I have - in the words of my GP - a stinking chest infection, been coughing for over 4 weeks now and currently on my second antibiotics (those that know me will know for me to even consider an antibiotic I must be bad!).
After a whole 10 days without as much as Heart wobble - I was looking forward to summer arriving and getting out more etc when of course the AF kicked in. Episode after unrelenting episode. Night was the worst as I would wake up coughing - which would trigger the AF - which would trigger the Myasthenia and I couldn’t use the CPAP so it was touch and go a few times as to whether call paramedics. The worry for my husband then caused him to go into AF so what a pair we were at 3am!
After 3 days on penicillin (absolutely no improvement) things deteriated as vomiting and diarrhea set in and I had difficulty absorbing anything, including meds - which led to what I can only describe as a few hours of extreme symptoms - similar to a herxheimer reaction. I felt very, very ill and weak.
Thankfully I remembered that hydration was everything and kept sipping my hot water and then remembered electrolytes so out came the old faithful - chicken bone broth. After a few cups I managed a little yogurt and my Pyridostigamine so things started to improve. The following morning I spoke to my GP who changed my antibiotic and thankfully I have been improving since - still not clear - but getting there.
My observation - what I think may have happened - I believe that the penicillin killed off a massive amount gut bacteria causing the herx reaction - flooding my body with toxins - which it immediately wanted to expel. Replacing fluids and minerals from natural sources really helped as AF then resolved and as I continued the chicken broth and had little else for the next 2 days, I have gradually improved and now even a severe bout of coughing isn’t triggering AF.
It will probably take me months to get my gut right again - but I now feeling SO much better.
Note to self - Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition!
Loved the wedding, even though I’m not really a royal watcher, I loved everything Harry & Meghan did and how they did it.
Have a lovely day AFers - enjoy this lovely sunshine. I’m going to try get out into the garden today and maybe plant up a few seedlings - just for an hour.
Best wishes ☀️☀️
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CDreamer
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Oh CDreamer, I’m so sorry you’ve been so unwell, and for so long 😕 It sounds like a hideous domino effect, one thing negatively triggering another, and so on...
Well done for keeping your head when those around (well I’m pretty sure me at least) would have been losing theirs & panicking in the downward spiral. And I appreciate the shared wisdom, as I’m not sure that would have occurred to me at all. (Have made a note!)
Hope you enjoy your garden today - even if the seedlings wait for another time! - and that you keep getting better and better from here xxx
What an truly dreadful time you have had CD. Good to hear that things are improving....its a good job you know what you are doing! I would surely have ended up in A&E ! I had weeks of severe coughing over Christmas...had to sleep part of each night sitting in armchair but still did not bring on AF.
Agree with you on The Wedding....not royalist in this household ( husband refuses to watch) so took myself off to another room. Found it beautiful and uplifting.
Best wishes
Sandra
Hi CDreamer,
So sorry to read of your drama. Absolutely awful. I suppose your body will be pleased you listened to it and took the appropriate remedial action. In terms of helping your gut to heal - do you think/are you able to tolerate Probiotics, may help to restore a healthy gut.
When I started my Diet/AF relationship my nutritionist started me on VSL#3. Not saying to try it without a consultation with a health professional though. Good luck.
Royal wedding ...... wot drivel ... media in meltdown .... rubbish .... thank goodness I was working all day. Baaaah humbug 😂😂😂
Thanks - already ordered the Probiotics. I think I will need to wait until I finished the antibiotics - another 4 days.
In the meantime - Green smoothies and AloeVera.
You know John - normally is would totally agree with you but the service itself, the participants, the way Meghan and Harry were with each other - there was passion, dignity, hope and love and very little pomp. I really do think this was a tipping point in our love/hate relationship with our royal family. I don’t think it was drivel, but just my opinion, but we aren’t going to fall out about it.
☺️ No we aren't going to fall out over it, not at all. You know when I lived in Australia and voted in the Republican Referendum there years ago, I voted to retain the monarchy. However since I have been back in Britain I have seen the British media almost reduce the House of Windsor to a bit of a freak show. It is such a pity that the media seem to think it's their solemn duty to interpret and distort facts, rather than just report and inform people of the facts.
Anyway, another nice sunny day in Cornwall, BBQ this evening, plundering around in the garden during the day.
Hi CDreamer, sorry to hear you have been so unwell and well done for getting yourself back on track.
I took strong antibiotics just after Christmas for internal inflammation (haven't taken any for years). A few weeks later I had the most awful bout of flu, for two weeks I never left the house and then it took another two weeks to clear. I blamed the antibiotics for destroying good bacteria and leaving me vulnerable.
Loved the royal wedding, brought tears to my eyes at times. I actually watched it again last night with my finger going to fast forward a few times. Felt sorry for Megan's mum sat on her own.
What a horrible time you've had and just as the weather is improving. I really hope you continue to improve quickly. It sounds as if you managed it so well. Very hard to do when your heart is playing up.
Just for the record I think you're on the right track nursing the gut bacteria. My own AF went persistent for the first time after a domino effect of a bad skin infection then 3 weeks of antibiotics (taken on an empty stomach - big mistake) which caused gastritis. Then a low acid diet for the gastritis (not enough fruit). Then bingo! Persistent AF. Glad to say 3 years later, after many probiotics plus saccharomyces boulardii yeast, yogurt, loads of fruit and veg, flecainide, bisop, and 2 ablations am ok for the moment!
So pleased you are feeling better and seemm to have turned a corner. Recently went to joint seminar with Dr Sanjay Gupta and Dr Smale ( gastroenterologist ). One of the take home messages for me was the importance of healthy balanced gut flora (and yeasts). I mentioned a couple of weeks ago worth googling polyvagal theory also.
Hi Bagrat the Seminar sounds interesting I posted some new research by experts at the University of Nottingham and King's College London about the connection between gut bacteria /diet/ inflammation/health conditions including the heart the other day...
The talk on Functional Medicine last week also focussed on how gut bacteria DNA and human DNA communicated and that when the symbiosis was interrupted, our whole systems were thrown out.
That also applied to eating local as the importance of bacteria on food grown locally we could cope with but often, when we travel, we cannot cope with ‘foreign’ bacteria which will be benign and beneficial to the local population. That struck such a cord with me as I often get an upset gut when I travel.
I would have attended the conference, had I lived nearer.
I am just so pleased that this is now beginning to become mainstream.
Thanks, I will look up poly vagal.
Sounds awful, had a similar time with gastroenteritis, ended up in af for weeks,thankfully, a lot better now, so I hope you feel better soon, speedy recovery .
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the Seminar sounds interesting 
‘When or if’ to go to A&E with AF episode and other general moans! 
Question for those having had successful ablations
A very unwelcome visitor
PPI misery
Stopping AF with a cold drink
