Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

I am very happy medications have worked for you and your family, really I am. I'm not trying to condemn that. I was born with a rare heart defect & have been doing pretty well for 49 years, until COVID. It has turned my body into goo. I have so many things going wrong now. I don't get answers I get meds. I am so terrified it's not even funny. I just found some comfort that I might possibly not be alone. I will stop writing on these forums. Good bye!

@saraheigen this forum is not supposed to provide medical advice, only experiences.

I have a kid on insulin who would die in days without it, and also on anti-convulsants and has not had a life-altering seizure in 10 years. My mother lived until 95+ thanks to medications. I took meds for cancer, and for my bones, and they have saved me.

So I would not say, in our experience, that meds are bad. Nevertheless they need to be carefully chosen, monitored for side effects as well as interactions, and the situation of a drug treating a drug's effects needs to be avoided unless the first drug is necessary for life. That's my view, as a lay person who unfortunately has dealt with a lot of medical situations.

Chances are you will keep some but a "wash out" meaning getting rid of candidates one at a time might be helpful.

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!!!