Natural treatments for AF?

[fuzzflyer]

Hi all

I was just wondering if there are any good links to none drug treatment? I,m afraid I think drugs cause more harm then good in many cases STATINS!!

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Fuzzflyer,

I hear you loud and clear, personally very happy to be on statins as a preventative, I think the relatively minor side effects (which I don't get) even if I had them would be outweighed by the longer term heart prevention.

As far as I am aware there has been very little research at all into no drug treatment, it's only in the last ten years or so that we have had the real research into drug treatment, and many of the drugs we take now (with the exception of the NOACs) are really quite established, and certainly not very new.

It's an interesting topic, and I am sure will spark a lively and interesting debate, all I can say is that I am very happy to take my calcium channel blocker to reduce heart rate, and most certainly my warfarin, which for me is the most important drug I take as that is where the real risk lies.

Be interesting I am sure to see the replies.

Be well

Ian

[Hidden]

Re statins, I got terrible muscle pains and aches and had to come off them. Anyhow, I did really well without them by sticking to a diet high in oily fish, grass-fed meat etc, no supplements, just everything I ate was as natural as I could get or grow. Then after a few years of doing well (almost but not quite hitting the targets the GP wanted), I went tee-total and my cholesterol went through the roof. Can't take up drinking again because it's a trigger for me.

I read about a cardio recently (on this forum or another Health Unlocked one?) who explained why he wouldn't take statins unless he was desperate, but he wasn't talking about AF specifically. He was explaining that some of the statistics were misleading; for example he said that your chances of a heart problem were a certain percentage higher than when not taking statins, say 30% (it was something like that), but he pointed out it was 30% higher than a very low figure, so fairly meaningless. If I can find the article again, I'll post it.

I can't imagine anything natural replacing my rhythm controls pills though. Tried going without them recently and it wasn't a nice experience.

Hope you get plenty of replies, very interesting subject. Maybe you can't get a natural "cure", but natural improvement would be good. Hate pills.

Koll

[Maitha]

I'm reading daily about alternative medicine for heart rhythm control , I may try supplements but with caution since I'm on warfarin

I read about taurine , co enzyme Q10 , cactus , magnesium .......

All just patients experiences and few research

Thank god I'm not on statins yet , lol . But I should have a good diet soon

[flyfisher]

fuzzflyer , Perhaps you should look into heart healthy foods , search the net for foods to avoid for a fib.

I think a twice daily glass of beetroot juice, more fruit and veg, cutting out sugars, and processed food is a start.

Whilst I am post ablation, I still get problems with ectopic beats which seem to be brought on by food intolerance.

[jeanjeannie50]

I've read recently that an apple a day is as good as a statin pill. I don't know how true that is but I've started eating them as a preventative measure, never want to take statins. I know of someone on them who had terrible problems with muscle pain which just about crippled him.

Someone on this forum recommended taking probiotics tablets a short while ago, I think he said it had cured his AF. I started taking them about 5 weeks ago and have not had an attack of my PAF in that time. Also my IBS, which I've had most of my life, appears to have gone too. It's still early days to say I'm cured, but I will report back at a later date.

I would recommend avoiding processed foods. I used to have persistent AF, but once I stopped eating anything with artificial sweeteners and additives that went. For the last few months I have stuck roughly (very roughly that is) to the Fodmap diet, which again someone on this site recommended as having helped with AF. Several years ago I cut out all the sweets and chocolate I used to eat as it always appeared that I would scoff these one day and have an attack of PAF the next.

[Hidden in reply to jeanjeannie50]

G'day Jean,

Might have been me ranting on about probiotics and FODMAPS, so glad things are improving for you. My nutritionist put me on Probiotics (I took it in powder form with water), and at the same time suggested I went gluten free. Then came FODMAPS - like you I went with it roughly - its a hard task master - and still 'pick the eyes' out of it and now I really can't remember when I last had an AF event. Job done .... but that said, I don't trust this bloody AF beast and as I knock on the doors of 70 I am always vigilant in case it materialises again in another form - as it could do as I age further. So meanwhile I eat as healthily as I can in order to maintain a healthy gut.

Well done you.

Aussie John

[farmerwalt]

Hi fuzzflyer,

I'm fortunate not to be on anything except warfarin and a couple of vasodilators, (to improve blood flow and reduce the work load on my heart). As with Koll, any statin my GP & cardio tried had adverse reactions, so don't take them. Apparently statins inhibit the body's production of Co-enzyme Q10 which is very important for correct muscle function and hence some get the symptoms that Koll and I got.I've now been taking Ubiquinol, (Co-Q10 derivative), for the last year and that has greatly improved my ability to work around the farm and get on with a "rather slow" barn conversion I am doing. Like you I don't like taking drugs if I can avoid them. The Ubiquinol is classed at a health food supplement and not a drug.

Walter.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

I also take Co-Q 10 and am a big believer of the good it does for the heart muscle. I just posted a long post about healthy lifestyle changes making my statins and often other drugs unnecessary. It is true there can be very serious side effects from statins. I'm thrilled to be off mine with dietary and lifestyle changes. Now my numbers are lower than they ever were even on the statins and I don't have to worry of the increased risk of Type II diabetes that comes with the statin use.

[fallingtopieces]

I take several/lots of supplements and have done for the past 2 years after my scary PAF episode. I did lots of research and found the US website 'afibbers' had a great deal on the value of supplements which is definitely worth a look.

If you only take one supplement, magnesium is supposed to be the one. Taking as much as you can tolerate.

I now religiously take 100mg Ubiquinol(co q10), 900mg magnesium, potassium, taurine, a probiotic, hawthorn, D3 and a fish oil which has 850mg of omega fatty acids made up of 590mg EPA, 130mg DHA and 130mg of other omega 3 fats.

It's true to say I haven't had a further AF episode(but probably only had 3 spread over several years) but also something in those supplements has reduced my cholesterol from 4.9 where it has been for years, to 3.79, lowering my LDL and increasing my HDL.

Pat.

[fuzzflyer]

Well a great response so far!!

My story is that I took statins in the early 2000's but after reading horror stories and finding it increasingly difficult to walk down stairs unaided @55Years old!! I stopped them, I now ski again! Statins are a killer for many(not all) and if you look at the awards running to Billions from companies making Baycol etc.. patient.co.uk/health/routin...

this is very important if taking Statins : mayoclinic.org/tests-proced...

I have a friend who runs an alternative medicine company in NZ ad I'm chatting with him on possibilities, he advises keeping a good check on your Ph.

My wife is a trained chef so we have always eaten well and avoid sugar and processed food at all costs. I do like more than a glass of wine though!

I took Q 10 for around a year while in the Pacific but found it difficult to fine REAL Q10 over here in the UK? , I used to also take Magnesium but a few doctor friends seemed to poo poo taking supplements often advising just better diet and better exercise. So for now it looks like Warfarin is the only choice until I research more. looking forward to reading other peoples stories and advice, it all has to help stay away from the drugs

[littlefatartybird]

A great post and for many (I am one) the thought of being able to manage this without so many drugs is a dream come true. I will watch with interest to see what others suggest. Thanks so much for posting this.