PM |
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Shiny Sleeves
I wondered what the experience of the people here is? Do you find this applies to you or what? I'm looking for personal experience and not what someone has told you. Is your avoiding of triggers having a good effect on you?
Re: Progression question April 02, 2024 11:51PM |
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Re: Progression question April 03, 2024 09:05AM |
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Re: Progression question April 03, 2024 09:25AM |
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Re: Progression question April 03, 2024 10:42AM |
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Re: Progression question April 03, 2024 02:06PM |
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Re: Progression question April 04, 2024 08:20AM |
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Re: Progression question April 04, 2024 12:31PM |
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Re: Progression question April 05, 2024 12:48PM |
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GeorgeN
Then very recently had an increase in episodes & burden. Realized I'd increased calcium from canned salmon. Stopped that and then got more episodes with no identified triggers (as I posted here). I assumed that it was progression. Fortunately consuming 100 mg of flecainide before bed has been effective. I then remembered a couple of weeks ago, I'd run out of a vitamin supplement & looking through my cabinets found a jar of a different brand and started taking it. Last night I looked at the label and found that the supplement contained calcium - a surprise. I'd added 300 mg/day of calcium - perhaps the culprit. I plan to wait a few days and test this theory and see if I can reduce or stop the flecainide.
Re: Progression question April 05, 2024 02:00PM |
Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 730 |
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Yuxi
Are you not concerned about your bone health without enough calcium intake? I have osteoporosis and was told to consume 1000mg calcium per day. Ugh, such a dilemma!
Re: Progression question April 05, 2024 04:14PM |
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Daisy
I am also sensitive to calcium and my doctor recommended strontium instead (not radioactive!) and it doesn’t bother me.
Re: Progression question April 05, 2024 05:59PM |
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Yuxi
Are your taking strontium alone? how much? I recently started taking AlgaeCal, which has 360mg calcium as well as magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin C, vitamin K2, and boron. I only take 1/4 of the suggested daily dose because I am also sensitive to calcium..
Re: Progression question April 05, 2024 09:34PM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 4,225 |
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Yuxi
Are you not concerned about your bone health without enough calcium intake? I have osteoporosis and was told to consume 1000mg calcium per day. Ugh, such a dilemma!
Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 04:12AM |
Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 1,087 |
Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 04:28AM |
Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 1,087 |
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mjamesone
(My Doctor) said (Afib Progresses). I asked if it's just regular aging that does it or what, and he says it's its own disease process that just keeps going on.
I don't think there's a simple answer yet to that question. It may seem that way to cardiologists and to many afib sufferers, but that could be in part because cardiologists tend to see more of the chronic (progressive) cases of afb than one offs. And forums like this are also mainly populated with chronic suffers. I never sought out an afib forum for the first 40 or so years of my afib journey because it was both non progressive and a non factor in my life.
Specifically -- First episode of afib over 40 years ago. Cardioverted . Next episode ten years later. Cardioverted. Trigger was quickly drinking a cold beverage which put me into afib within seconds. Next episode ten years later. Same trigger. Next episode ten years later. Cold serve ice cream.
Yes, my afib finally did "progress", and my triggers increased, but by that time I was older and my heart had some "aging" issues such as a slightly stiffened aorta, which several ep's pointed out may have been the cause of the progression. Also I probably could have controlled my bp better over the years. Had an ablation last year and problem hopefully solved.
My brother also had two or three afib episodes, decades apart, but his aorta didn't stiffen and no bp issues. His afib never progressed. Have a friend who only had one afib episode -- after a cold water plunge -- in his twenties. No afib in the decades since.
It's a good question, but without a simple answer.
Jim
Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 07:01AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 4,225 |
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The Anti-Fib
There are a few of us like me, GeorgeN, and Steve Carr that have been able to regress their AFIB over a fairly long period of tome (decades). Electrolyte balancing and a Ca+ reduction diet has been a part of this comprehensive effort, that so far has reduced our AFIB.
Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 10:36AM |
Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 32 |
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GeorgeN
Shortly after my first episode in 2004, I learned of the saying, "afib begets afib." Then I had an episode that lasted 2.5 months. I thought my chances of controlling afib were very low. During the episode, my EP wanted me to stay out of rhythm as my afib heart rate was < 100 BPM (as determined by a holter monitor) & said I was doing well. My path to afib was excessive endurance exercise. I proposed a plan to the EP that included modifying endurance training, electrolyte supplementation and a script for on-demand flecainide to convert episodes and minimize the duration of the episode. The EP accepted the plan.
Implementing this plan dropped my AF burden (% time in afib) from 57% in the first four months of my afib journey to 0.05% to 0.02% in most years. The only trigger I had was violating my self-imposed rules on endurance exercise (or in one case stopping the electrolyte supplements after 2 years of no afib which led to afib within 48 hours).
In 2012, I went through a divorce and my control dropped materially. Sometimes no identifiable trigger, also new triggers such as consuming cold drinks fast and the time immediately after sexual orgasm. I thought it was divorce stress, but after about a year I hypothesized that it could be increased calcium intake. When the divorce started, I started stress eating brie cheese wheels and I figured I was getting an additional 250 mg or more of calcium/day from this. I quit the cheese and my control went back to pre-divorce levels.
The low AF burden continued till I had a family member diagnosed with brain cancer about 7 years ago. I started missing electrolyte supplement doses and the AF burden increased. I had a talk with myself and told myself that I had to prioritize myself first and make sure I consumed the electrolytes. My AF burden went back to what it had been. Then, in 2021, COVID vaxxes came along and I had a materially increased AF burden associated with them. I started microdosing daily flec (25 mg/day) and that handled it. I declined any more boosters and was able to stop taking the flec about 8 months after the last booster.
Then very recently had an increase in episodes & burden. Realized I'd increased calcium from canned salmon. Stopped that and then got more episodes with no identified triggers (as I posted here). I assumed that it was progression. Fortunately consuming 100 mg of flecainide before bed has been effective. I then remembered a couple of weeks ago, I'd run out of a vitamin supplement & looking through my cabinets found a jar of a different brand and started taking it. Last night I looked at the label and found that the supplement contained calcium - a surprise. I'd added 300 mg/day of calcium - perhaps the culprit. I plan to wait a few days and test this theory and see if I can reduce or stop the flecainide.
Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 11:13AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 4,225 |
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Shiny Sleeves
I'm thinking some people can identify and eliminate all their triggers and use supplements and careful monitoring and be pretty much afib free for long stretches, like decades. I was hoping I was one of them but I'm not so sure I'm that lucky, so I've got an ablation scheduled.
Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 01:35PM |
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Re: Progression question April 06, 2024 10:39PM |
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