Irregular heart beat control with walking plus Magnesium

[Vishnu2020]

This is not a question but an observation. Walking 45 min/day for 5-6 days a week and Magnesium has helped me control Irregular heart beat ( IHB) for 3 weeks now. Prior to that IHB was just about every day during BP measurements and 10-20 min episodes during which I felt spaced out and exhausted. Hoping my IHB does not return.

[JaneFinn]

That’s great to hear! You must be so relieved to find something that helps. Please could you tell me what form of magnesium, and what dose you’ve been taking? Thank you very much x

[Vishnu2020 in reply to JaneFinn]

Dear Jane, I take CALM , available at Walmart. It is Magnesium Carbonate + flavoring. Very soluble in water, with slight fizz, tastes like a small soft drink. I take about 1/4 of teaspoon once a day. There are 20+ types of CALM !! Just get the "natural" lable. Try a small bottle first to see if it works for you.

[JaneFinn in reply to Vishnu2020]

Thank you!

[wilsond in reply to Vishnu2020]

Can we get this in the UK I wonder..in ASDA our version of walmart . Thank you for the info

[Vishnu2020 in reply to wilsond]

Should be able to. Magnesium carbonate is similar to sodium carbonate a common substance in baking soda or baking powder. Any pharmacy can get you Magnesium carbonate powder.

[wilsond in reply to Vishnu2020]

Thank you x

[Kingsley09 in reply to wilsond]

I order mine on line I’m in the uk I don’t think I’m allowed to say what make but it’s magnesium taurate as I was advised that it was the best one to take for heart problems and it seems to have helped me a lot

[wilsond in reply to Kingsley09]

Thank you x

[JonathanPittsCrick]

Magnesium supplements cam help suppress ectopic beats and other irregular rhythms, especially if you have become deficient in magnesium due to diuretic or PPI medication, or just an over-refined diet. Regular walking is good for your heart and general health. It is well worth trying these effective "lifestyle" interventions before going on regular anti-arrhythmic medication. But irregular heart rhythms can come and go depending on many factors, especially transient viral illnesses and stress, so don't be too disappointed if they return now and then.

[JaneFinn in reply to JonathanPittsCrick]

This is really helpful - thank you so much for taking the time to share your medical knowledge

[Vishnu2020 in reply to JonathanPittsCrick]

Thank you sir for writing , so I don't get overly excited. I had IHB episodes which drained me and I felt fearful. They may return as you pointed out.

[JonathanPittsCrick in reply to Vishnu2020]

If your heart is otherwise OK, short runs of irregular beats are not dangerous so there is no need to be fearful. Doing something active will often suppress them but otherwise it's best just to focus you attention on something else. If they persist for more than 12 hours without a break you should get an ECG to identify the arrhythmia: if it is atrial fibrillation there may be a small risk of having a stroke, which can be prevented by anticoagulation treatment.

[Collie4 in reply to JonathanPittsCrick]

Hi, i’m new here and recently had an ECG that showed an ectopic heartbeat. It scared me but reading your post has reassured me. It has only started recently and can be uncomfortable, being aware of missed beats and palpitations. I am being issued with a monitor soon to trace it for 24 hours.

I have a lot of stress in my life which i’m sure is the main factor,( i also have copd, mild). With the pandemic at the mo has added to everyones stress, it’s not nice.

Thank you for reassurance.

[Coco51 in reply to JonathanPittsCrick]

Thanks for your input. Interestingly, I am having good results with Magnesium Taurate. A wasp sting and course of Omaprezole seemed to set off my AF episodes. I was getting them daily in spite being on Flecainide and Bisoprolol, which had been keeping the lid on the AF till then. Someone on the AFA forum suggested Magnesium Taurate and my episodes are reducing in frequency.

It's good to know that you are open to the idea of this supplement. Do you have any thoughts on CoQ10 which is often mentioned in relation to heart health especially if one is on statins? Also are you aware if these supplements have any known interactions with other heart medications?

[kpvc in reply to Coco51]

If you stop omeprazole does the irregular heart beat stop

Also combining with Diltiazem is that an issue

[Coco51 in reply to kpvc]

Hi there. Well I stopped the Omeprazole and started the Mag Taurate a few weeks ago. But I can't say there's been an immediate huge difference in my episodes- I am gradually getting fewer and they are shorter. They are not every day any more. 🤞🤞🤞Hope I get back to how I was earlier in the year with 1 AF a month or even fewer.

I am wary of Omeprazole because I first got persistent AF after 6 months on Omeprazole for painful stomach inflammation (caused by daily aspirin and a heavy dose of antibiotics - Flucloxacillin for a month taken on an empty stomach😱) . The FDA warns it can deplete Magnesium. UK doctors are sceptical about this.

I think if there's an improvement with me it will be gradual.

Don't know about Diltiazem. I take Lisinopril for BP

[Vishnu2020 in reply to Coco51]

Thanks for sharing. Do you also do walking or other exercise which might help further>

[Coco51 in reply to Vishnu2020]

I do pilates and walk about 4 - 5 miles a day with the dog over a couple of hours. Not that fast though. I got into doing Joe Wickes Workout for Seniors and The BHF 10 minute workout in the summer. Not so much now. That might be a reason why AF is back. But it is pretty unpredictable. As soon as I think I have found a cause - it changes.

[ling]

Thank you very much for sharing. Feels like finally someone who understands. My mom is suffering exactly the same thing. She's drained and knocks out frequently during episodes. The onset was pretty sudden in June and caused her BP pattern to become unstable. My biggest worry is if it's AF.

Like u, we've observed that moderate walking helps and we've increased her intake of Calcium rich food owing to her being on regular omeprazole.

Based on the symptoms though, it feels like AF. Do regular irregular heart beats cause such severe draining fatigue and destabilise the BP??

[Vishnu2020 in reply to ling]

I felt drained with fatigue after my 10-20 min episodes of Irreg. Heart Beat and destablization of BP. My experiment with walk plus Magnesium ( walmart CALM) has helped, now 4 weeks , so I am have my hopes up. BP is not jumping around too much. I do take 50 mg Losartan, 20 mg Furosemide and 50 mg carvedilol every day for BP control.

[ling in reply to Vishnu2020]

Just wondering did u get tested for AF?

Any advice from your cardiologist?

[ling in reply to ling]

That should be magnesium rich food

[Coco51 in reply to ling]

My EP doctor said AF is tiring and draining because the heart is beating less efficiently and you are getting 10-20% less oxygen delivered by your blood around your body.

[ling in reply to Coco51]

Thank you for sharing the information.

Any idea if other types of irregular heart beats cause the same sort of effects?

Thank you

[Coco51 in reply to ling]

Sorry I don't know for sure. An Atrial Flutter could have the same effect possibly. So would I think AVNRT which my husband gets infrequently and makes him feel very odd. With him it lasts about 20 mins. And makes his BP drop.

But I am not medically trained. I have AF. AF is increasingly common the older you get. And all I know for sure is that a bad AF attack is very draining, makes me feel very drained and makes me pee a lot. I have to say it is much better since my 2 ablations. And Flecainide helps a lot.

[ling in reply to Coco51]

Thank you very much for sharing Coco. I am very grateful.

We still do not know what sort of irregular heart beat my mother has. Her recent pacemaker check did not record any AF, though according to her cardiologist, there is a very small chance the pacemaker might not have caught it : ( so back to looking for a device to diagnose whatever's going on.

How was your husband's AVNRT diagnosed?

Thank you

[Coco51 in reply to ling]

We used my Kardia AliveCor (£99) which is linked to an app on my phone. It takes a very simple trace from the fingertips. We printed it out and showed it to his EP.

The app itself is very basic and only programmed to show AF or Normal or Unclassified. But a cardiologist can read other rhythms from it.

The new smart watches are able to to record ECGs too. Around £200- £300.

BUT I think there are problems using these with a pacemaker.

Just another thought. Could this be your mother's pacemaker setting?

I too now have a pacemaker and when the sensor-responder was switched on I was warned it would sometimes come on too fast and make my heart race till it adjusted to my activity level . This did happen quite a lot and wasn't very pleasant. Then I asked for S-R to be adjusted down to a lower setting and to switch on more gradually. The same thing still happens only a bit less. I have got used to it now. Could this be your mother's problem? It can happen out of the blue if I am just sitting thinking!

The PM does pick up AF. And the pacemaker"racing" feeling is similar.

[ling in reply to Coco51]

Yes, we are considering the apple watch and kardia as well. Is it true that to use the kardia, there's a monthly subscription fee?

Wow, I must say the interference from the kardia to your pacemaker sounds pretty alarming, and my mom being 85, I'm wondering if it's a good idea to subject her to that? Vs getting a diagnosis. Vexing!

I don't think it's her pacemaker settings. Everything was great for 11 months after the implant and she was back to normal like before her sick sinus syndrome got worse. In June, some of the nastier symptoms suddenly returned. It doesn't seem like a pacemaker setting problem?

Her cardiologist after looking through her pacemaker stats, also declared the its settings were ok.

My mom's symptoms sound very different from yours and what others describe of AF episodes. She doesn't have these attack episodes, a racing heart beat or palpitations.

Suddenly in June, she had onset of unusual fatigue and would knock out sitting on the sofa. Certain strenuous activities, we noted, would also trigger the fatigue.

Am at a loss. Need to get the diagnosis device sorted asap

[Coco51]

Don't worry the Kardia won't affect the pacemaker at all. But I think there are questions about the accuracy of the reading.

The ECG trace looks different than it did before the pacemaker but you can still get a very good idea of the rhythm from it. Especially if you show it to the EP/Cardiologists.

I do not pay a monthly subscription.

My mother in law had episodes like you describe and I think she had a problem with a heart valve. It showed up on an echocardiogram I believe.

[ling in reply to Coco51]

Thank you so much for all the information! I was wondering about the heart valves as well. Will check that out too. Thank you so much, God bless you!

[Gladstone001]

Hi Vishnu2020,

I hope all is going OK for you. How is your regime going ? You might want to read my story as it majors on Magnesium and CoQ10:

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...............

I did start my journey with Magnesium Taurate, but Glycinate seems to do the same job, is less expensive and did not cause any stool issues.

Best regards,

Gladstone001