Update & thoughts on underlying conditions

Hello everyone,

Six years ago this week, I was diagnosed with AF. That December, had my first ablation, which stopped the AF for 3 years. Then it started up again in spring of 2017, had the 2nd ablation in Dec. 2017, and it didn't stop the episodes.

I discovered this forum last August and that's when I really started to make progress. Thank you again to everyone.

I shared a while back that I had an appt with a naturopath whose dad is Dr. Stephen Sinatra, who's written a lot on Metabolic Cardiology. The naturopath looked at underlying conditions that could be contributing to AF.

Blood tests showed the highest score he'd ever seen that indicated an active Epstein-Barr virus, which meant my immune system was under a lot of stress. I discovered that you can have quite a "viral load" without necessarily having lots of symptoms. He prescribed a protocol to move out the EBV and I was admittedly nervous about starting it, especially during my semester of college teaching and commuting.

So at the end of May I decided to give it a go. I've had a few periods of a couple of hours of feeling uncomfortable, really not too bad - but have been amazed at how much better it has made me feel! The joke was on me.

I told the doc it feels like someone sent in reinforcements! 😂

In retrospect, I can see how so many symptoms must've been related to my poor immune system being so stressed. I have more energy now, can think more clearly, in a better mood, more productive.

I've still had some episodes, but something has shifted with them. They're not as intense and seem to end faster. I've also recently added D-Ribose to my heart supplement menu and it seems to be helping, too.

Tomorrow is the appt I made months ago with a new EP to get his opinion about a 3rd ablation. Just want to see what he thinks. I wouldn't do anything anyway till EBV is cleared, but I'm curious to see what he thinks.

Last year at this time, I was reeling from the medication my dermatologist had given me that had steroids in it and really aggravated my heart.

I'm grateful to be feeling so much better one year later.

[Hidden]

All very interesting Nella but I reckon it’s that wonderful cat of yours thats really made the difference! 😹.

Your experiences sound very interesting and it will also be interesting to hear what your EP has to say so good luck tomorrow and please keep us posted.....👍

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Flapjack, Miss Nella sends you her love and thanks for your kind words. 😻 Her kitty medicine is definitely helping and she is a stickler for keeping me on schedule! She gets very annoyed if I'm on the computer too late in the evening and will whine or start chewing on the door to distract me! 😹

I wrote a separate post about the new technology I learned about in the consultation today. I like this guy and feel more hopeful and encouraged than I have in the past. I'll keep plugging away with the supplements and see what a difference they continue to make. Glad that he was supportive of all of that, too.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

All good news Nella....keep positive, only way to be!!

[secondtry]

Well done, I also felt so much better having talked to and followed the advice of a Naturopath 5 years ago, who said he treated all his AF patients with an Mg compound and CoQ10. I believe AF is caused by a basket of issues not just one e.g. stress, lacking nutrients, gluten, digestive system, alcohol plus the rest that have been mentioned here, they all can contribute to a lesser or greater extent depending on your lifestyle and body's individual ability to deal with them.

[Hidden in reply to secondtry]

Thanks, secondtry. It's nice to know that you consulted with a naturopath, too. Have you also taken D-Ribose or L-Carnitine?

I wonder how many others out there have consulted with naturopaths. It's such a wonderful combination, blending a good cardio/EP with the insights and focus of a naturopath, especially one, like mine, with a cardio in his family!

I'm eager to see how the healing progresses, as I continue to feel stronger and stronger. I really think that these explorations are fun, especially when they lead to discoveries that are helpful without leaving me with dreadful side effects.

I'm so grateful that this new EP was supportive and open-minded. He listened to me and seemed to "get" me, saying that he wouldn't fill me with medications. After feeling dismissed and sort of left hanging by other docs, this was a breath of fresh air.

[secondtry in reply to Hidden]

The L-Carnitine is in my Mg compound called Nutri Mega Muscleze, the D-Ribose I know is a favourite of Dr Sinatra (a whole chapter on it in his book) and perhaps I should have started it but not yet. Re consulting Alternative Practitioners IMO the days are gone when you just talk to a medic - Integrative medicine is the future!

[Springchestnut in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hidden, I'm wondering how you are getting on now?I was diagnosed with CFS 10 years ago and I'm looking into treating suspected ebv.

[Horse57]

Hi Nella. I’m wondering if you can Eliminate EBV totally from your body. I always understood that it lies dormant in the body sort of like herpes. That is wonderful if it can be eliminated. I know several people with EBV and I will tell them what you have reported here😊

[Hidden]

Hi Horse57, here's some of what I learned recently about EBV. 95% of adults in the US have the dormant Epstein-Barr virus. You can be exposed to it and never have any symptoms or you can be misdiagnosed as having the flu. It can be activated and left unchecked can morph into an autoimmune disease. It's been strongly correlated with multiple sclerosis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Hashimoto's, and Graves' disease.

I read this in a very interesting book: The Autoimmune Solution, by Dr. Amy Myers, MD.

After being nervous about taking the combination of tinctures I was prescribed, that information lit a fire under me to get on with it! 😂

She says that once you have EBV, it never leaves, so I asked my naturopath if our goal is to actually move it out of my system completely. He confirmed that it is possible and that labs will show this. I'm trusting his experience on this, since he has worked with other EBV patients.

I would direct your friends to naturopaths for help with this. My doc says that the conventional med approach simply isn't very effective in treating this. It might even work for your friends to contact my guy, depending on where they are and if they're interested. If you're interested, please PM me and I'll pass on the contact info.

Knowing what I know now and what I've experienced only a week or so into the protocol, I would definitely encourage anyone who has tested positive for activated EBV, even without symptoms, to take it seriously and move it out.

Hope that helps!