I recently shared info in a comment to Jean's post and she made the suggestion that I create my own post so others can find it more easily. A great idea, so here I am.
I'd like to tell you about my experience with Heart Calm, a supplement designed to help folks with arrhythmias.
My context is that I was diagnosed with AF 5 years ago, had an ablation 6 mos after diagnosis, went with no AF for 3 years. Then some stressful incidents started it all up again.
Had a second ablation in Dec 2017, which helped some, but didn't stop the episodes.
Acupuncture before and after the ablation helped me in some ways, but I can see how in other ways, it didn't. But that's another story!
In December, I found myself at a crossroads. My EP hadn't recommended a 3rd ablation since the 2nd only had a few spots that got. He said in Dec. that a 3rd would be up to me. If the episodes bugged me, go for it. If Flec PIP works, that's fine, too.
In my frustration with episodes, I was about to sign up for a January 30 ablation and just go for it, but this would have upended me financially for various reasons, I wasn't convinced it would help, and just seemed quite stressful.
So I set about researching what I could possibly do that might actually nurture my heart so as to prevent the episodes from happening, which would also lessen the frequency of taking Flecainide. I don't tolerate it well taken regularly.
I revisited afibbers.org, an American forum I'd visited, but left after not the greatest welcome. Certainly not warm and friendly like here!
But on second visit, I realized that there is quite a lot of good info to be had there. There are lots of folks (many are engineers, I believe) who have diligently researched and documented protocols they've discovered that have helped them to eliminate AF episodes.
So I dug into the research. A lot of it is way too technical, but the 12-point plan is helpful.
My take-away is the info on the role of micronutrients in nourishing the heart. Good stuff!!
I had actually discovered Heart Calm last year and tried it, but it was when I was taking Chinese herbs, too, and it seemed too much. This time, I was only taking the bare minimum of supplements and decided to experiment and track details of dosage.
In that process, I emailed customer support with questions about dosage. I ended up having an ongoing email conversation and learned that Donald is actually the founder of the company!
How's this for taking matters into one's own hands?
He experienced palpitations years ago, wasn't happy with his doc's response, did loads of research, created Heart Calm and the company that sells it. Thousands have benefitted as a result.
He pointed out that the capsules are designed to be easy to open so that you can customize dosage. This was a great tip! I've gotten to the point at which I can sense when I'm low on CoQ10, so I'll take 1/2 or 1/4 of a capsule and I feel better. Feels like a "hunger pang" in the heart, so to speak.
Heart Calm has low doses of magnesium, potassium, CoQ10, and taurine. (Note that the potassium dose is only 2% of the recommended amount; a banana has loads more than the daily dose of Heart Calm.)
The book, Metabolic Cardiology, goes into detail about the role these and other micronutrients play in cell biochemistry. They are particularly important to the heart because it uses so much energy, CoQ10 in particular. It gets depleted from AF and the medications, while stopping certain symptoms, actually mess with the normal metabolic processes in the cell. So the micronutrients are restoring what the cells need to do their job.
The book gets really technical, but at the end, Dr. Sinatra suggests protocols and doses. The doses are all way too high for me, I've learned.
The results...
At the risk of sounding like a lady on an infomercial, I've been really pleased by the results so far.
It feels like there's gas in the tank again. At the right dose, I feel calm, yet energized, but not overly so. I can think clearly again. The swings of anxiety and depression, partly out of worry about episodes, but also the physiological depletion from the episodes, have lifted.
The change has been dramatic.
I can sleep well again. I have more energy for my teaching again. My mood is better in general.
As I've experimented with dosage, I've had a few episodes mainly from taking too much too late, so ending up wide awake. Insomnia can land me in AF.
I still have to watch other physical stressors, too, like not getting too much exercise, even though I feel great.
It's so interesting to feel that my heart actually must somehow be getting stronger. I've had a few blips of episodes that convert themselves back quickly, like in 10 minutes; this was unheard of before. A couple of others have taken 2-4 hours. I've taken a dose of Heart Calm with my Flec PIP and it seems to lessen the side effects.
I take everything a day at a time with AF, but so far, so good. I've mentioned elsewhere that my system is highly sensitive; the downside is that medications tend to overpower me easily. The upside is that a little of the right supplement or medication tends to help me immediately in a great way. For others not built like this, it may take much higher doses and a longer timeframe to sense results.
My plan is to continue with this protocol for a few months and revisit the ablation question after my teaching semester ends in May.
I may add in some of the other recommended micronutrients, such as L-Carnitine and D-Ribose, but one at a time, after I feel like my Heart Calm dosage is stabilized. It's been about a month so far of experimenting and tracking.
Without digging deeply into the cell biochemistry info, it's reassuring to learn about it in general. It makes perfect sense to me how this approach can help us. I intend to get blood work done to check my levels, as suggested by Dr. Sinatra. My docs are slow to respond, but I'll get there.
Especially for folks who have trouble tolerating Flecainide, I encourage you to look into this approach and, of course, consult with your doc. Be forewarned though, that many do not know about metabolic cardiology, so may question the validity of using supplements.
I read your first post on Heart Calm and have since added Taurine 1000mg to my daily dose , generally I am taking the same in individual capsules except I take 300mg CoQ10.
Taurine does give a boost but the suggested dosage is between meals and CoQ10 and magnesium is with meals.
Makes it handy that you can strip parts out.
As I find Flecainide needs to be taken 30 minutes before my other tablets I have been taking CoQ10 and Magnesium with it for no particular reason , interesting that you found there beneficial when taken together.
The other two I take are MSM 3000mg and Chromium 200mcg
I had the same reaction with taking magnesium too late in the evening, keeps you wide awake , uncomfortably so .
Please keep posting any follow ups with further micro nutrients as I find it difficult to be subjective with my own reactions unless they are blatantly obvious.
I buy my Taurine from iHerb - NOW brand / 250 capsules / 1000 mg
One a day between Breakfast and Lunch
Magnesium Taurate 125mg twice a day
CoQ10 150mg twice a day
I have not had a single episode since being on Magnesium / CoQ10 for over three years only just started Taurine after reading up about it from Nella's earlier input approx three weeks now.
Hi sleeksheep, have you noticed improvements in terms of fewer episodes or feeling better in general since taking the micronutrients? I'm curious to hear about the experiences of others.
It's the CoQ10 that was keeping me awake, but now before bed I take Kavanace, which has Taurine in it and that seems to be calming down the energizing effect of the CoQ10. Taurine has a calming effect, while CoQ10 energizes.
I first learned about Kavanace years ago from my homeopath. She works with this company that makes supplements based on biochemistry:
I have been on Magnesium 200 - 400mg /day for three years , CoQ10 300mg/day for 18months , had only two ectopic attacks - "for want of a better word" in that time , one was from fasting for a blood test which got put back 3 hours and the other was from exhaustion when using Fluorouracil for sun spots on the face made me unable to sleep for 48 hours . Needs must but it was unpleasant !
I have had no AFIB outbreaks at all in 41 months now .
Definitely is magnesium that kiddled me up at night but I started with chelated magnesium and later switched to Taurate.
I found Valerian was a good calmer for magnesium , opened the capsules and made one of half strength seemed perfect . I dont take Magnesium with the evening meal now , last one would be 3pm.
I do a lot of walking and use magnesium oil sprayed on the legs gives immediate relief for muscle soreness - magnesium has it all as far as I am concerned.
Being diabetic 2 I notice the herbs I take for glucose management are also useful for the heart .
Hi Elaine, yes, I'm in the US. How long has it been since your AF has been resolved by magnesium, Hawthorne, and CoQ10? I'm curious to learn if many others have have had this kind of success.
Thank you very much for sharing this interesting information,much appreciated. I shall read the links with interest!
Best wishes xx
My pleasure, wilsond! I hope you find the info helpful. 😊
The book I mentioned, "Metabolic Cardiology," was written by Dr. Stephen Sinatra. His colleague, Dr. James C. Roberts, wrote the Introduction, in which he explains why most cardiologists don't know much about this approach to helping us. I have the Kindle edition, so it's easy to copy. Here's a portion of that Introduction: (by the way, these docs are in the US, so he's talking about the US health care system)
"An understanding of the basic biochemistry and physiology of energy production is important to the physician and to the consumer of health care (that’s you). It is fundamental to health and people need to hear about it, but the drug companies are not going to carry the message. Someone has to get the word out, and that’s why Dr. Sinatra and I are such advocates. Our agenda is to improve the nation’s cardiac health—why should our patients be the only ones to get better? That’s why we spend so much of our time away from home educating doctors and patients about the fundamental relationship between nutrition and health and wellness.
So why don’t classically trained cardiologists recognize this? Why don’t they flock to this message? They are obviously intelligent, well-educated people who have the best interests of their patients at heart. The answer is really quite simple: politics, money, and training. Major medical research is funded by drug companies; they also fund our meetings, and their advertising funds our professional journals. Nutritional therapies do not move the revenue needle for hospitals, doctors, research institutions, or the drug companies. And, because traditionally doctors have not been well trained in biochemistry, there is a lot of misunderstanding about the fundamental physiological relationships between basic cellular bioenergetics and cardiac function.
Because of this lack of understanding, doctors don’t want to be known as “vitamin doctors.” They don’t want their local peers to see them as kooks, and don’t want referrals from family doctors to dry up. They stay mainstream, and use the “lack of science” argument when discussing nutritional therapies. The studies are there, but doctors just don’t know about them (or don’t want to know about them). The orthodox medical community is ten years behind in this area of research, and most Americans (not you) may have to wait for their current physicians to get old, retire, and be replaced by the next generation of physicians, who are now being taught these basics to a much greater degree.
Nutritional science provides answers to many lingering questions in medicine. It’s the difference between natural science and the man-made science of drug therapy. Pharmaceuticals do play an important role in medicine, and Dr. Sinatra and I study their use, but more drugs are not the only answer. A better answer is for physicians and patients to learn more about the biology of disease and the biochemical keys to energy production. This knowledge provides the insight needed to support the heart and the recovery of our health, well beyond what drug and surgical therapies can provide. That is why I’m so passionate about metabolic cardiology, and that’s what you will learn about in this important book. —James C. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.C."
It's not an easy website to read, but here's info about Dr. Roberts:
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
AV Node Ablation update
Waking up with rapid heart rate
'Hungry heart', causing PVCs, ectopics, etc?
Heart Calm
Hawthorn supplement helped
