Magensium or other supplements for PAF

[Reena09]

Evening all. I take bisoprolol and apixaban and was diagnosed with PAF in April 2017. My EP suggested that there is no proof that magnesium or any other supplements help but I’ve read and heard that many do take and in Europe are advised to do ASAP. Please can you recommend what magnesium or any other supplements you take? I’ve had a few episodes of feeling dizzy recently but otherwise a symptomatic. I am turning 72 in April. Thanks

[doodle68]

Hello Rena there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that some forms of magnesium (I take magnesium taurate) are beneficial to those with AF and ectopics and Dr Gupta (friend to AFers ) suggests it.

A deficiency of magnesium can cause arrhythmia, my research tells me that the diet I eat does not fulfil my daily requirement so I top it up.

I checked with my Doctor who said it was ok to try it.

There does not seem to be much research to prove it is beneficial , no drug company is going to invest in research it wouldn't be profitable. I don't know if it helps my P-AF or not but will continue to take it in the hope that it does.

[Reena09 in reply to doodle68]

Thank you. What brand of magnesium taurate and dosage do you take? There is so much out there and want to be taking the right stuff! Can you tell when you are in AF? I have never been able to tell and was diagnosed by chance..

[doodle68 in reply to Reena09]

Hi Reena I have Paroxysmal AF and I am very symptomatic so there is no doubt when I am In P-AF.

I usually take Biocare but but the last lot was Cardiovascular Research Magnesium because it was on offer.

The recommended daily intake is 400–420 mg per day for men and 310–320 mg per day for women so I take half that in suppliment as a top up to my diet.

You should discuss any suppliments with your Doctor before taking.

[Reena09 in reply to doodle68]

Thank you very much. I will discuss this with my EP. When you say very much symptomatic, what do you mean?

[doodle68 in reply to Reena09]

...I mean I have horrid syptoms, rapid irregular thumping in my chest , breathless so I can't speak, weakness- I feel like I am on a treadmill and although exhausted I can't get off.

I am aware that instead of oxygenated blood being pumped around my body some of it is swiching around in my heart so I am not getting the amount I require to perform efficiently hence the symptoms and feeling rubbish . I do my best to help my heart by remaining calm and relaxed and doing slow breathing excercises to maximise oxygen intake. The episodes last around 10 hours .

[Reena09 in reply to doodle68]

Thank you for your quick response. You take care of yourself and my best wishes for the future.

[doodle68 in reply to Reena09]

Thank you Reena you too...

[Lilypocket in reply to doodle68]

Hi Doodle

How often do you have these 10hr episodes of PAfib?

[doodle68 in reply to Lilypocket]

Hi Lily every few weeks.

[Lilypocket in reply to doodle68]

Hi

I get 5/6 hr episodes on average twice a month. ( I'm in Bisoprolol and Flecainide.) Before I was on Sotalol and had anything between 12 to 18 hrs episodes and horrible ectopics. So there is improvement. I also take " magné b6" magnesium citrate. The thing I dislike most about Afib is I don't anyone with it which is why this forum is so great. But I would like to actually meet someone with it over a cuppa.😊

[doodle68 in reply to Lilypocket]

Hi Lily I actually know three other people with AF (not on here) one is my brother but he has only had one episode so is a few years behind me.

I take a BB Nebivolol and have been offered Flecanide which I may resort to taking eventually.

[Lilypocket in reply to doodle68]

Are you in the UK? I'm in France

[doodle68 in reply to Lilypocket]

Uk

[Lilypocket in reply to doodle68]

Nice! 😊

[cuore in reply to Lilypocket]

You're in a great country for AF. Check out Pessac. The best EPs are there.

[Lilypocket in reply to cuore]

Hi

Yes all the techniques were pioneered here ( Bordeaux).

I'm in the Paris region but have a clinic that specialises in rhythm problems about 5 miles away. I just need a referral from my cardiologist

and the clinic won't take me unless a cardiologist refers me. He wants to try drug treatment first and when that fails ( which it is) he'll refer me. So hopefully I'll get sorted this year.🤞

[secondtry]

My Alternative Practitioner gave me this compound nutriadvanced.co.uk/megamag... to take it has Mg, Taurine & lots more that is AF helpful I believe. I have taken it for 6 years. No problems.

Two points he said take it with CoQ10 and I get Mg & CoQ10 levels checked every 6 months (simple blood sample), the Mg has to be 'a red cell' test by posting for example to BioLab London as other GP test always say OK unless you are in a really bad way.

I am afraid the medics will have no comment on most supplements as they are not trained, so you need to consult an experienced AP for guidance.

[Hidden]

Sometimes you can have too much of something and it will trigger Afib. Here is what I have found out - perhaps it is the same for you:

------------------------------------------

After 9 years of trying different foods and logging EVERYTHING I ate, I found sugar (and to a lesser degree, salt – i.e. dehydration) was triggering my Afib. Doctors don't want to hear this - there is no money in telling patients to eat less sugar. Each person has a different sugar threshold - and it changes as you get older, so you need to count every gram of sugar you eat every day (including natural sugars in fruits, etc.). My tolerance level was 190 grams of sugar per day 8 years ago, 85 grams a year and a half ago, and 60 grams today, so AFIB episodes are more frequent and last longer (this is why all doctors agree that afib gets worse as you get older). If you keep your intake of sugar below your threshold level your AFIB will not happen again (easier said than done of course). It's not the food - it's the sugar (or salt - see below) IN the food that's causing your problems. Try it and you will see - should only take you 1 or 2 months of trial-and-error to find your threshold level. And for the record - ALL sugars are treated the same (honey, refined, agave, natural sugars in fruits, etc.). I successfully triggered AFIB by eating a bunch of plums and peaches one day just to test it out. In addition, I have noticed that moderate (afternoon) exercise (7-mile bike ride or 5-mile hike in the park) often puts my Afib heart back in to normal rhythm a couple hours later. Don’t know why – perhaps you burn off the excess sugars in your blood/muscles or sweat out excess salt?? I also found that strenuous exercise does no good – perhaps you make yourself dehydrated??

I'm pretty sure that Afib is caused by a gland(s) - like the Pancreas, Thyroid (sends signals to the heart to increase speed or strength of beat), Adrenal Gland (sends signals to increase heart rate), Sympathetic Nerve (increases heart rate) or Vagus Nerve (decreases heart rate), Hypothalamus Gland or others - or an organ that, in our old age, is not working well anymore and excess sugar or dehydration is causing them to send mixed signals to the heart - for example telling the heart to beat fast and slow at the same time - which causes it to skip beats, etc. I can't prove that (and neither can my doctors), but I have a very strong suspicion that that is the root cause of our Afib problems. I am working on this with a Nutritionist and hope to get some definitive proof in a few months.

Also, in addition to sugar, if you are dehydrated - this will trigger AFIB as well. It seems (but I have no proof of this) that a little uptick of salt in your blood is being treated the same as an uptick of sugar - both cause AFIB episodes. (I’m not a doctor – it may be the sugar in your muscles/organs and not in your blood, don’t know). In any case you have to keep hydrated, and not eat too much salt. The root problem is that our bodies are not processing sugar/salt properly and no doctor knows why, but the AFIB seems to be a symptom of this and not the primary problem, but medicine is not advanced enough to know the core reason that causes AFIB at this time. You can have a healthy heart and still have Afib – something inside us is triggering it when we eat too much sugar or get (even a little) dehydrated. Find out the core reason for this and you will be a millionaire and make the cover of Time Magazine! Good luck! - Rick Hyer

PS – there is a study backing up this data you can view at:

https//cardiab.biomedcentral.com/a...

[Reena09 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this. The only problem is, I don’t know when I am in AF! So difficult to then look into what is triggering it..

[Hidden in reply to Reena09]

If you don't know if you are in Afib I wouldn't even worry about it. I can tell because I get winded going up stairs, or getting up from my chair to go into the kitchen, or by taking my pulse (usually in my neck but in my wrist also works). If you are in afib so seldom that you don't even know it you should consider yourself lucky and enjoy life - and put it behind you.

- Rick Hyer.

[Hidden]

Ablation does not always work, particularly in cases of permanent AF. It is not a cure all in many cases, and in my case where I have an enlarged right atrium it proved impossible to thread the necessary catheter into the left side of my heart in order to effect ablation. Cardioversion was tried but only stopped the PAF for 24 hours.

[bantam12]

Welcome back with your new name !

[djmnet in reply to bantam12]

Wonder how many names he'll try. What he needs to do is change his writing style and talk of the "cure" -- strange one that one.

[bantam12 in reply to djmnet]

He was back today with yet another new name !

[Dawsonmackay]

Place your two fingers on your throat near thyroid gland and feel your pulse. If it is not steady and irregular, you are in AF.

[Reena09 in reply to Dawsonmackay]

But the only way of knowing triggers is by knowing when I’m in AF... if that makes sense!

[Dawsonmackay]

Of course. Plenty of triggers.