Frequent PVCs and supplements?

Hello Afibbers

I am new to the Forum, this is my second post.

I had a Natale ablation 4/26/24 for an atrial flutter that started March 16. According to a Zio patch it was 100% flutter 24/7 and was still going when they wheeled me into the cath lab on the 26th of April. Previous to that I had paroxysmal afib/flutter for 3 years and never any episode that lasted more than 7 days. For the last year I took Metoprolol - very low dose - 1/3 of a 25 mg pill per day - to keep PACs down. When the flutter started I upped Metoprolol to 1/2 pill/day. I stopped the Metoprolol the day before the ablation because the Zio patch had shown some 5 to 6 second pauses. PVCs up to 500 an hour came along with the flutter. When in NSR PVCs were rare and pauses nonexistent.

The flutter was ablated 4/26 but came back 3 days later - before I left the hospital. Tried Multaq but the PVCs got more frequent and were getting up to 700/ hr. Bigeminy and Trigeminy.
Had a cardioversion May 10 - which put me in NSR for 4 days. No problems. Then back into atrial tachycardia. Tried Diltiazem. 30mg three times a day. After 4 days started getting 2 second pauses and a heart rate of 40 in early morning hours. Tried going to Diltiazem twice a day. Went into NSR for 24 hours. Then tachycardia kicked back in . Increased Diltiazem to 30 mg 4 times a day. PVCs got up to over 800/hr and pauses/ bradycardia returned.

I am getting a watchman and touch up in August and hopefully back in NSR but I have to cope with PVCs from the flutter and drugs until then. Unless maybe another cardioversion.

I’ve tried most of the supplements for heart rythym and one point or another over the past 3 years. I did notice potassium seemed to help but ate bananas and drank Dasani water (they put potassium chloride in it) rather than take supplements.

Now I’m thinking to revisit the supplements to see if something can help me cope til August.
What helps with the PVCs?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sadly I am convinced that for extreme cases like yours and mine (persistent PACs 7 months after Natale ablation), no supplement can offer any real help. I tried all of them, but nothing works as efficiently and fast as Metoprolol and Flecanide. Unfortunately.

Also, if you look into the research of supplements and heart rhythm, there's practically nothing concrete on it... it's all anecdotal stories and a bunch of limited studies of literally a few people who supposedly found some benefit. But no large scale studies whatsoever.

Think about it...if it were as easy as taking some Taurine, Potassium and magnesium this website wouldn't exist, we wouldn't be having this conversation and Natale would probably be a dentist or something.

There are no guarantees that it will help, but a lot of people do claim it does. I know it helps me, but as with the medications, it is not 100%. I add this:

600-1200 mg of potassium
250 mg magnesium glycinate
500-1000 mg of L-Arginine
1000 mg of Taurine (be careful with Taurine it has an interaction with Diltiazem)(It is recommended dosage of 2-4g for best results)
[www.drugs.com]

There are others here much more knowledgeable than me on the subject that I am sure will post soon. Always double check anything you are going to take with your doctor or pharmacist, or both.

I assume it was atypical, left atrial flutter rather than the easier to work with right atrial flutter? Did Natale isolate your left atrial appendage? I'd guess he did if you are getting a Watchman, and when you go in for your Watchman and touchup you can be sure he will look for the sources of the PVCs (it is PVCs rather than PACs?). It sounds like the flutter has also returned? Sorry you are going through this, but there is a good chance that he will get this on the second try.

Good luck with this.

Quote
kliving
1000 mg of Taurine (be careful with Taurine it has an interaction with Diltiazem) (It is recommended dosage of 2-4g for best results)
[www.drugs.com]

I took 1g taurine two days ago before bedtime. Had a very deep 7.5-hour sleep which was a nice surprise to me (my average is 6.5 hours). The problem was I was sleepy the next day and had not much energy. I will keep taking it though when I need a good night rest

I had noticed that myself, which is why I started looking at interactions. I had stopped after that and was going to discuss it with my EP before continuing it.

Yes exactly what eliminated my PVC's of 4 months.
Just had a followup TEE to confirm the Watch Flex implant April 11 Natale is leak and thrombus free.
Waiting for Natale to confirm the TEE findings with images sent to him.

McHale