Heather, I ordered the Cardymeter from QA Supplies USA 800-472-7205. Do a little searching on the net and you will find their website, go to youtube for a demo of how to use it, I use a saliva sample instead of blood, you will need a conversion chart as well, this is available at the Periodic Paralysis News Desk, people afflicted with that are very sensative to Potassium balance, they actually aby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I always check my pulse once a day, even though I can feel afib. This way you know about how long you have if you need to be concerned with thinning your blood.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Heather, I cut out all wheat products from my diet and was able to stop supplementing with Potassium and I am keeping my Pot. levels around 4.5. This was due to the acid in the wheat, I am sure. You might want to get a Cardymeter to test your Potassium levels at home and research which food products are acidic and try to limit them as well, be aware that when you supplement with Potassium it iby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I have no problems with Magnesium, however CoQ10 did give me ectopics.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
CoQ 10 caused ectopic problems for me, when I quit taking it the problem went away. Gary, do you check your pulse on a routine basis? I check mine every day just to make sure I am in NSR, even though I could tell if I was in afib anyway, that way you can start thinning your blood in case the afib causes a clot. Do you know your Potassium level? Mag is only half of the equation and it can takeby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pacemakers are a huge money maker for the medical industry and l poersonally know a couple freinds who were talked into them in their forties, if you explore the topic of unecessary pacemaker implants in the last decade you would have a rude awakening.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, you might try having the BP test towards the end of your visit after you get used to to being there, when you first get there your subconcious is telling you here we go again, they are going to shock the hell out of me and its going to cost me $3000.by TomC - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
The weight loss, the need for less Potassium and the ability to add more Mag in my case were the result of eliminating most, not all of the wheat in my diet, the easy ones to recognize were bread, pasta, pastry ect. I still get fibre and carbs from products made from other grains:quinoa, rice and oats. You do notice a "withdrawal" type of feeling when you first eliminate the wheat butby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
For me, Flecanaide with Metaprolol are very effective, if the supplements alone do not work. However they are strong meds and they have their side effects as well, and after time the Flec dose will need to be increased. I personally did not care to be on meds forever so I had an ablation and supplement now to make it last. I do keep the two meds on hand if I would need a PIP dose and so far I hby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
After hearing about a book by Dr. William Davis"Wheat Belly", I started to read it and was suprised to find out about all the problems caused by the new genetically modified wheat that we have been consuming for the last 30 or so years. I primarily was interested in losing a few pounds and I did, 6 in 3 weeks. I test my Potassium levels regularly with a Cardymeter because I want to knby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ron and Erling please research "hyperkalemia", from what I have read you can get too much potassium from fruits as well, avacados, bananas ect., perhaps problems arise when the supplements are added to the natural totals. Yes the kidneys do get rid of excess amounts of Potassium in your day to day intakes but we are talking about very high amounts of excess Potassium. I normally take aby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Since my ablation almost two years ago I have always supplemented with the TRIO of Magnesium, Potassium and Taurine, I believe these supplements will make my ablation last. I have recently battled with a chest and head cold and was using Mucinex Max with good results. Yesterday while driving after lunch I became very lightheaded and thought I might pass out, so I pulled over quickly until my heaby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I have always believed that you have to supplemrnt and watch the Sodium or your ablation would be shortlived, and if more ablated patients were told what we know here and followed through with this advice, the results would be much improved. I also believe that the inability to reduce alcohol consumption after an ablation is a major contributor to the failed ablation rate.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I woke up from my first colonoscopy to find out that I had gone into afib, I had never even heard of afib prior to that procedure. That was the beginning of my afib adventure. I realize now that my high Sodium diet and then the prep for the procedure and perhaps the anasthetic all worked together to put me in afib.by TomC - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
It can take up to 6 months for the ablation to take, mine took 5 months, and perhaps up to a year to feel "normal". Keep up the "TRIO" of supps. Magnesium, Potassium and Taurine. CoQ10 gave me ectopics, low Mag. levels due to taking some meds gave me ectopics as well. Watch your Sodium and get a Cardymeter to test Potassium levels at home.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I often wonder how many afibbers would have fewer issues and failed ablations if they would just quit drinking in excess, I limit myself to 2 beers, red wine seems to give me ectopics.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lorne, maybe it is time to cut back somewhat on the exercise, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we can push our bodies to the limit and if we can't do what we did before we are abnormal.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Maria, you might be getting too much Potassium, your P levels can vary widely with food intake, if you use a Cardymeter you can test your Potassium anytime at home. Mag. levels can be tuned to bowel intolerance but you need to be patient, it may take awhile to build up the levels in body tissue. Meds will crash your Mag levels as well.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Meds will compete with Mag., I found this out when taking a series of Prednisolone pills for a neck ache, they worked great but messed up the fine balance that I had with my normal intake of supps., I noticed ectopics and bowel intolerance changed. Back to normal now, just took a little more Mag.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
If you want your resting heart beat to go lower you can try regular cardio exercise, however if that type of temporary increase would give you afib, that approach would not work. Most atheletes have low resting heart rates.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, it is great that you self-converted, did you use a PIP? COQ10 gave me ectopics, you might quwestion that if you are using it.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Justine, you have to be careful with the Potassium, if you get a Cardymeter you will know exactly where your levels are at any given time, then take the Mag. until you reach bowel intolerance.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I was told by my EP that you should make incremental reductions in Met. and Flec. separately to avoid problems. For example reduce your Flec. one week and the next reduce the Met. and yes there are most definetely withdrawal effects from both meds. Flec is a good drug to keep you in NSR, if you fail it after supplementing and reducing Sodium as well, it might be time for an ablation.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Nancy, you are in aflutter, which sometimes follows the onset of afib, you may go back to afib again, which is what happened to me when I was in that situation, you will most likely experience frequent urination as well, a sure sign of tachardia or aflutter.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
CoQ 10 caused my ectopics, when I stopped taking it the ectopics vanished.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Considering the cost in terms of money and stress for an afibber and their family, I don,t see why anyone with issues would not invest in a Cardymeter to know exactly where their Potassium level is at any given time.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Donna, a high Sodim meal can trigger afib because it will lower your Potassium level, and certain prescription meds will do trhe same tro your Magnesium level.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
My ectopics stopped when I quit using CoQ10.by TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM
George, my apologies, I believe it was you who initially gave us the info on the Cardymeter and the conversion chart, thanks again. Ian what would make you think that saliva would be able to show a calcium content better than blood and if what you are saying holds true could Sodium be tested with a Cardymeter as well and what would you use blood or saliva? The Sodium Cardymeter would be inexpensby TomC - AFIBBERS FORUM