About a year ago, few months after being diagnosed with afib and cardiac arrest, thanks to this wonderful forum, I became a gluten free vegetarian, stopped alcohol and increased my magnesium with eating more nuts and rasberries. I have been afib free since, except for when I stopped my betablocker sotalol in november. About a month ago, I stopped eating nuts and rasberry to try to heal my IBS trigerred with colon cancer 8 years ago. My heart seemed then to lesser of an issue than my frequent trip to the bathroom . I am 58 years old with a busy life. Now my IBS is under control but my heart is back to having short afib episode with HR at 180. The box that interviews my pacemaker, made the pacemaker clinic contact me. I have an appointment monday, my EP wants to put me on metoprolol on top of sotalol that I already take 80g daily.
I resumed eating walnuts, pecan nuts and rasberry. My afib episodes have stopped Any advice how to communicate with the EP.
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Sustainedvtach270
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I think I'd explain it to him just as you have here. I personally wouldn't want to take Metoprolol and Sotalol together. Tell your EP straight that you'd like to see how you get on as you are and ask if you can review with him at a later date. Be absolutely charming when you speak to him.
Forgive me. but why should the patient be 'absolutely charming'?. Obviously rudeness is not called for, but if you are paying someone for their services, they are the ones who need to be absolutely charming
People remember you more and enjoy talking to you. That's the way I managed to get my third ablation. I would ring the AF nurses and ask questions, thanking them when they gave me advice. When my EP needed a patient to try out a new piece of equipment on, the nurses suggested me.
One mother's Day I managed to book a table at a nice restaurant, where my daughter and also a friend of hers had been told they were full. She asked how I did it, again it was down to a nice friendly voice and charm. If you don't understand what I'm saying then that's fine, but what I'm telling you is fact - be charming and doors open for you.
Yes, in all normal circumstances most of us are polite and pleasant because that is the way we have been brought up, but I could not quite understand the need to be 'absolutely charming' to a doctor to whom you are paying high fees, any more than you would usually be to anyone you encounter. In fact I asked my neighbour who is a doctor, if he expected people to be especially charming to him, and he nearly fell over laughing. It's just that your comment intrigued me.
Totally agree with you being courteous makes other people feel good. I find this with a lot of people. People find it a pleasure to talk to you and they don’t forget you, x
As the saying goes, one does catch more flies with honey than vinegar 🙂If wealthy and famous, and paying out of pocket at a private clinic, with limited patients, well then, perhaps, “demanding” or “insisting” may gain better results, but for many of us in the public health domain...in the UK and the “colonies” metaphorical or literal desk thumping, rarely works with professionals.
Hi Gil. To control IBS, I only ate fish, seafood, homemade mayonaise made with avocado or olive oil with full eggs and I ate eggs with corn tortillas first. Then I added green beans and mushrooms. All those food get eliminated quickly. Now to help my heart, I added sauteed spinach, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts , rasberries, strawberries and radishes. Those nuts are low foodmap on google, which means better for IBS
I know this thread is more about managing interaction with the medical profession, but I have a question. Like you I have AFib and IBS - in fact I am sure my IBS has contributed to the AFib. I had two valve repairs, said to be successful, just over a year ago and am feeling worse, in terms of breathlessness and energy levels since then. I also have more intense sensitivities to food that I have managed over the years to adapt to as long as I kept to limited quantities, and my arthritis is worse, so I think that somehow the operation (the anaesthetic?) has triggered something or accelerated the ageing process (I am 77). I take Eliquis, Nevibolol 2.5mg and Furosemide 40mg (UK names). I know that magnesium is important. I eat plenty of spinach, which doesn't give me any problems, but nuts and raspberries - well, I have proved to myself over the years that they are not a good idea for me! Nor are mushrooms. You don't mention supplements. I have taken take a calcium and magnesium supplement for many years since surgery-induced menopause, but the balance of Ca to Mg, and the type of magnesium may not be right. Have you ever tried any?
Hello Limon. I never took any magnesium supplement, maybe I could try. IBS and heart conditions are linked, just like gut health and afib. IBS can make life hell, I have learned to google what food was better. It is a tricky balance to achieve but between frequent trips to the bathroom and heart palpitations, it is an easy choice...
Thanks. I think the problem with IBS is that we are all different and affected by different foods, even if some are more likely to be the culprits than others. Often it’s a matter of trial and error.
To reply to Jean and everyone else, on the importance of being kind... That young EP fitted my pacemaker/defibrilator 2 days after my cardiac arrest. He came to see me in ICU to explain the surgery, we always bonded so well that I almost feel like calling him by his first name. After multiple phone calls to his staff, few weeks after the surgery, when I finally was able to talk to him, he got me off blood thinner Eliquis. However to be able to talk to him on the phone, I had to make multiple phone calls and was not really nice to those nurses because nobody would return my calls. After so many friendly phone calls, I raised my voice and was connected right away to the doctor... So you are all right, in general to be nice opens more door but if the door remains closed after multiple nice attempts, negativity as a last option may work...
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