Hello all
I am investigating views that taking a half a teaspoonful of salt inhale a pint of warm water during an attack of AF can help to reduce the heart rate. Similar with cayenne extract?
New to all this so would appreciate views, for or against. I am keen to find something other than drugs to help with reducing my heart rate during an attack.
Keep well and thank you.
Never tried it and never would, I could see the possible thing about salt - electrolyte balance - but cayenne extract? How and where did you hear/read about this?
The only other possible reasoning would be to irritate and therefore shock the vagus nerve, if it was vagal AF.
How do you "inhale a pint of warm water" ?
I think that should read" in half a pint" Koll
These sorts of ideas have some popularity amongst the anti pharma brigade but I would point out one major thing. During AF, the heart releases an enzyme which tells the body to get rid of salt. This is why we pee so much during AF events. Why would you want to try and undo what nature is trying to do for you .
If there was something other than drugs to reduce heart rate during AF attacks a couple of hundred thousand of us would be clamouring for it. Be very wary of 'remedies' such as salt - unless you have a sodium deficiency diagnosed by a physician. This story may have arisen because of the amount of salt our bodies excrete during AF episodes but where did the cayenne pepper thing come from?
We burned witches in 1600 for concocting brews like this. Modern medicine has come on in leaps and bounds since then so why on earth would you want to drink this nauseating mix?
Read Alan's link before judging
I have not tried a herbal route but always try to keep an open mind.
Reference to cayenne here:
Music to reduce anxiety and heart rate 
Heart Rate dropping during AF episode
Elevate heart rate to self revert AF 
AF and heart rate 
