Can I just ask anyone here have they tried any alternative medicine for any heart condition they might have? Did it work? Did it make you worse? Just like to share peoples thoughts on this.
Alternative medicine for AF/Ectopics - Atrial Fibrillati...
Alternative medicine for AF/Ectopics
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Padayn01
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I am very interested in this too!
BobDVolunteer
Life style is the best medicine.
Even changing your whole life style can still be very hard to work
Alternative medicine & lifestyle changes have been my primary focus for 6 years. Back then I had to consult the NHS & take the pills as it was an PAF emergency but I didn't ever expect that would be the solution.
Just in lockdown I have improved my digestion (eating slower, with mouth closed), breathing (through the nose with mouth closed) and walking (push with the toes, stopped back ache) - all have a potential impact on AF. I have consulted various Alternative Practitioners (naturopath, nutritionist, herbal apothecary) over the years with varying success, ideally I would like to find a good Integrative medical doctor. My experience is you have to be prepared to do a good bit of research (mostly learned here from some high quality contributors), spend money and be persistent despite some dead ends. Overall worthwhile though as currently have very good QOL.
And you still have PAF?
There is no cure for AF but these life style changes can very greatly reduce AF burden.
Just two very short episodes in 6 years. I have not had an ablation but I expect if this was my record after one it would be deemed a success by the EP nb I still take pills, just Flecainide 200mgs/day.
And you say it took about 6 years to get it right?
Yes, but I regard it as a continuing journey. There is more to do. It is a slow process as you don't want it to dominate your life. I like to think 2 years further down the road I can start weaning myself very slowly off Flecainide and be left with a much healthier body than I would otherwise have had if AF hadn't occurred.
Diet, sleep, the right kind of exercise and reducing stress and keeping your BMI as close to 25 as you can are the best non drug steps anybody can take.
Andy
secondtry in reply to
Totally agree Andy but would add some key supplements.
Not sure if it is "Alternative" but I have fixed my ectopics by earthing myself. It's also got my heart failure down from level four to level two and still improving , but that's just a few of the benefits I've had.
Just stand outside on the grass, sand, concrete etc, for half-an-hour before bedtime if you want to give it a try. Or, if you are experiencing ectopics etc do it straight away. Take a nice cuppa outside and a chair. As long as you are touching the earth with bare skin.
I got so many good results that I started using an Earthing mat because it can be used indoors (in bed too).
To get them at a good price I bought 100 sets of mats to split with a friend who also got good results and I have given some to family and friends.
The rest I'm selling on ebay. My seller's name on there is polara007 so if you are interested look up Eathing mats on ebay and you should see my listing.
Try the free version - it's what Nature intended.
I have a look now on your account many thanks i heard a lot about earthing
Cutting out the carbs took care of my A Fib, but I still have a prescription for Flecainide as my PIP as a back up.
I have high BP, but have been unable to tolerate any BP meds. 3 different doctors have said it is due to my MTHFR mutation that makes detoxing difficult for me.
For BP my new cardiologist recommended I drink Hibiscus tea daily (a diuretic), but no more than 3 cups, take 1500 mg of Celery seed daily and at least 300 mg of Grapeseed Extract. It seems to be working like a charm as my BP has gone from 173/85 to 122/80 in just 5 weeks. My oldest son and wife had similar success with this regime, but of course I had to hear it from a doctor instead of listening to my wife when she recommended it years ago. My 42 year old son could not tolerate BP meds either so he listened to his mother and his went from 195/100 to 120/78. He gets his checked regularly by his company doctor.
He also recommended I take 400 mg of Magnesium, Apple Cider Vinegar before meals, 1000 mg of C in divided doses, 400 IU of Vitamin E and 5000 IU of Vitamin D every day for immune health during this crisis.
For my poor circulation in my left leg he recommended I take 300 mg of Hawthorn daily and use Thayer's Witch hazel wipes on my leg twice a day. It is supposed to take 6-8 weeks before we see any impact, but already the leg is less discolored than before. My wife insisted on getting a baseline measurement of the calf and it was 20.25 inches on June 9. It is down to 19.5 inches today, so something is clearly working.
Padayn01 in reply to
Sorry can I ask what MTHFR is?
in reply to Padayn01
It refers to a genetic mutation that impairs your ability to process certain vitamins and also can impair the liver's ability to remove toxins. You have to have a genetic test to determine if you have either of the mutations, if you have one or two copies of the mutation etc.
The presence of an MTHFR mutation can also alter one’s response to medications and vaccines. Further, it can increase the risk of having an adverse reaction to receiving nitrous oxide anesthesia (a common dental anesthetic). Therefore, individuals with an MTHFR mutation should speak with their physicians/dentists prior to undergoing any procedure that would require anesthesia.
The MTHFR gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This enzyme plays a role in processing amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is important for a chemical reaction involving the vitamin folate (also called vitamin B9). Specifically, this enzyme converts a form of folate called 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to a different form of folate called 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. This is the primary form of folate found in blood, and is necessary for the multistep process that converts the amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine. The body uses methionine to make proteins and other important compounds.
The mutations can impair the function of the enzyme or completely stop it from doing its job, depending on which you have and the number of copies.
Testing for MTHFR mutations is getting more common in the US. I had it done about 12 years ago. First I had micronutrient testing done and then took targeted supplements. When certain levels were not achieved after a year, the doctor ordered genetic testing.
Padayn01 in reply to
Fantastic explanation thank you
Yes it can help but you need to find out what the best is for you. As an example if you are magnesium deficient then taking the right magnesium supplement will help, if you not magnesium deficient it won’t help to take magnesium supplements. Bottom line is that it can help but it will take Some time knowing what’s best for your condition and the results are rarely instantaneous.
Yeah I’ve been on magnesium for 9 months can’t really say it’s made a difference
in reply to Padayn01
Your dose may not be high enough or you could be taking the wrong form. Much of what is ingested is not absorbed, especially with certain forms. You need to have cellular levels tested as people often have "normal" blood levels, but not enough is actually getting into the cells that need it.
You need a good functional medicine practioner or nutritionist who can order the right tests. The run of the mill tests ordered by most GP's are not adequate, just as their run of the mill cholesterol tests are woefully inadequate.
In the US a company called Spectracell provides complete micronutritional s testing as well as particle testing for cholesterol. Their micronutrient testing was developed at the University of Texas and is widely used, even by GP's, in my area.
Padayn01 in reply to
Are you from the states? Thanks for this yeah your right about the magnesium I’m on glycinate and a lot of people said that I should go to taurate as that’s the one for the heart
in reply to Padayn01
Yes, I am from Texas.
I found that magnesium citrate works the best for me, but we are all biochemically different, so something else make work better for you. It took some trial and error to get to the best possible form and dosage for my needs.
My wife takes KAL Triple Source Magnesium that contains Mg Malate, Oxide and Citrate. It works the best for her to keep her levels up.
Padayn01 in reply to
Does she take it for heart issues I hear the brand double wood a very good brand
in reply to Padayn01
No, she does not have heart issues.
She just had very low levels, most likely as a result of having undiagnosed celiac disease for years and years and not absorbing any nutrients. The list of deficiencies after her celiac diagnosis went on for pages.
Most deficiencies improved with targeted supplementation, but she needs still larger doses of most things to stay in the normal range. . She tried several brands of magnesium and they tinkered with the dose. She takes 750 Mg of Magnesium per day just to stay in the normal range.
When her Vitamin D level and B12 levels did not improve she had genetic testing and found genetic mutations in play there. She takes massive doses of both just to get to the low end of normal.
Padayn01 in reply to
Wow, there would be no way she would get than her daily vitamin needs from just diet than? Supplements are vital to her than?
in reply to Padayn01
Supplements are esssential to her wellbeing! We spend a boatload on her supplements. We also pay the out of pocket cost to see a specific nutritionist that Medicare does not cover. He is the local expert on nutrition for those with Celiac Disease.
Padayn01 in reply to
Can I just ask have you cut out carbs completley?
in reply to Padayn01
Well as completely as I can. Maximum 20 grams of carbs per day.
Padayn01 in reply to
How does carbs play up on AFIB?
in reply to Padayn01
My wife started keeping track of whatever she saw me eat and keeping track of all my A Fib incidents after reading an article about the connection. On the nights I had a high carb meal (pasta, Mexican with lots of chips, corn tortillas and had dessert) or when I indulged in my passion for jelly beans, I invariably went into A Fib during the night (usually 2-3am). My old cardiologist surmised that I had a big increase in blood sugar from the meal/snack and then hours later the blood sugar plunged and that sent me into A Fib.
.
My wife started counting my carb grams and realized it was not uncommon for me to eat 300 grams of carbs per day. She lowered them gradually by cutting out bread, pasta, potatoes, starchy vegetables, all candy, sugar and fruit, except for berries.
My wife has watched her carbs for over 20 years after going to multiple endocrinologist appointments with her mother and engaging in discussions with the doctor. He was Johns Hopkins trained and said the American Diabetic Association diet was total BS and that any doctor promoting that many carbs to a diabetic should have his license revoked! He advised my wife to keep to no more than 15 net grams of carbs per meal if she wanted to avoid the Type II diabetes, and heart disease that comes with it, that afflicted both her parents.
For me, there were improvements in the number of A Fib incidents all along the way down as my carbs were reduced, but once I got to the 20 gram level on Keto, I stopped having attacks.
My new cardiologist says inflammation causes A Fib as well as almost all chronic disease. Sugar causes inflammation. He said I made the discovery myself that sugar causes me to go into A Fib.
In fact the new doctor reiterated what my wife taught me about the glycemic index. A baked potato has a glycemic index of 85 while table sugar is only 55. Corn Flakes has a glycemic index of 93, making it even worse. The higher the glycemic index is, the faster it turns to sugar in the body. So, some supposedly healthy foods are anything but healthy! He fully endorsed my keto diet.
Padayn01 in reply to
Wow sounds like you guys worked hard to find the right match in diet so you suffer with any ectopics at all?
in reply to Padayn01
No ectopics whatsoever. My doctor says when I am in sinus rhythm I am in as perfect a rhythm as he has ever seen!
Padayn01 in reply to
Fantastic
in reply to Padayn01
It took us many years to get to this point since I have had A Fib since 1986. We really started looking into alternative medicine in 2007 when my wife's lifetime of chronic illness was reversed with diet and supplements.
(1) Remove stress where possible.
High on priority in this stop obsessing /worrying about your heart: ectopics, missed beats, whatever ...
IMO, worry causes or makes worse a lot of issues with ARRHYTHMIA. Decide quickly whether it's important to take action or not ( my example ectopics- I have had them a hundred times and they did not kill me those one hundred times so unless they are somehow different they will not kill me this time so ignore them , don't stress and they will go away)
(2) sleep well. IMO This makes you more resilient to the effects of stress and enables you to worry less. (Unfortunately always been bad at this! Burning candle at both ends caused I think by being an owl but having jobs which really needed a lark (plus never saying no to another beer) ).
(3) not alternative but cut down on the beer. Even if alcohol is not your trigger it Improves 2 and consequently 1 .
NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED. 😁
You may want to consider nattokinase and serrapeptase. They digest fibrin and break up blood clots. This protects the arteries as well as the veins. Jude
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