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Worried daughter with father who has had afib for 5 years. Help

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virtualgirl2089
virtualgirl2089

Hi I am new to this forum and would like more information on the natural route and any success stories anyone has had. My father has delt with flutter for the past 20 years, however, for the past 5 years or so it has grown into Afib. He is only on one medication twice a day which is called Flecinide. He doesn't want to take anymore drugs because of all the side effects. However, his condition is getting worse. His heart goes into afib several times a week that sometimes can last 3 days in a row he will be out of rhythm. His doctor put him on a heart monitor for a week and he just got the results back and his doctor had a minor freak out because his heart stopped in his sleep for 5 seconds and then a tiny beat and then stopped for another 3 seconds. They are recommending another ablation, which my dad is considering. But, have any of you noticed any results with vitamins such as magnesiu, acupuncture or anything to help your afib keep away? Any information would be very helpful. - From a worried daughter

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  • sandiishealthy
    sandiishealthy virtualgirl2089

    Posted

    Hi there, I used to own a health food store and I can honestly say that I tried almost every natural option out there. None worked well enough to keep me from going off medication. I am also on flecanide 50 MG 2x/day. However I have found the food diet called FODMAP is the BEST natural way to stabilize and reduce AFIB incidents. Stomach issues and food sensitivities also play a HUGE part in the AFIB puzzle. Also food sensitivities, GERD and stress can affect the stomach acid which can affect the vagus nerve etc etc. Check all these things out and see if there are any connections for your situation. Take care
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    • John5006
      John5006 sandiishealthy

      Posted

      Hi Sandiishealthy,

      ?I so, so agree with your comments (except Flec 'cos I'm not on it). Mind you , and I've had the same success as you because my vagus nerve/food/digestive issues were the trigger for my AF. BUT, this approach is seemingly most appropriate for AF arising from vagal issues. It may not be appropriate for other cause of heart electrical malfunctions. Even so by cutting out wheat, gluten and oats and a whole range of other foods Its now been almost 2 years since I had an AF event. I don't do FODMAPS exclusively - just pick out of the diet what seems to work for me. I'm certainly eating healthier than before, for sure.

      ?However, I haven't stopped my meds.

      John

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    • sandiishealthy
      sandiishealthy John5006

      Posted

      Ya I agree John it's not for everyone. But for most it's worth the try for sure. It's definitely working for me although I still have the odd rough patch. It's been 6 months since I started the FODMAP diet and 6 months since my last cardioversion. Stress is now my biggest issue. When it gets over a certain threshold I will start to have problems cause the extra acid irritates the vagus nerve and wham I start getting bad PVCS then they progress to full blown AFIB if I don't get it under control. I can't take ant acids or PPI'S because they do weird things to my electrolight balance so the FODMAP diet is the best thing ever along with rice cakes that block the acid from rising up the esophagus lol

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  • suzanne48640
    suzanne48640 virtualgirl2089

    Posted

    My heart also stopped several times for several seconds.  I was wearing a monitor and the Doctor called me immediately, hospitalized me and implanted a pacemaker.

    Since then, I have had no pauses.  I'm surprised that you dad's doctor hasn't insisted he get one asap.  Please consider asking him why not.

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  • hope4cure
    hope4cure virtualgirl2089

    Posted

    See abrasion on utube. It will help the heart to return to regular rhythm. Then perhaps he can feel better and rely on medication. 

    Do do a search on patient forum about this subject and check out patient health info. 

    It's a tricky situation, as long as the doctor doing the proceedure has done many ablation of this type. 

     

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  • lynn_1382
    lynn_1382 virtualgirl2089

    Posted

    Hi there 😀

    sorry to hear you and your Dad are having a tuff time.

    Me (34) and my Dad (72) both have AF.

    I have tried every holistic route for myself as I do not want to take drugs, my body does not tolerate them anyway so it's not really an option for me. However, they do work for my Dad.

    Maybe have your Dad look into EFT (tapping) as that can be very helpful and I've heard it work for a lot of people.

    I had high hopes for acupuncture but it didn't really work for me but I keep going in the hope it will. Only thing that helped a little was the tuning forks on my feet, really helped me feel grounded and slow my heart.

    I've just had my 2nd ablation (unsure if successful yet) and my Dad is getting his 2nd ifva couple of months.

    Let us know how you get on, good luck! xx

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  • Okapis
    Okapis virtualgirl2089

    Posted

    What dose of flecainide is your fatheron, please? What daily dose is he taking and does he operate a pill in the pocket strategy when he has an episode? The flecainide dose you can take to stop an episode is quite large in fact. If he has had one ablation then perhaps its time for another?

    Its important that he does not go into permanent AF as ablation is not very successful for such people. Where do you live? In the UK, a trip to A&E would be a good idea if his episodes are as long as three days. Suggest you get him to check his BP during an episode. If it reaches 170/180 call an ambulance and let A&E sort it out

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  • Croley
    Croley virtualgirl2089

    Posted

    Hello, might be of interest to you but I have PAF which always starts in night. Since being diagnosed with mild Sleep Apnea last year and put on to a CPAP machine have been episode free. Apparently my oxygen levels dropped during times I stopped breathing putting strain on my heart and seems to have triggered A Fib. Still on Flecainide 50mg twice daily and Beta Blocker and Xarelto but very happy with the control. Hope you find something to help your father.
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