Any advice

[Spxxky]

In September last year I visited a doctor about toe numbness - I mentioned at the time that I'd been getting a stab like pain in my chest, just one single jab that lasts less than a second on random occasions, could be weeks or months between. They arranged a meeting with a cardiologist (assistant). Had a monitor for a month - came back with min HR of 42, mean HR 64 and max HR 158. They class Brady as anything under 60 and Tachy anything over 100. My avg HR is 53. I exercise daily on a bike and cover about 290 km per week at a very fast pace - so they classed my avg HR as Brady and when exercising, anything over 100 was classed as Tachy - doesn't make sense to me. During the monitor month I had one broad salvo tachy episode for 1.5 seconds (7 beats), one 3.4 second pause during the night, a 3:1 block and some 2nd degree AV block.

On this basis, they've now recommended I have a pacemaker fitted and take tablets to lower my HR?

I've had ectopics since I was 20 - I'm now 67. I get them periodically and they can last for days up to a few weeks. I've learned to live with them... can't predict when they happen like many people on here. However, since they told me about the pacemaker etc., I've had a bout of ectopics but this time I feel them with either an ache/slight pain or a tingling across my upper back.

I'm reluctant to have a pacemaker and tablets.

Sorry for the long post.

[BobD Volunteer]

Since in your very detailed post you do not mention atrial fibrillation for which this forum was started perhaps the British Heart Foundation forum may help you more.

[Spxxky in reply to BobD]

Thanks

[blulla1]

Check out this dietary protocol.

carrafibdietinfo.com/

The guy who worked this out is about your age, he is also an avid runner and has been free of ectopics and AF for the last 9 years without meds, ablation or medical devices. He says he is now running like he did in his late twenties.

[Spxxky in reply to blulla1]

Thanks for that info. It's a very interesting read and I will be looking into that diet.

[blulla1 in reply to Spxxky]

I also have numbness in my toes and one most unexpected side-effect of doing his dietary protocol, is that my toes have more feeling. I would say they are 50% better so far, so the difference is definitely noticeable.If you do try it, I would be curious if it has a similar effect for you.

[Spxxky in reply to blulla1]

I'll certainly let you know... are you in the US? It's pretty difficult to get cranberries here in the UK but prunes are readily available.

[blulla1 in reply to Spxxky]

Yes, in the US. This time of year, they are also hard to get here too, particularly in the supermarkets but they are somewhat available online. Cranberry supplements are available but not sure if that would have the same effect. If I wasn't able to get cranberries, I'd probably try them.

[Spxxky in reply to blulla1]

Yeah, we can buy cranberry juice, but in reality it's mostly apple juice with a few cranberries thrown in - they can then call it cranberry juice 🤪

[blulla1]

True but they do sell 100% cranberry juice for a high price. But I was talking about something like this pipingrock.com/v2/cranberry...

[Spxxky in reply to blulla1]

OK... just looked on Amazon and they also have... not a bad price either 👍