I know magnesium is good for the blood pressure but what role does it have in controlling Afib? I’m following up with EP doc next week after having my 1st ablation one month ago. The doc’s Fellow doesn’t think out of the box and doesn’t believe in supplements for the heart. I asked about Q10 and all the fellow knew was that it might help leg cramps from cholesterol med. I read that Q10 interferes with anticoagulants.
Any thoughts on magnesium and Q10 supplements?
My blood values show my magnesium is within normal levels.
Cisco Kid
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Ciscokid
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Hi Ciscokid. There is so much to know re magnesium and the heart. One suggestion is get in the habit of doing your own research and reading what other patients have to say. Doctors are great but many are NOTORIOUSLY antisupplement. Also look into information about which current blood tests don't give the whole story. One is magnesium. Blood magnesium almost always shows up as normal so you will be told your level is fine. But only a very low amt of magnesium shows up in routine tests. The four most important minerals for heart health are magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium. And they have to work in tandem. Unfortunately doctors don't seem to share a lot of info with us patients so you will have to do your own research. But it's worth it. Magnesium is very important for good heart rhythm.. Start your research and follow all the avenues it will lead you down. (Sorry for the terrible sentence structure. It's 3:30AM and I am awake because my restless legs woke me up. ) Good luck. Also remember it's your body and your health. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself when docs disagree or ignore your findings. Also get in the habit of bringing your info/findings to them. Many doctors appreciate patients who take responsibility for their health and when they see you're interested and sincere begin to learn from you and work with you. You and your doctors are EQUAL partners in your health care. Give your doctors a chance but if you find one who can't think outside the box rethink your professional relationship. It's your right as a patient. Enough of my dissertation. I'm a retired nurse and I feel very strongly about our rights as patients. Good luck. irina1975
• in reply to
Hi Irina
We are definitely not EQUAL partners in our health care. We can and should become as expert in our own medical problems as we can. We are often the experts in taking a holistic view of our situation, very few health professionals have the opportunity to do that. We are entitled to be heard.
But a GMC licence to practice requires regular revalidation. Dr Google is a fraud.
Doctors work within pretty strict guidelines mostly, and risk litigation if straying too far beyond them. We can't expect them to take responsibility if we are misinformed.
• in reply to
Hi Badger25, Sorry if I mislead anyone. Of course the internet is not equal to a doctor but it can be a source of information for us. As with everything we have to be discerning about information we read but it is a starting point. Not all information is accurate so we have to take it with a grain of salt. So you are correct. But I do believe we are equal in sharing the decision-making process about our care with doctors. Sorry for not explaining my views better.
• in reply to
Hi irina
Sorry if I came across as critical. We are both batting for the same team. 🙂
And I absolutely agree with you about sharing the decision making process.
Down with matriarchal/patriarchal doctors I say.
• in reply to
Hi Badger, No offense taken. If I wasn't clear it means maybe others are misled too. I wouldn't want that. We are absolutely on the same page about autocratic doctors and other health care providers. In a perfect medical world we should be able to get all necessary info from our caregivers but that rarely happens so we are forced to learn from other sources. Actually I love the posts because we as people living with a medical problem are often much more informed than people not going through pain and suffering. I remember an instructor in nursing school (about 100 years ago) saying. "Listen to the patient." Most doctors are excellent and well educated in their field but as my late brother used to say;Someone had to graduate last in their class.'A little humor but it reminds me to learn from as many sources as I can. To be fair I believe many doctors are frustrated at not having the time they need to not only care for their patients but also to educate them. Here in the US I know they are often under pressure to see too many patients. When I first started working doctors were the bosses in their offices. Now most practices have a financial dept that are constantly trying to find ways to increase their bottom line and doctors have to work in this environment. I understand why but often it's the patient who gets the short end of the stick, Whew! What a diatribe. Sorry for getting on one of my (many) soapboxes. It's 4AM here (Atlanta, Georgia) and my restless legs are making me gtumpy!.
• in reply to
Irina, you've said it all
Brilliant. 🙂
• in reply to
Hi Badger. Thank you. This is a great compliment. irina
Interesting question. Magnesium is an essential mineral required by the body for 300 functions. As to the Heart - you may find this video by Dr Sanjay Gupta helpful.
My understanding most doctors will only test serum for Magnesium levels but as the body ensures that serum Magnesium levels remain stable - at the expense of drawing Magnesium from the body. Calcium is required at the cellular level for a muscle to contract but Magnesium is required for it to relax - hence you ur doctor’s comment! But that is not all it does and many people believe we now have a Magnesium deficiency diet and therefore most of us are Magnesium deficient AT THE CELLULAR level. I found that most doctors will dismiss this and are only interested in serum levels - unless you talk to anaesthetist who say if the serum levels are low you really are in crisis and it’s too late. They can give Magnesium by IV in these cases but it will probably only last about 20 mins as the body finds Mag really hard to absorb.
Do a search on this forum Magnesium and you will find loads of threads on the subject.
As COQ10 - this is an enzyme that cells require in order to release energy - the active ingredient is Ubiquinol which you can also buy as a supplement but frankly I find COQ10 just as effective. I certainly know when I haven’t taken it for a day or 2 and this is the one supplement I was advised to take by my EP.
If you do take supplements it is useful to know a little about them and my suggestion is to avoid the High Street brands apart from Boots. Always use a producer who manufactures to Pharmaceutical standards - many don’t! Check the label for the level of active ingredient - most of the High Street Brands will advertise a 5mg tablet but read the label and the active ingredient will be 0.5mg - that’s why they are so cheap. Reputable names to look out for are Nature’s Aid, Solgar, Lambert’s usually found in good Health Stores or on the Internet.
Please be advised this I am not saying one way or another good or bad - just sharing what I have learned from experience and research.
Personally I don’t take Magnesium but ensure I have foods rich in Magnesium every day and bathe in Sea Salt at least once a week - works for me!
Hi CDreamer. Thanks for info re Dr Sanjay Gupta's video-Why magnesium is so good for you. I live in Atlanta where he practices. When Dr. Gupta talks, I listen.
Thanks BobD. His photo looked similar. What a coincidence! I will look yours up. The Atlanta Dr Gupta is actually a neurosurgeon but keeps up on so many medical topics. He is a regular medical contributor to CNN here in the US. And even when he speaks on topic other than neurology, it's clear he's done his homework so I like to hear what he has to say. Thanks again for the corrected info. irina1975
Thank you all for your responses they were very helpful and I’m starting magnesium today! I really liked Dr Guptas video, I believe I am going to be a follower. It’s interesting how little I know and how much to learn even after I have done some research.
Good advice. Even with over-the-counter meds/supplements the smart thing to do is clear them with your doctor before taking. Even seemingly harmless meds can react with prescriptions or other conditions you may have. Most drug literature doesn't cover every potential interaction so best discuss with your doctor.
Hi Ciscokid, I suggest your research looks at the balance between Mg and Ca, I have read if you have too much of one it blocks the other. I think I have substantiated that myself as I have difficulty weaning myself off a high Ca (mainly dairy) diet and consequently I have difficulty raising my Mg level from the bottom of the normal range. Good luck.
I started magnesium chelate as suggested by Dr. Gupta and the forum and I don’t know if it is psychological or the real deal but I feel that I have a little more energy but have a long way to go until I feel normal. I like dairy too, but trying to cut down due to stomach issues. I have a problem of keeping weight on which is depressing because I am a senior and that can cause other problems. I’m feeling blue like so many with Afib and am searching for a therapist in my neck of the woods, they can be very helpful. I will check out Ca and Mg relationship. Thanks,
I scanned through the replies so not sure if what I write here has been said. I was in afib for 6 weeks last year (after an ablation while we waited for the scars to form). During that time I took magnesium and didn't notice any benefit from it.
Since a cardioversion in April I have been on flecainide, a beta blocker and anti-coag - after starting this combination I started taking magnesium (daily) and co-enzyme Q10 (every second day) and these have neutralized the array of side effects of the medicines. The supplements make me feel normal (most of the time) - but don't give me any superpowers
I too was convinced to try Mg supplements based on Dr Gupta's excellent videos. I have found magnesium taurate to be very effect. As I recall, taurine, an amino acid, has beneficial action on neural tissues presumably including cardiomyocites. In my case, the magnesium supplement seems to help prevent the onset of afib and it helps to terminate afib when it occurs. I order mag taurate from Amazon.
I have been taking CoQ10 for years.
Regarding on line sources of medical information, some sources are fantastic, eg, NIH Medline, peer reviewed medical journals, and a few medical website, eg, Medscape. Other sites treat anecdotal findings as gospel. And still others are commercial.
The first day of medical school our Dean of Academic affairs told us about the "rules of the road". He said that half of what we will learn the next four years will eventually be proven wrong. He went on to say that, "unfortunately we can not know which half will turn out wrong".
His point was as doctors our job included life long learning. And yes, with the stunning explosion information in every field of endeavor, it can be hard to keep up to date.
Thanks Tojo. Dr Gupta recommended the Mg Amino acid chelate because it is the one least of causing diarrhea so I choose this one because I have GI issues. Now I have to do more research! You’re right how information keeps changing. I read somewhere that Mg and coQ10 can slightly thin blood, have you heard any contraindications when on anticoagulants?
Hi Tojo2020. I like the 'rules of the road". I heard something similar when I started nursing school in the early 60's. Many things I learned and ways of thinking have made a 360 degree turn around. I'm retired now but do my best to keep up with healthcare changes. I'm lucky to have good docs and it occurred to me after reading your post that one thing they all have in common is they share this 'rule'. Whenever I've gotten any health caregiver from the "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts" school of thinking I move on. I also remember hearing "even the best book is somewhat out of date by the time it reaches the bookstores." I think my doctors appreciate my bringing my own research to visits. None of us have enough time to keep up with everything and I appreciate my docs because they are willing to learn from me also even though they are much more educated than I am. Thanks for sharing and listening. irina1975 BTW I would love to get all my vitamins and minerals from foods but I don't think that's possible these days because of so much soil depletion so I take supplements. I think people with a-fib must be especially careful to get the right kinds of magnesium so it is absorbed properly.Thanks for sharing specifics on this subject. I take the Taurine plus I use the magnesium oil that I make myself from magnesium chloride flakes. I'm having an LAA closure with a Watchman device tomorrow morn (which I requested) and am excited re getting off coumadin soon. I had an ablation and pacemaker in 2016 and am fine. Off all cardiac meds. One of my goals is to keep meds to a minimum. It's so easy for our med list to grow longer over the years.
I asked both a graduated pharmacist and my EP whether CoQ10 could be taken with Eliquis. The pharmacist answered, after researching his "bible," that Warafin was contraindicated with CoQ10 but not the newer anti-coagulants. My EP said that Eliquis was not contraindicated with CoQ10.
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