2 years

[msc667]

Very happy to hit 2 year mark from last AFIB incident. I was 48 when I had my first episode which terrified me, and the second episode was 9 months later. Both resolved on their own. I started working on lifestyle changes from the first incident. I focused on dropping milk from my diet and keeping heart rate below 140BPM when working out. Lots of articles on calcium impacting heart electrical conduction. I noticed when I started adding yogurt back in my diet 3 months ago that PVCs increased. No more yogurt and things calmed down. Everybody is different, but that path has worked for me so far. Good luck to everyone and wishing sinus rhythm for all.

[Peony4575]

Where do you get your calcium from for your bones ? Just wondering

[secondtry]

Thanks for posting and keep up the good work, never get complacent. I think that's a first mention here that calcium can interfere with electrics and cause AF. My ears perked up as I have been on a high calcium diet for ages 🤔.

[55zuzanka61]

The studies about calcium and conductivity talk about the intracellular calcium,not the calcium in serum-regular flowing blood.The intracellular calcium is extremely tightly regulated by two hormones,parathormone and calcitonin as well as vitamin D.Dietary intake of calcium does not influence these intracellular levels of calcium,and problem ensues mostly due to severe deficiency or overuse of vitamin D and due to diseases that affect production of above mentioned hormones.

In my opinion something else is triggering your attacks,since milk and yogurt are definitely not.😊

Jerryczech

[ozspike in reply to 55zuzanka61]

I changed my diet 2 months ago because of stomach problems and started a low carb diet, I was using cheddar cheese to keep my calories up(about 150g/day) and my ectopic beats went from seldom to many every day and had 2 afib attacks in 3 weeks after after having only 3 in 3 years, I then read Steven Carr's posts about calcium intake a week ago and cut out the cheese, so far the last week has been the first time in 2 months my heart has been quiet. I am not saying afib is all down to calcium intake but it defiantly is a factor for me and a few others with afib.

[Ala2145 in reply to ozspike]

Among other things, I’ve been doing some of Carr’s suggestions for the past 20 months, and I’m 20 months from my last Afib episode. No yogurt, no milk, limited cheese. Also, I stopped with a multivitamin because of the calcium and just supplement with the important stuff. Not positive which change helped the most, and I realize there’s no peer reviewed gold standard research on it, but with nothing else to lose and 20 months free of Afib to gain, it was a good gamble. There’s never going to be research on little changes like this, just have to try it and see if it works for you! Glad you tried it, I hope it continues to work for you!

[ozspike in reply to Ala2145]

Great to hear some more confirmation. Not sure if it was related but I was taking about 10 antacids a night (700mg calcium each) because of stomach issues for about 6 months before my first 2 afib episodes, then after stopping the antacids I was afib free for 2 years until my diet changed to low carb.

[Outsidethelines]

Congratulations. I’m so impressed that you had the wisdom to make lifestyle changes that now appear to be keeping your AF at bay. I was a similar age to you when my AF first started, but I probably didn’t address what were the big triggers for me in good time, while the AF was just an occasional occurrence that was easily and quickly dealt with. And now, 15 years later, the episodes are coming thick and fast, making me feel very ill when they do come, and ablation seems to be my only remaining option for me. It terrifies me, and I’m cross with myself for not taking my AFseriously sooner. I’ve always been an ‘alternatives first’ person, and yet here I am hurtling rapidly down the slippery slope towards surgery!

[msc667 in reply to Outsidethelines]

Sorry to hear that yours is getting more aggressive. Ablation is terrifying at this point, but hopefully by the time you get scheduled you can get Pulse Field Ablation. Seems at least as effective and safety profile seems better.

[Jeep2021]

Are you on any medications?

[Outsidethelines]

Thanks msc. I’ve realised I don’t know how pulse field ablation differs from any other sort of ablation - or indeed what sort of ablation they plan to do on me (John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford). As far as I know, I’m not expecting to see a cardiologist until they operate next spring.