Joe - yes - the American diet with too many carbs and processed foods....it is definitely the Metabolic Syndrome X. My functional medicine MD recently told me she saw an 11-year old girl as a new patient who was very overweight and unhappy. The testing of her insulin levels with the fasting glucose and fasting insulin and post prandial meal, showed her insulin levels very high and indicativeby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - I'm not a physician either, but my holistic physician always checks blood pressure either lying down and then standing up...or sitting and standing to see if there is a measureable difference. If there is a substantial difference, he said it indicated some adrenal insufficiency... called orthostatic hypotension.... ........drop in blood pressure that is precipitated by changes inby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
whoops - hit the wrong key... continuing - Frequently, I would take the RR when I began afib and I thought it helped to relax me and shorten the duration of the event. Metagenics has two products - one is MyoCalm p.m. relaxes muscles and calms the nerves - great for sleeping.... and the other is a product to take any time - day or at bed - called Serenagen....it is a calming and leveling prodby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - Oh, how I do relate to what you are experiencing. In my early years of afib...I was just like you... always waiting, checking and wondering. I do think the mind is a powerful influence over bringing on afib...of course other factors have to be "right" for it as well. I agree with the suggestions to take something to relax. I used Kava initially with quite a bit of success.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom - The well-known magnesium researcher, Mildred Seeling, MD, who wrote the book The Magnesium Factor, says that when one reaches bowel intolerance to magnesium, then one should back down on the dose. Apple pectin worked for me to help with the bowel problem. Comes in capsules - very inexpensive. I think I found mine at Vitamin Shoppe. You might trying stepping back the magnesium by 100 mg.by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Stevie - stay away from statin drugs if at all possible. You can go to Dr. Stephen Sinatra's web site and check out his articles on CRP and what he recommends for lowering by natural means..... antiinflammatories such as ginger, tumeric, boswellia, bromelain....and of course, aspirin...but that's another story...the risks of taking aspirin on a long-term basis. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Pam - I think when describing many of the diets that emphasize more protein and fewer carbs, the term "High Protein" is used, and should be clarified. True, the Atkins Diet is High Protein with less than 20 grams of carbs allowed initially, as I recall. I would classify this diet as "extreme" but there are other modifications of this basic premise that offer a healthieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jerry - Candida is a common pathogen that needs to be obliterated. Although there will always be some level of candida detectable, over-proliferation is not good. There is a test from Great Smokies Labs called a Comprehensive Stool Analysis that checks Candida levels (along with other undesirable things such as parasites ...and very important things such as digestibality and absorption, etc.)by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Continuing on this thread that elevated C-reactive protein levels (a measurement of inflammation) may be a contributor to afib, I corresponded with one of the authors of the 2001 report I published here earlier, Dr. Mina Chung, of the Cleveland Clinic.... The reply was this: ...."We have a paper coming out showing higher levels of CRP are associated with future development of AFib.&quby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
njb - Great News. I'm so glad to learn this. And pleased that you have posted your success story. Enjoy your new-found peace and celebrate life! I hope you will check in from time to time to inspire others with your success story. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - when I was still working, one of my patients with a heart condition from diabetes told me she was unable to raise her arms to style her hair. She related all the symptoms you describe. She had the ultrasound diagnostics for blocked carotid arteries.... yes there was blockage..... she had that surgically corrected and was able to function without the dizziness. Just one incidence, but yby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Fred - thanks for sharing your history and new plans. Dr. Natale is warming up for you with my PVI on November 12. I'll try not to wear him out Please let us know when you are back to your normal routine how everything went.... Blessings to you. Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Aspartame is the most frequently reported and has the highest number of yearly Adverse Effects reportings to the FDA than any other substance. Make no mistake, it is a bad chemical with far-reaching problems. No one with any common sense would use aspartame anymore than they would drink formeldahyde... that's what aspartame metabolizes to. This is not a fear monger talking.... the factby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Richard - Congratulations that your homocysteine is so low which goes along with the low triglyceride levels. Great. I wouldn't be overly concerned about the cholesterol numbers. Much data out there in the alternative circles indicating cholesterol is not the bad guy... the other markers are much more critical. Comparing your numbers and what my functional MD says.... The CRP shouldby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Probably - but I'm going to check on it...if I can remember to do it when the time comes to ask. I would think a large facility such as CCF would have that as an ongoing process - just to prove their success - (or not? ).... Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dr. Natale told me that many people with stenosis are not aware of it at all. He said some people with as much as 75% stenosis function very well. He said it would be shortness of breath.....ie, lack of blood getting to the lungs in the volume needed for the gas exchange...especially with exertion. The CCF checks stenosis by a spiral CAT scan. I would think that if you are functioning well afby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for your update. Sounds as if you are doing well and proceeding normally. I was told that I could resume normal activity after 48 hours... I have to clarify "normal" - I can't believe it is okay - even if I feel great - to go back to the daily exercise routine I'm on. Two weeks sounds about right to me. Too bad about the ham, but you are doing so well, that isby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
In one of my emails to Michelle, I asked about the follow-up procedure for ablation patients.... here is her answer. I'll ask when I'm there if they have a data bank on all ablation patients. . We ask that you return in 3 months for follow up. We need to get a spiral CT scan to rule out any narrowing of the pulmonary veins. If it is ok - no need for further follow up. If thereby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Joe - You wrote: " Interesting enough some classes of drugs, including Lopressor, and all Beta-adrenergic blockers may reduce signs and symptoms of acute hypoglycemia, thus hiding a very serious problem! However this will not mask the actual results of a GTT or Stick test." Beta blockers are known to reduce insulin sensitivity - (or create insulin resistance).... when a person is inby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Fran - not to worry - a dessert with aspartame won't give the results required by the test since aspartame isn't sugar..... but it could give alot of other results if anyone would take the time to look for them, Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - well that's a choice to be made by your own "educated guess". I have doctors that say it is fine to use both Vitamin E and Q10 with Coumadin. Yet, there are other sources that say it is contraindicated. I fully intend to continue with the Q10 for the tremendous benefit it provides and when I have to deal with Coumadin levels after ablation, I will simply have to increaseby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Joe - thanks for the information. Certainly, your background and expertise places you in a great position to evaluate this. Nutrition and like areas regarding electrolyte balance is probably covered in those 2-week classes in med school- It's my observation of MD's that unless they make a concerted effort to do outside resourcing regarding the nutritional needs of the body, they remaby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - and sorry to Fran - the dessert can be anything with lots of sugar - you know...junk or poison....and it's only for this one time. Just remember it isn't the standard GTT. Have you tried ginkgo biloba for memory (circulation)- also Phosphatydl Serine is showing very good results with memory... (if you are on Coumadin - don't take ginkgo) Phosphatidylserine (PS) is onby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Peggy - you probably know all this, but binge eating and all the wrong foods set you up for insulin resistance - where the sugar consumed makes the body call for more insulin, but because of the damaged insulin receptors on the lipid layer of the cells, it can't get in and just calls for more while storing as fat the excess insulin. When the body can't get the glucose it is calling foby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lorraine - If one can't have some humor, then we have to give up. A laugh a day keeps the afib away... or the cardiologist a way.... I, too, love the humor. Good job, Marshall! Jackieby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
To both Jim's.... I think that is a good observation. My opinion is the longer one can stay in NSR, the healthier and less irritated the heart cells become and therefore less likely to go into afib. The test is finding what keeps one in NSR... be it a higher dose of drugs or supportive nutrients. Each person has to find his own solution and balance. Lord knows we've all tried evby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
John - I'll join the crowd that says fewer colds - but I always attributed that to retiring and getting out of the bug-laden community. However, in my eight years with afib, I have had colds and flu and I don't ever recall having afib with either condition. Interesting observation. I've frequently commented about the power of thought. Dr. Wayne Dyer (my hero) always says,by Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
gree - there is some controversy about CoQ10 interferring with Coumadin in that it slows down clotting time. Some say it does; others say it is negligible. Most people say they feel energized when beginning Q10 because it provides the mitochondria with energy or fuel. Dosage is 200-400 mg in sick patients; 90 to 100 mg in healthy persons, according to the CoQ10 expert, Dr. Stephen Sinatraby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
This is excellent information.... did your doctor tell you this or did you find it elsewhere. I'd be very impressed with a physician who could look at an EKG and tell the patient they were magnesium deficient...or whatever mineral was abnormal. That's a tremendous step in the right direction...but I've never been told that and now I'm really curious as to your answer. Gooby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pam - I believe I was told that anything under 50 on one of these tests is indicative of hypoglycemia. However, when one does the test that just consists of chugging a bottle of 75 grams of pure glucose, the results are not necessarily accurate. Post prandial means after a meal.... not a bottle of glucose. I'm sure that when your blood glucose measured in the 40's you were exhibiby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM