Calcium/Vitamin d tablets causing AF

[Mrsvemb]

Back in April, I discovered that I had a dairy intolerance. I have had a gluten intolerance for about 12 years now. More recently I have also discovered that I have a soya intolerance.

Following stopping dairy, my blood tests showed that my calcium and vitamin d were low, so my oncologist asked my GP to prescribe a supplement.

Since stopping dairy, my AF episodes stopped until 2 weeks ago when I had vegan cheesecake in a restaurant. I had a 34 hour episode of AF and it was at that point that I discovered the soya intolerance. All of my intolerances trigger AF. If I manage to avoid food that I am intolerant to, I don’t get AF.

I collected the calcium/vitd supplement yesterday and was horrified to see aspartame and sorbitol in the ingredients. I only took a half a tablet and within an hour I was in AF which lasted 17 hours until about an hour ago.

I looked at the ingredients of various chewable calcium/vitd supplements and another one contains aspartame, another contains soya. The original one prescribed contain fillers that I know that I cannot tolerate.

Why are the manufacturers putting all of this rubbish in their tablets? I have now decided to purchase my choice which is a capsule, not chewable, checked the ingredients and no nasties.

[Jpot34]

The powers that be aren't in the business of improving your health! Good luck into the future!!

[RoyMacDonald]

Calcium triggers my AF so I never eat calcium tablets. I never eat dairy products either. No cheese or milk. Our bodies have never evolved to cope with high levels of calcium. Maybe I should add I get all the calcium I need from vegetables, fish, nuts and fruit. I'm 78 and very active.

All the best.

Roy

[Teresa156]

Hi Mrsvemb,

There are a lot of fillers in some products, I agree and you have to go through them all so finely to read what they have. I take a daily separate vitamin D tablet and no calcium as vitamin D can improve calcium levels without the addition of calcium naturally, though if you are very low then still follow your GP’s guidance of course, but perhaps it is best to try and find a separate vitamin D & calcium tablet.

For my vitamin D, I use Lamberts make. They don’t appear to have the same nasties as what’s in yours. They are a clear capsule but not chewable. Do you know how low your levels of vitamin D were? I was deficient ( my GP didn’t prescribe any vitamin D for me, I had to buy my own , but they’re easily available) and correcting vitamin D levels can take a long time, depending on the amount of vitamin D you take daily. What vitamin D amount ( normally IUs) did they prescribe?

Teresa

[Mrsvemb in reply to Teresa156]

Hi Teresa,

Thanks for your reply. It is my oncologist who does all of these blood checks, not my GP!

In July 2020 my Vitamin D level was 35.12 . My oncologist wrote to my GP asking him to prescribe. I have taken Stexerol-D 1000iu ever since, which until recently have kept me well within normal limits. Calcium has always been well within normal limits until recently.

My levels were within normal range until the last blood test in July. I had stopped eating dairy in April due to becoming intolerant to it. The July blood tests showed vitamin D towards the lower end of normal and adjusted calcium 2.19. No surprises as I had stopped eating dairy.

My oncologist calls the shots, he asks GP to prescribe. I pay a fortune for private healthcare so he says the NHS can pay for something 🤣.

I have ordered some tablets from Simply Supplements which should be ok. I have had their supplements before. Obviously I have to pay for these, but prefer that to get control of what I take.

I will be taking 1000mg calcium and an additional 400iu of vitamin D. Will see what the next set of bloods show in December.

Val

[Teresa156]

Hi MrsVemb,

Sorry, you did say your Oncoligist did your blood test 😊

Vitamin D is quite ‘dear’ to my heart and I’ve looked into it a lot recently. I have been taking a medication which is well known to deplete vitamin D and it took 25 years for me to uncover it in January this year when I requested a vitamin D test ( I can’t rely on GPs to tell me, but that’s another story).

I have no idea how long I’d been deficient, as vitamin D is never usually tested, as you know. My levels were 28. I took 5000iu a day despite GP advising to take 4000 and after 3 months, it had still only risen to 83 so just in the norm. Based on the slow rise, I’ve continued to take 4000iu daily, despite him previously advising 1000iu and am about to get tested again very soon, so we shall see.

I’m glad you’ve managed to source a suitable supplement though for both the calcium and the D and good luck with your next tests.

[Mrsvemb in reply to Teresa156]

My oncologist didn’t personally do the blood tests, he initiated the tests. He does all of the routine tests that GP should be doing. Thyroid, liver and kidney function, plus various cancer markers, inflammation etc. He is very good and also includes annual cholesterol and glucose.

[ozziebob]

Hi Mrsvemb,

I hope you have seen the work of Steven Carr and his investigation into the links between Vitamin D and Calcium intake in his life. Here's the link ... carrafibdietinfo.com/

Bob

[Franny50 in reply to ozziebob]

I stumbled on Steven Carr's link and experimentally stopped all calcium supplements. It's months later now, and my atrial fibrillation has almost disappeared, after some twelve + years of struggle, awful drugs, cardioversions, an ablation, a stroke from not taking anticoagulants, etc. Hidden MSG is still a trigger, but the episodes last hours rather than days. I resumed taking anticoagulant (which I refused to keep taking before) after a stroke last year. Learned that lesson the hard way.

I am U.S. and still on dolfetilide, which I've been on for seven years, even after ablation. But it has caused zero problems. I'm going to ask EP if I can stop it if I have no afib for a year.

[ozziebob in reply to Franny50]

Glad to hear.

Since I addressed my Vitamin D deficiency, my AF events have reduced from a monthly average, to 4 months so far with no AF. I think I get enough calcium from my diet. But I'm only 2 years or so on my journey, and still naively hoping I can avoid the worst of it.

Did you recover fully from your stroke? I ask because I am not anticoagulated by choice because of a previous unexplained serious brain bleed.

[Franny50 in reply to ozziebob]

I had the stroke last February while shopping, after four days of afib that had ended just a few hours before. (This happened before I found the Carr article). Fell to the floor and an ambulance was called. Was unable to speak for several hours while I waited in the emergency dept. for a room. Then it passed. It was not a TIA; there was damage to the speech area of my brain, but I seem to be ok now.

I have a farm as well as a city house. I refused for years to take the anticoagulant Xeralto as I was afraid of a bleeding out injury from sharp tools I use. But the stroke convinced me, so I am now on Eliquis (apixaban) which I think is safer and more effective. I'm not happy about it, but see no other choice. I am 73. I have survived Stage 4 cancer twenty years ago and take many supplements, including 5000 iu of Vitamin D, and Vit. K 2. I have taken reseveratrol since the time the docs told me that various chemo agents were no longer working. I found article by David Sinclair and others that convinced me to try resveratrol. It is now 20 years later and I'm still here.

[Franny50 in reply to ozziebob]

Was your brain bleed by chance caused by an aneurysm?

I have a good friend who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke from an aneurysm, due to heredity. Three of her 6 siblings also have had brain aneurysms. Almost unbelievable.

[ozziebob in reply to Franny50]

Thanks for the info about resveratrol. I will investigate further. Do you have a link for the David Sinclair article?

I discovered I had a problem when my right hand became intermittently paralysed for 5 minutes at a time over a week. Via my GP I went to A&E where chronic bilateral subdural haematomas were discovered after a scan. Unknown cause. Treated conservatively with a course of steroids (horrible), I have completely recovered.

Obviously there were multiple leaks in vessels across my brain, but chronic means it occurred slowly over time, not a disastrously sudden burst vessel. What does it mean? Weak vessels? an aneurysm? I don't really know.

It was even suggested by one neurologist that "straining on the toilet" could have caused it. "No problem" was my reply, "I'll avoid toilets then for the rest of my life!"

PS. I was told that Apixaban has a lower brain bleed risk, which is why I was advised to take this particular DOAC above others. But, as I said, I haven't started yet.

PPS. I like the sound of your setup with a farm to retreat to. Good health to you going forward.

[Franny50 in reply to ozziebob]

foundmyfitness.com/episodes...

[Franny50 in reply to ozziebob]

sinclair.hms.harvard.edu

[ozziebob in reply to Franny50]

Thanks for the links. If you see the reply where I asked you for links, I had removed that request pretty quickly, by editing my reply, when I discovered your David Sinclair is all over the internet. Thanks anyway. I'll read the links later.

From a non-endurance cyclist due to my childhood polio. Read my Bio.

[Franny50 in reply to ozziebob]

I was an avid but intermittent 40-60 mile cyclist too, into my early 60's.

I guess many others of us afib sufferers were also. Oxidative, inflammatory stress on the old heart maybe.

[ozziebob in reply to Franny50]

"Too"? I was saying I've NEVER been an endurance cyclist because of my polio. Yes? Although I would have certainly liked to have done the occasional long trip. Both around UK and overseas. But life is what it is. I cannot complain.

[bassets]

It's always a good idea to check the 'fillers' in foods and supplements isn't it. Goodness knows what would be stuffed in things without any regulations!