Very interesting, unfortunately i dont think it was recorded.
Conclusions were to try and get enough Magnesium and Potassium from food, although results for Magnesium were inconclusive, it seemed to me that Potassium was key.
I have heard bad things about potassium tablets in the past so i have been taking a teaspoon of potassium gluconate in water with my lunch and dinner (trying to mimic getting potassium from food), although each teaspoon only provides about 400mg potassium, out of a daily requirement of over 3,000mg
Does anyone else supplement potassium?
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alrk
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Pleased to hear that you found the talk interesting. I was also interested to hear about taking Magnesium as a supplement as I had been taking Magnesium Taurate for about a year before stopping about 6 months ago and not noticing any significant difference. The key issues seems to be to get blood tests to check both Potassium and Magnesium levels before considering taking supplements and whilst taking excess Magnesium was unlikely to cause a problem, the same could NOT be said about Potassium. It was suggested that tests for potassium levels were more important and that supplements are best used with medical approval, and be monitored more closely by GP’s. If deemed necessary, potassium supplements could be more beneficial for AF sufferers. Interestingly, it was also suggested that if potassium and/or magnesium levels were in range there could be a small, but important improvement in reducing the risk of stroke. Whilst most people should be able to produce sufficient magnesium and potassium with diet, there could be reasons why supplements can be beneficial.
It was a very detailed talk about a very complex subject and I’m certainly not qualified to comment on or advise on the content but you are right when you talk about the importance of diet so I have added a screen shot of the two slides which some might find helpful……
Well done on the screenshots FJ - I wasn’t quick enough off the mark😊 An excellent talk, I thought. It was particularly interesting to learn that optimising magnesium and potassium levels can play a part in reducing the risk of stroke.
My understanding of testing is that serum magnesium isnt of that much use, and red cell testing is what is needed - the diagram which showed the blood and inside the cell (i think?) showed the difference.I dont think our UK GPs can do red cell magnesium.
You’re right, alrk, GPs don’t offer to do red cell magnesium testing, although, as Flapjack says, taking too much magnesium is not normally considered dangerous, as the body excretes the excess….. rather hurriedly sometimes 😳 However, my understanding is that too much potassium can cause dangerous heart rhythms to develop. Normally, the kidneys remove the excess but if their function is compromised, or if you’re on certain drugs that cause the body to hang onto potassium then Hyperkalemia can result which can be a medical emergency. That, I believe, is why potassium supplements in tablet form are limited to a small amount of elemental potassium. My take on Dr Akhtar’s talk last night was that if you are supplementing potassium you should really have regular blood tests to keep an eye on your potassium levels., Please bear in mind I’m not medical trained though!
I've read that too, that serum testing isn't accurate, the red blood cell testing is needed. I drink low sodium V8 juice, (vegetable juice) it has 900 mg potassium in 8 oz cup
Great talk, what sticks in my mind first was the graph that showed (if I remember rightly as didn't take a screen shot) that your potassium level needs to be over 4 for AF reasons.
Yes I take potassium and magnesium. I don't eat a lot so would find it hard to get sufficient levels from food. I have been taking both for a couple of years and lately have been doing better with the time increasing between bouts of AF.
Last year I did not have my yearly blood test due to a shortage of phials in the UK. I had one in Cyprus at the end of the year and it was discovered that my potassium levels were dangerously low. I was immediately hospitalised and was told I was very close to having a heart attack. Bumetanide was to blame. I was put on spironolactone and lost nearly a stone in fluid over 4 days. I was discharged when my potassium level was normal. The Cypriot GP insisted on another test before I flew home but my UK GP is still not testing me regularly.
Sorry to hear that. It is getting increasingly difficult to get GPs to do the tests needed. You have to get tough and accompany requests with robust reasoning and even then as with the test for Magnesium (Red Cell) it may not be available. Frustrating, but if I really need one I get it done at a private lab like Biolab London ordered through an Alternative practitioner; if necessary the blood taken at my GP surgery and then posted off.
Thanks for the warning. Is the risk that BP might go too low? That doesn't seem to be happening to me, as still struggling to get BP init “normal” range
Given the interest in potassium particularly, sparked by last night’s talk, I found an article produced by the NZ medicines safety authority giving a list of drugs that increase serum potassium levels. As there are quite a few drugs listed that we take for AF, I thought it would be helpful to post here. Hope that’s ok. I don’t want to dissuade anyone from taking supplements if they wish but believe extreme care needs to be exercised with potassium if taking any of these drugs.
Mmmm so i am taking Candesartan AND Bisoprolol - both supposed to increase potassium.Will stop the potassium and see what blood test next week shows.
Many thanks for the link
I have a daily banana each morning (as a bonus this can help control acid as well). I also drink about 8oz of coconut water daily. I try to add in other various potassium sources as well, I probably never hit 3000mg. I am taking magnesium taurate, 200mg in morning, 200mg in evening. I eat small quantities of pumpkin seeds (magnesium) daily. A few various nuts, like cashews and almonds. I also have added cranberry extract (going off the "Carr diet" that it might be helpful) and about 4oz of kefir per day to get probiotics into my system. I nibble dried ginger pieces occasionally, and eat a prune after every meal to help control constipation. I have a tea called Gas Relief by Traditional medicinals - it is a simple mix of 300mg each of coriander, caraway, chamomile, lemon balm, and peppermint - drank before dinner each day - I'll soon just buy the herbs separately to make my own tea. I've switched from coffee in the morning to an herbal mix called Mate Latte - which is a mix of roasted yerba mate, rooibos and a few other things - half the acid and half the caffeine of coffee. I think less acid is key though with that. I ensure my meals are smaller, and I don't eat after 8pm. I have a fiber rich cereal as a snack each evening before 8.
After a horrible March in which I had 4 episodes in 2 weeks (more than ever before) while in-laws were visiting due to stress and poor eating, I started making very targeted changes to get more electrolytes and also to control acid, gas, and constipation, things that are very clearly the reasons I get Afib. Above are the dietary changes I've made. I've had no afib since April 9th. Added in the magnesium taurate about a month ago. The magnesium taurate seems to have removed ectopics for me. I've only had them once in the past month since starting it, on a single occasion when I took a nasal decongestant. This is all while tapering off of my beta blocker. I'm now convinced it was making me worse, because just prior to my bad March they had upped my dose due to an ER visit in January with heart rates in the 200s. I am down to half an atenolol pill every 2 days (12.5mg every 2 days, was at 25mg twice daily in March).
At some point I may remove one of these foods/supplements at a time to check for changes so I know if I need to do all of them. I am in a really great place right now though.
Don't get too hung up on the daily recommendation. I have no idea why they have it so high, I doubt even 5% of people get that much on a daily basis.
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