Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

Thank you! I'm hoping I can do the same as you. I used to pray but that has been very hard for me to do as of late! I would like to but I just can't bring myself to do it. That has been a bad spot for me for about a year.

In the past, I had two chiropractors that helped me immensely with many issues. I would go in with one problem and he would get rid of three. A Gonstead chiropractor is the best of the best. There are very few of them. None where I live. I believe in prayer, but crossed fingers make give you a cramp in them. LOL

One of my best friends died because she followed instructions of family doctor. Was taking no meds and had one number a little too high. In a few months she was taking a handful of pills a day all with negative side effects, the last one being depression which she never was before. It was from meds. She lost her will to live, shut her eyes and two weeks later died.

Make a list of the meds you are taking, and the neg side effects and tell the doctor you want off of them. On two meds, many years ago, I was on a med and weaned off it. Took a sliver off every day taking less and less until none. I was told I had to take the rest of my life. Well, 45 years later I don't.

I think that getting off medications should be supervised if any are essential to health. One by one is a good way to go and very very slowly. Pharmacists and MD's can help but tend to suggest tapering too quickly in my experience. It will be easier to tell what is what if some of your meds don't complicate the situation but you may need some of them! We obviously aren't qualified to say and we are all different.

I wish I would have thought more like you from the beginning! I can't turn back time, so I am moving forward with family doctor to slowly stop taking drugs. I also found a chiropractor who thinks he can help me get at least some of my life back & possibly more! I need all the prayers & crossed fingers for me please! I have very little quality of life & I am not even 50 yet. I will be at the end of December. Thank you for all your words & suggestions. It was sweet of you to reach out. It isvery lonely on my end, being ill all the time.

I had covid in a terrible way. Never took drugs though. At times when walking, I suddenly am short of breath a bit and put a baby aspirin under my tongue. It might last 2-3 minutes. I would bet though that most of your problems are the d... drugs. Make a list and google the side effects of each and wean yourself slowly off the ones causing problems which is probably all of them. I am 76 and avoid doctors like a plague. I do better than most people I know that are much younger than me who are popping pills or eat a horrible diet.

My pea brain advice is the google = side effects of bla bla drugs one by one. Do NOT swallow anything that can cause heart problems. Doctors are into prescribing drugs and most do not like or refuse to chit chat about them being a problem. They are busy writing out your bill. Take responsibility for your own health and investigate.

@saraheigen I forgot to mention meds that can be a trigger for me. Most people start a steroid "pack" at 60mg,it seems. Last spring I took a mere 2 mg of methylprednisolone and was in the ER with afib. It is very difficult to not be able to take steroids (I think even hydrocortisone might be problematic.). Asthma drugs like albuterol and decongestants like sudafed are also triggers. I was in the hospital with COVID and they literally could not treat me, I would imagine stimulants of any kind would also be a problem for me.

Not sure what you are taking for meds and supplements but you are wise to look into triggers with your doctor!

Thank you so much! Yes I will buy that book! I am on so many meds from Long COVID. Hence why I don't want any more meds. I am currently working with my PCP to use more supplements and get me off of some of these drugs. To be honest I think my Afib is a combo of the Long COVID and too many drugs in my system.. You are all so sweet to help me & tell me these things! I also have to get my emotions & the stress of that under control as well. I just started a beginners pilates but I can only do so much as I have bad pain in my ribs. Which in all the research I have done. I now think the rib pain is from a bad nervous system from COVID. I am also working on taking some supplements to rebuild my cells. Research I have read & shared with my PCP shows Long COVID is possible damage at a cellular level. I have a hard time sleeping so I do research. Funny I started doing research thinking it would bore me to sleep. Now I find key research studies, write them down to look into further during the day. That knowledge makes me feel better then I can sleep. 😊 I will be 50 next month. I can't work any more so I research. I'm too young for all this crap. I will find something to help me & others! I have to. I loved working but it's too stressful and my brain doesn't work as well after COVID. Anyways I can't thank you enough!!!

Sarah I declined meds 10 years ago and have diltiazem and Eliquis as "pill in the pocket" options for when needed. I am fortunate, since I have an episode about once a year, though they do land me in the ER via ambulance due to low bp. I have taken diltiazem at home maybe three times and have never done Eliquis. The ambulance does a diltiazem bolus and the ER does a drip.

I have been taking magnesium 600mg/night for years, and drink low sodium V-8 for potassium (cans are over 1200mg, I have gone down a bit on the level). Calcium 800mg (I can't eat dairy). I never eat after 5 or 6, never recline after eating, take Gas-X (simethicone) if I am gassy, avoid heavy lifting, do tai chi for stress, walk every day, and have some Klonopin on hand when I get a certain feeling (rarely, and I take 1/4). I also avoid loud alarms! I have accumulated these methods after identifying triggers over the years.

I use a Kardia and two years ago did a patch monitor to make sure I wasn't having undetected afib- none at all in two weeks though some brief and rare SVT, PVC's and bradycardia.

After years of this I found cardiologist John Day's book "The Afib Cure" (co-author is also a cardiologist) that discusses finding your triggers and avoiding them, as well as any other lifestyle changes needed. They also discuss supplements and meds.

My first cardiologist wanted to put me on blood thinners and beta blockers in 2015. My CHADS score was kind of borderline and still is. When I turn 75 I will have more pressure to go on blood thinners and if episodes increase, I will of course. I do not expect to be different in terms of things getting worse at some point but I have been able to hold the line for 10 years- probably some luck!

That first cardiologist later told me that I was right to decline. We always had good discussions and it isn't like we ever argued, but it was nice that he said he had been thinking that he had maybe been overmedicating. My feeling is that doctors have a whole lot less liability if they medicate than if they don't.

Your situation may be entirely different from mine. I am a lay person and fellow patient and only sharing my experience which may not apply. But I do suggest buying "The Afib Cure" which is a pretty balanced discussion despite the title. Also, @gloaming knows his stuff so definitely read his posts carefully!

Thank you so much for your knowledge. It is greatly appreciated. They talked about putting me on Tikosyn. The side effects to me look just as bad as Afib. I had an ablation done for Tachycardia once & that worked well but I don't know if they will consider that this time. People say to me yeah but those side effects are rare. Let me tell you, anything that is rare comes my way. Hence I am terrified for more new meds! The stress of the meds certainly is not helping my Afib.