George, it would be great to have more info on afib and PAC digestive triggers, that topic strikes home fof me. Thanks, Tom Cby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for that information, I will have to cut back on one of my favorite foods.....cheese.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sam, of course everyones metabolism is different , but let me tell you how I was able to stop supplementing with the Potassium. I used to supplement with the reccomended amount, about 3 teaspoons a day, and that worked fine for me, I did not have any special diet, I just tried to eat healthy and I purchased a Cardymeter after reading about it on this site(I think it was George N. who first talkedby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
George, I was not aware of calcium being a factor in afib.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ron, If 50mg. only at night works for you, with a proper Potassium level and a good amount of Magnesium built up in your tissues, I would think if you could slowly cut back that dose that you might be able to quit and just utilize a PIP dose if you only needed it on rare occasions. That is a tough decision though, as you started out on 300 a day, that is quite an acconplishment.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you all for your responses, it would seem the answer to my question is somewhere a little less than 50 mg. a day, and yes everyone is different. I have found that you can take a 50mg. flec tablet down with sandpaper(if you don't mind wasting some) and make fairly accurate measurements of the portion that is left with a micrometer. Of course this wn't get you an accurate mg. readiby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Joey, all you need to know about how much Potassium you need can be found in a Cardymeter, it is a scientific piece of equiptment about the size of a ciggarette pack, it is very accurate. Potassium is nothing to be taken lightly, too much can put you into afib or worse, I found this out the hard way, however, along with Magnesium, it is essential to staying in NSR, but you have to know your numbby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Does anyone know the least effective daily dose of Flecainide?by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hans, thanks for all you have done for this afib community, the info you have provided was the best medicine I could hope to have in dealing with this nasty condition. I welcome Shannon's experience and advice to carry on this great forum.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ron has made a very good point about eating the food at an all inclusive resorts, my Potassium levels were very high after a few days at a resort in Jamaica, I did go into afib for a short time, using the PIP method I was able to get back to NSR. I was able to bring the level down fairly soon by eating acidic foods. The Cardymeter was an invaluable tool to have with me, as well as the PIP meds.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hans, is Bluebonnet Chelated Mag still available? tried to order some today from I-Herb but it was out of stock.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you all for your response, Ron, acidic foods are meats, carbonated colas, cheese, particularly reduced-fat high protein cheese,wheat, some grains, just to name a few. Alkaline foods would be most of the food in the Produce dept. My source for this is the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist. These foods have a great impact on your Potassium level as well as your ph level.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
It has been some time since I have posted, three years since my ablation with Dr Schweikert at Akron General, I did have a short episode this spring while on vacation in Jamaica and the interesting thing about it was that during the episode my Potassium level was slightly over 6, the normal being 3.5 to 5. I always have my Cardymeter with me along with my usual supplements including Magnesium, 6by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
From my experience, Flec was not effective as a PIP when I had been taking it on a regular basis. However it worked like a charm when used all by itlelf as a loaded dose of 200mg. with Metaprolol first. If you could find a way to stay off Flec. and only use it when you had to you would be in a much better situation to convert quickly.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
If your resting pulse rate is over 120, you might be in aflutter. Frequent urination might also be an indicator.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ron, yes the cardymeter is a great asset, I have noticed that since eliminating wheat from my diet that my cardymeter readings are higher, salt is not as big a factor as it used to be, I don't supplement with Potassium unless I get a low reading and that is a rare occasion. It would seem for me that the acidity in wheat is worse than the acidity in salt. MSG however is a problem in restauraby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
That is great news Tom. I had Tinnitus since before my ablation after taking Flec and Metaprolol, it never went away totally. I still protect my ears from loud sounds, seems to be worse when I first awake, but it does not seem as loud for long periods 2 years post ablation. Get a Cardymeter if you have not already done so. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
If you are taking a beta blocker, which you should be if taking Flec, and you want to reduce that med as well, I was told to decrease the one med,wait a few days, then reduce the other. Never reduce both at once or afib problems might result.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I still get a few ectopics from time to time, the major thing is that I don't end up with afib or aflutter, they just go away. I take Papaya Enzyme chewable tabs to help end ectopics, I am already maximizing my Potassium and Magnesium. Get a Cardymeter to know exactly what your levels are for Potassium .by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hans, the meter I ordered from QA came with three vials: Deionizing , Standard, and Slope and a roll of the paper used for cleaning/sampling, I later ordered the replacement kit that has a few items of each. Deionizing solution can be obtained in a larger, less expensive bottle from CQ Concepts. As the Youtube video about the Cardymeter shows, you can save the paper strips by using cotton swabsby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I can't tell you why it is happening but for the stomach and chest discomfort I have always used Papaya tablets, I chew on about 3, they taste like orange baby aspirin and usually work within a short time, you can probably get them through I-Herb.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
This past Tuesday I went to my local hospital lab for routine blood tests following a phycical exam, before I went I took a reading of my Potassium level using saliva, the reading was 860, using the conversion chart it translates to a 4.4 reading. The next day I was called by the lab and they proceeded to call off the various tests, the Potassium blood test was 4.4. I had not expected the numbeby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hans, from the description of the new compact meter, you do not have to calibrate for each test, however since you are given the two calibration solutions, slope and standard, I would think you could check it if you wanted to, there looks to be some adjustment feature with the three buttons. The meter still needs cleaned with deionizing solution after each use. For $110 more than the original C-by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barry, I would think that a simple TEE test was all you needed to rule out a possible clot, then a quick Cardioversion and a few of weeks of Coumadin, some docs are remiss to use the TEE, to me they are worried about possible legal problems or they don't have or want to use the equiptment needed for the procedure. I would find a new EP. I went through all of this prior to my ablation, youby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hans, I have a Horiba Compact Ion Meter C-131, purchased from QA Supplies, price around $235. I have noticed that since I purchased mine over year ago the description now includes saliva as something that can be tested, this was not mentioned before, perhaps they now realize a sales opportunity even though they used to specify that it was not a medical device.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
If you have to deal with afib or aflutter, you need to own a Cardymeter so that you know your Potassium levels at any time. Maximizing mag levels is fairly simple : supplement until bowel intolerance, but Potassium can be tricky when you are supplementing and eating K rich foods at the same time. For me simply quitting all wheat products(highly acidic) saved me the 1600 mg.of Potassium I was taby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, don't worry I dealt with afib issues for 4 months after my ablation, nice that it went away on its own, that's your ablation kicking in.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barb, Dr. Schweikert is cheif of cardiology at Akron Genera Heart Rythm Institute, it is a closer drive if you have to go the ablation route, he worked at Cleveland clinic with Natale and they still talk on a regular basis, he did my ablation two years ago and if you search his name here you will get good opinions, he is one of the best.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Interesting that Dr. Mercola reccomends tanning beds.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM