Atrial Fibrillation for the Interested Layperson
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- Опубликовано: 23 май 2024
- (Visit: www.uctv.tv/) UCSF cardiologist Dr. Gregory Marcus covers the basic mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation - an irregular, often rapid heart rate. He discusses the consequences of the disease, and the various therapies available for treatment. Gregory is the Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Cardiology at UCSF. Recorded on 06/03/2015. [9/2015] [Show ID: 29727]
Getting to the Heart of the Matter - Advances in Cardiology
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I was diagnosed with A-Fib in 2001. I still had frequent episodes and bruises despite the meds. In 2005 I had ablation (pulmonary vein antrum isolation) done by an Electrophysioligist at NYU Langone in New York City. I haven’t had A-Fib since:then.
Fantastic . We are lucky to be able to benefit from all those poor patients who underwent ablation before us since the first time it was done in 1982 . ❤️
My dads just been diagnosed with afib. How old are you may I ask? I’m just curious as to if there is an age limit for pulmonary vein isolation.
Please do not put your guard down. I am age 79 now. First recorded afib was at age 45. Been several good years but now in permanent afib. I feel being alert is reason I have avoided strokes. As you near age 80 it does not matter anymore. Doctors don't care about your afib. Better it causes you to die in your sleep as from painful cancer or worse.
Did you have a pulse field ablation? Seems to be very safe new tech. Does not heat the surrounding tissue.
Reviewed hundreds of videos on this subject and this is the best I've seen so far.
I had similar thoughts. I watched a more recent video (also UCSF Tv) on arrythmias by this same guy and really enjoyed it. Wish this guy was my doc.
@@skippytbk7891 I also enjoy a cardiologist from UK called Dr Sanjay Gupta . York cardiology . He does a lot of great You Tubes
@@margaretbinns3134 Agreed, I've seen many of his videos. A brilliant doc and a wonderful human. He has a real talent for educating us mere mortals.
Excellent presentation! Thank you Dr. (Canada)
it was a good presentation
My wife aged 68 went thru Ablation
If you happen to find yourself diagnosed with afib, this lecture video is a must see. I was oblivious to what was going on in the emergency room when I checked in with chest pains. I had no clue what atrial fibrillation was, much less what what do I now.
This video lecture explains to first year medical students using "layman" terms not only how to determine afib, but also 2 strategies (drug therapy and electrocardio shock therapy). Dr. Marcus is very thorough to discuss the pros and cons of each. For me it turned out I am getting both as I was resistant to each individually. By watching this video my doctor was more able to have an intelligent discussion with me in the follow-up visits.
What if you have palpitations and Adobe I had an reversion and it didn't sta await
Excellent presentation by Dr. Cooley. Made it easier to understand. Thanks.
Great that he presented NOT just intervention but prevention. Great job.
Thank you Dr Marcus. That was very informative and very helpful.
Excellent. Thank you so much. Just recently had an Afib event in recovery from a surgery - 1st time ever, as far as I know. On blood thinner. Seeing a electrophysiologist cardiologist soon. This was instructive.
How did it go? I hope it helped
Yes, please give us an update.
Superb - eloquent clarity
I called my Doctor and told her I was short of breath going up the stairs two times. She booked me in at noon the same day. I was put on heart meds right away and she booked me with a heart doctor. They started testing my heart the next week. Within the month the heart Doctor had me in the hospital and I had my heart shocked to bring in back to normal rhythm. It worked! So that seemed fast to this woman.
That's amazing!
You've got a good doctor 👍
In the UK your doctor would tell you to take paracetamol and send you home. You would never be diagnosed let alone receive treatment.
@@thomasczthomash1859 😅
Very well presented and extremely informative, for someone who experienced AF earlier thus year and has undecided about Anticoagulation due to bleeding.
I started with a new doctor in the summer of 2,000. His protocol is to have your BP checked at each visit. First visit I present with 140/90. So he prescribes Metoprolol. My blood pressure doesn't change after 2 weeks. I tell him, he says, keep taking it, it'll kick in. It didn't.
What DID kick in was an erratic heart beat. Lasted a few hours. one a week and getting stronger,, STRONG beats as if my heart was going to explode,,, and more erratic. I go to emerge. They hook me up, diagnose Atrial Fiblilation, they do something with the intravenous line, my heart settles down and I'm discharged. That's it. No, consult yout doctor about this, see a cardiologist etc. just let me go.
But I go to see my doctor after 6 weks of this, after going to emerge 5 times and he dismisses my feeling that the Metropolol had anything to do with it.
Another visit to emerge and I see him the next day without an appointment. He gets exasperated and grabs his big drug book, looks and finds, under rare, but possible side effect, ARRYTHMIA. He looks at me, smiles, shoves the book towards me and walks out the door.
This story lasts for 3 plus years but of course I stopped the Metoprolol. The AF went away. But as I had a BP machine, I noted that my BP was getting even higher. So after being free of AF for several weeks, I took ONE Met pill and within 2 seconds I had an episode like no other. I called 911 and was peomptly hooked up, as I had been for many months, many times.
But this time, whatever they do, wasn't working. The doctor said, "give him another hit" she did but it just got worse. I was tols that the AF was spilling into other chambers of my heart. I was also asked, if I felt any pain. To their amazement, I didn't.
However, I offered them the observation that an Ativan sometimes would abort an attack. So they gave me 2 and within a minute or so, the pounding stopped. Maybe the adrenalin was contributing to the AF/ It's a scary thing to be experiencing.
Since taking that ONE pill, after a time of avoiding it, the AF came back with a vengeance despite not ever taking any Metoprolol, ever again.
I was offered a pacemaker, no thanks, I was offered drugs, no thanks because that doctor was unaware that there are two kinds of AF, one vagally mediated and one adrenergically mediated. Sometimes both factors are in play. But you have to know which is dominant before you know what drugs to try.
So, I was on my own. This was over 20 years ago, I had a new computer and there was the Internet. So I began my research. I learned a lot about the heart and I also learned that medicine hasn't got any permanent solutions, let alone an actual CURE,, not just treatments.
As I went from website to website, I found that the comments sections were very informative. People who, like me, were trying to find a solution.
I came across a piece written by an electrical engineer who had some higher learning of chemistry. As I read, one thing popped up. Defficiency in minerals, Notably, magnesiun, and potassium.
Magnesium is essential for some 300 biochemical processes in the body. Most people are mineral defficient, including magnesium.
Also, magnesium is essential for muscle contraction and nerve conduction. There it was. The AV node is the biological microchip that times the various chambers of the heart to contract and relax. Nerve conduction.
And of course, the muscle is the most stressed and continuously functioning muscle of all the muscles. Every single second of your day and your heart works, HARD.
If you cut a piece of heart tissue from a living heart, that piece would contract at some 70 beats per minute, untill all the cells died. Each cell has this timing function.
So if you're in a coma, this is what keeps you alive.
But when you need lots of blood flow to your muscles, fight or flight, the adrenaline kicks in to raise your heart rate to do that job.
When the danger is over, your vagal nervous system kicks in to lower your heart rate.
Three control mechanisms that control your heart's function. HOWEVER, when you take a drug like Metoprolol, it's a beta-blocker and this drug lowers your heart rate, even when you need a highr rate such as fight or flight. No more jogging for you, me lad.
So your heart has been given a BRAKE, as in a cars brakes. Imagine if the brakes on your car were dragging. You'd kill your gas mileage, STRESS and wear out your engine, and need a brake job and tire change far more often than otherwise.
The same thing happens with a pacemaker. I'm sure they have their place to save a failing heart but wait, maybe that heart has a drug hurting it? A drug meant for something else? Maybe that heart isn't getting enough magnesium?
I can't help but wonder if it's not AF that's killing people prematurely, but the DRUGS, or the pacemakers?
I titrated 250 mg of a multiple magnesium product, in stages over the span of a number of weeks. By the 3rd week, my AF attacks slowed and were less sever. By the 8th week, they were gone. But too much can give you loose stool. So I backed off to 1500 mg and that worked perfectly.
All this took place some 16 years ago and since then, I haven't had a single episode of AF.
Just think, a drug GAVE me a disease, and a NUTRIENT cured it. Yes, nutrients can cure disease, like scurvy and vitamin C,,,, and rickets and vitamin D3.
The interesting thing is, since I cured my AF, I haven't had a single cold, or flu or even the sniffles.
Thank you. I also was this year and am undecided. How are you now?
@@maiacassidy5594 l
As an independent on-line continuing mindful learner, great thankful appreciation for your lecture which is useful, helpful to update my humble knowledge more than I can say.
Dr. Greory Marcus, you indicates the roles of T.V are important. May I say "such educational videos through You Tube (UCSF & UCTV & Public T.V... are very important and necessary for public viewers to update knowledge while serving consumers.
Thank you for the great presentation. Well understood.
My AFIB is up to 95 percent for the last 2 weeks, when it was at 35 percent, I first got afib as it came out of my heart(blood clot) into my brain(afib stroke), one month later I had a pacemaker implanted permanently to monitor my heartbeat and afib. I take Eliqusis twice per day and Bystolic in the am, then at dinner I take Jamumet XR and a statin at bedtime, on March 24, 2022 I’ll have a cardioversion and will be watched for hours, I also have t2d, high cholesterol, and uncontrollable blood pressure. In the summer of 1973, I had a heart block
Love the video...especially diagrams & pictures with the narratives
Some of the below comments are pretty incorrect. When it's nothing to do with diet or nicotine or alcohol. It could also be hypertension.
This video is very is informative.
V nicely explained 🙏
I had AFib and a cardioversion procedure. Followed by mitral valve repair and the maze procedure and ligation of the left atrium. So far so good. No longer on blood thinners.
very helpful, concise. thank you.
20:18 (t=1218 sec)
Really good explanation of the pacemaker's function within a larger strategy that begins with prescription meds:
Meds stifle tachycardia, and - if needed - the pacemaker stifles bradycardia.
I started with a new doctor in the summer of 2,000. His protocol is to have your BP checked at each visit. First visit I present with 140/90. So he prescribes Metoprolol. My blood pressure doesn't change after 2 weeks. I tell him, he says, keep taking it, it'll kick in. It didn't.
What DID kick in was an erratic heart beat. Lasted a few hours. one a week and getting stronger,, STRONG beats as if my heart was going to explode,,, and more erratic. I go to emerge. They hook me up, diagnose Atrial Fiblilation, they do something with the intravenous line, my heart settles down and I'm discharged. That's it. No, consult yout doctor about this, see a cardiologist etc. just let me go.
But I go to see my doctor after 6 weks of this, after going to emerge 5 times and he dismisses my feeling that the Metropolol had anything to do with it.
Another visit to emerge and I see him the next day without an appointment. He gets exasperated and grabs his big drug book, looks and finds, under rare, but possible side effect, ARRYTHMIA. He looks at me, smiles, shoves the book towards me and walks out the door.
This story lasts for 3 plus years but of course I stopped the Metoprolol. The AF went away. But as I had a BP machine, I noted that my BP was getting even higher. So after being free of AF for several weeks, I took ONE Met pill and within 2 seconds I had an episode like no other. I called 911 and was peomptly hooked up, as I had been for many months, many times.
But this time, whatever they do, wasn't working. The doctor said, "give him another hit" she did but it just got worse. I was tols that the AF was spilling into other chambers of my heart. I was also asked, if I felt any pain. To their amazement, I didn't.
However, I offered them the observation that an Ativan sometimes would abort an attack. So they gave me 2 and within a minute or so, the pounding stopped. Maybe the adrenalin was contributing to the AF/ It's a scary thing to be experiencing.
Since taking that ONE pill, after a time of avoiding it, the AF came back with a vengeance despite not ever taking any Metoprolol, ever again.
I was offered a pacemaker, no thanks, I was offered drugs, no thanks because that doctor was unaware that there are two kinds of AF, one vagally mediated and one adrenergically mediated. Sometimes both factors are in play. But you have to know which is dominant before you know what drugs to try.
So, I was on my own. This was over 20 years ago, I had a new computer and there was the Internet. So I began my research. I learned a lot about the heart and I also learned that medicine hasn't got any permanent solutions, let alone an actual CURE,, not just treatments.
As I went from website to website, I found that the comments sections were very informative. People who, like me, were trying to find a solution.
I came across a piece written by an electrical engineer who had some higher learning of chemistry. As I read, one thing popped up. Defficiency in minerals, Notably, magnesiun, and potassium.
Magnesium is essential for some 300 biochemical processes in the body. Most people are mineral defficient, including magnesium.
Also, magnesium is essential for muscle contraction and nerve conduction. There it was. The AV node is the biological microchip that times the various chambers of the heart to contract and relax. Nerve conduction.
And of course, the muscle is the most stressed and continuously functioning muscle of all the muscles. Every single second of your day and your heart works, HARD.
If you cut a piece of heart tissue from a living heart, that piece would contract at some 70 beats per minute, untill all the cells died. Each cell has this timing function.
So if you're in a coma, this is what keeps you alive.
But when you need lots of blood flow to your muscles, fight or flight, the adrenaline kicks in to raise your heart rate to do that job.
When the danger is over, your vagal nervous system kicks in to lower your heart rate.
Three control mechanisms that control your heart's function. HOWEVER, when you take a drug like Metoprolol, it's a beta-blocker and this drug lowers your heart rate, even when you need a highr rate such as fight or flight. No more jogging for you, me lad.
So your heart has been given a BRAKE, as in a cars brakes. Imagine if the brakes on your car were dragging. You'd kill your gas mileage, STRESS and wear out your engine, and need a brake job and tire change far more often than otherwise.
The same thing happens with a pacemaker. I'm sure they have their place to save a failing heart but wait, maybe that heart has a drug hurting it? A drug meant for something else? Maybe that heart isn't getting enough magnesium?
I can't help but wonder if it's not AF that's killing people prematurely, but the DRUGS, or the pacemakers?
I titrated 250 mg of a multiple magnesium product, in stages over the span of a number of weeks. By the 3rd week, my AF attacks slowed and were less sever. By the 8th week, they were gone. But too much can give you loose stool. So I backed off to 1500 mg and that worked perfectly.
All this took place some 16 years ago and since then, I haven't had a single episode of AF.
Just think, a drug GAVE me a disease, and a NUTRIENT cured it. Yes, nutrients can cure disease, like scurvy and vitamin C,,,, and rickets and vitamin D3.
The interesting thing is, since I cured my AF, I haven't had a single cold, or flu or even the sniffles. BONUS.
18:40 Study on rate control vs rhythm control in terms of mortality/modbidity, the AFFIRM trial is a major study.
9:55
Hemodynamic Effects of an Irregular Sequence of Ventricular Cycle Lengths During Atrial Fibrillation, 1997
There seems to be an interesting dynamic at work in a fib, on one hand you have reduced cardiac output, but on the other you have increased pulmonary artery pressure. Also it seems the reduced cardiac output is age dependent, in younger patients cardiac output is roughly the same in afib and svt as in normal rhythm.
2:02 I think atrial appendage clots are rare. When they do occur, afib is more likely to be present, but doctors need to start looking at how unlikely this is. A flow dynamic analysis found that the idea of ‘blood stasis’ does not exist. Even in afib, there is still plenty of flow in the atrium and appendage, far from stasis. They couldn’t explain why clots form, but guessed that it can’t be afib alone.
Left Atrial and Left Atrial Appendage 4D Blood Flow Dynamics in Atrial Fibrillation, 2016
12:53 that attribution is wrong, afib appears with other conditions that increase not just stroke risk, but other problems. It’s not causal. So you don’t need that atrial clot story. Afib may indicate you have other problems where clots can form, such as atherosclerosis.
23:43 destroy av node and put in a pacemaker sounds suboptimal
32:24 that patient had a major stroke but the blood clot is still in the heart?
I had this common procedure a month ago.. it was suppose to be in/out, 1 day... I only asked to stay overnight bc we live 50 mi. from hosp... I went home next day & a huge bruise developed from navel to above knee... my femoral artery was nicked... an aneurysm formed. Ambulance back to hosp for a glue to be injected in aneurysm ....Know what you’re getting into ! It may be minor & fine hundreds of times a day.... it was life threatening for me
sorry you had a bad outcome. Did you travel 50 mi to go to a top hospital?
Take it from someone who "enjoyed" this debilitating horror for six years ... GET IT FIXED (ablation) ... It was like being let out of prison, for me.
Tonetwisters, Were you having palpitations everyday? pacs, pvcs, etc…. How often did you actually go into afib ?
Hi ow are you doing today?
22:03
Here he mentions an actual cause - fibrosis - instead of just a collection of risk factors.
I am not hearing how vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause heart issues.
Read...."Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?"
By Sherry A. Rogers, M.D.
Dr. Rogers helped me recover after my GP had me on acid blockers for my stomach issues for years and I became vitamin and mineral deficient.
She tested my blood. Noted deficiencies. Prescribed the appropriate supplements. She had me well in a very short time.
Nutrition matters!
I don't see the date of this video, so when you say new data came out last year....who knows when that was. Also, just juice your veges, take Mag+ and hawthorn berry....adjust as needed.....if you have intermittent, not chronic......I have managed mine for 10 years
Sept 2, 2015 hey !
How can you have atrial fibrillation without experiencing any symptoms? That doesn't make sense.
Also, if there are no underlying abnormalities of the heart can you reverse or stop atrial fibrillation by taking magnesium supplements like magnesium chloride?
please check your electrolyte levels. Potassium to be 4.2 at least and MG at least 2.2. That alone could bring you back from this nightmare.
I came down with a fib a week ago, a heartbeat from 42 to 175, and ended up in ER. It turned out my Potassium was 3.2, MG 1.6
And i was dehidrated. 5 days later and 10 Potasium Pills later ( 20MEQ) and 5 Mg (20 Meq) I am fib free.
My Potasium is 4.4 and Mg 2.2
I have AFIB, had 2018-aoerta dissection, highcholesterol. Meds:
Tried Warfarin-i was bleeding so it was discontinued. Now I have twice/day pradaxa 150mg, metropolol-25 mg (2x); atorvastatin 40mg, amlodophine (5mg) night once. Question: when to decrease mg, increase, or stop; switch drug?. I'm also taking omega3-6-9; calcium-magnesium-zinc; CoQ10;
Felt normal-139/73/65. Thanks so much. God bless!
Thanks. Good info.
I started with a new doctor in the summer of 2,000. His protocol is to have your BP checked at each visit. First visit I present with 140/90. So he prescribes Metoprolol. My blood pressure doesn't change after 2 weeks. I tell him, he says, keep taking it, it'll kick in. It didn't.
What DID kick in was an erratic heart beat. Lasted a few hours. one a week and getting stronger,, STRONG beats as if my heart was going to explode,,, and more erratic. I go to emerge. They hook me up, diagnose Atrial Fiblilation, they do something with the intravenous line, my heart settles down and I'm discharged. That's it. No, consult yout doctor about this, see a cardiologist etc. just let me go.
But I go to see my doctor after 6 weks of this, after going to emerge 5 times and he dismisses my feeling that the Metropolol had anything to do with it.
Another visit to emerge and I see him the next day without an appointment. He gets exasperated and grabs his big drug book, looks and finds, under rare, but possible side effect, ARRYTHMIA. He looks at me, smiles, shoves the book towards me and walks out the door.
This story lasts for 3 plus years but of course I stopped the Metoprolol. The AF went away. But as I had a BP machine, I noted that my BP was getting even higher. So after being free of AF for several weeks, I took ONE Met pill and within 2 seconds I had an episode like no other. I called 911 and was peomptly hooked up, as I had been for many months, many times.
But this time, whatever they do, wasn't working. The doctor said, "give him another hit" she did but it just got worse. I was tols that the AF was spilling into other chambers of my heart. I was also asked, if I felt any pain. To their amazement, I didn't.
However, I offered them the observation that an Ativan sometimes would abort an attack. So they gave me 2 and within a minute or so, the pounding stopped. Maybe the adrenalin was contributing to the AF/ It's a scary thing to be experiencing.
Since taking that ONE pill, after a time of avoiding it, the AF came back with a vengeance despite not ever taking any Metoprolol, ever again.
I was offered a pacemaker, no thanks, I was offered drugs, no thanks because that doctor was unaware that there are two kinds of AF, one vagally mediated and one adrenergically mediated. Sometimes both factors are in play. But you have to know which is dominant before you know what drugs to try.
So, I was on my own. This was over 20 years ago, I had a new computer and there was the Internet. So I began my research. I learned a lot about the heart and I also learned that medicine hasn't got any permanent solutions, let alone an actual CURE,, not just treatments.
As I went from website to website, I found that the comments sections were very informative. People who, like me, were trying to find a solution.
I came across a piece written by an electrical engineer who had some higher learning of chemistry. As I read, one thing popped up. Defficiency in minerals, Notably, magnesiun, and potassium.
Magnesium is essential for some 300 biochemical processes in the body. Most people are mineral defficient, including magnesium.
Also, magnesium is essential for muscle contraction and nerve conduction. There it was. The AV node is the biological microchip that times the various chambers of the heart to contract and relax. Nerve conduction.
And of course, the muscle is the most stressed and continuously functioning muscle of all the muscles. Every single second of your day and your heart works, HARD.
If you cut a piece of heart tissue from a living heart, that piece would contract at some 70 beats per minute, untill all the cells died. Each cell has this timing function.
So if you're in a coma, this is what keeps you alive.
But when you need lots of blood flow to your muscles, fight or flight, the adrenaline kicks in to raise your heart rate to do that job.
When the danger is over, your vagal nervous system kicks in to lower your heart rate.
Three control mechanisms that control your heart's function. HOWEVER, when you take a drug like Metoprolol, it's a beta-blocker and this drug lowers your heart rate, even when you need a highr rate such as fight or flight. No more jogging for you, me lad.
So your heart has been given a BRAKE, as in a cars brakes. Imagine if the brakes on your car were dragging. You'd kill your gas mileage, STRESS and wear out your engine, and need a brake job and tire change far more often than otherwise.
The same thing happens with a pacemaker. I'm sure they have their place to save a failing heart but wait, maybe that heart has a drug hurting it? A drug meant for something else? Maybe that heart isn't getting enough magnesium?
I can't help but wonder if it's not AF that's killing people prematurely, but the DRUGS, or the pacemakers?
I titrated 250 mg of a multiple magnesium product, in stages over the span of a number of weeks. By the 3rd week, my AF attacks slowed and were less sever. By the 8th week, they were gone. But too much can give you loose stool. So I backed off to 1500 mg and that worked perfectly.
All this took place some 16 years ago and since then, I haven't had a single episode of AF.
Just think, a drug GAVE me a disease, and a NUTRIENT cured it. Yes, nutrients can cure disease, like scurvy and vitamin C,,,, and rickets and vitamin D3.
The interesting thing is, since I cured my AF, I haven't had a single cold, or flu or even the sniffles. BONUS.
I’ve GoPro learn how afib is treated, I had a afib heart that lead to a stroke
Warfarin is very bad. It also increases osteoarthritis. Lots of drugs interaction and food. Most patients are also wrongly advice to not eat vegetables even thought they should just advise the patient cannot eat because it makes life easier for some nurses or doc to just said stop eating vegetables. Horrible! I had an ER doc asked me why my dad is eating vegetables. I was like huh?! He can eat but you guy kept telling him not to so he has not enough of impoetant minerals and vitamins from veg and he's getting weaker because my dad listen to his doc/nurses bad advices!
How did that woman’s husband do?
How does 4 baby aspirin per day compare to Pradaxa in terms of efficacy and side effects?
There are better options. See Richard schultz
Why not fine a why and a cure to fix it that doesn't cut the body up
I've been investigating reducing tinnitus naturally and discovered a fantastic resource at Dajon ear relief (check it out on google)
I do not understand the message intended by always saying a-fib is "common". What point are you trying to make by saying a-fib is common?
It's common because modern medicine has no clue. Cut, burn and poison is all they know. This happened to me.
I started with a new doctor in the summer of 2,000. His protocol is to have your BP checked at each visit. First visit I present with 140/90. So he prescribes Metoprolol. My blood pressure doesn't change after 2 weeks. I tell him, he says, keep taking it, it'll kick in. It didn't.
What DID kick in was an erratic heart beat. Lasted a few hours. one a week and getting stronger,, STRONG beats as if my heart was going to explode,,, and more erratic. I go to emerge. They hook me up, diagnose Atrial Fiblilation, they do something with the intravenous line, my heart settles down and I'm discharged. That's it. No, consult yout doctor about this, see a cardiologist etc. just let me go.
But I go to see my doctor after 6 weks of this, after going to emerge 5 times and he dismisses my feeling that the Metropolol had anything to do with it.
Another visit to emerge and I see him the next day without an appointment. He gets exasperated and grabs his big drug book, looks and finds, under rare, but possible side effect, ARRYTHMIA. He looks at me, smiles, shoves the book towards me and walks out the door.
This story lasts for 3 plus years but of course I stopped the Metoprolol. The AF went away. But as I had a BP machine, I noted that my BP was getting even higher. So after being free of AF for several weeks, I took ONE Met pill and within 2 seconds I had an episode like no other. I called 911 and was peomptly hooked up, as I had been for many months, many times.
But this time, whatever they do, wasn't working. The doctor said, "give him another hit" she did but it just got worse. I was tols that the AF was spilling into other chambers of my heart. I was also asked, if I felt any pain. To their amazement, I didn't.
However, I offered them the observation that an Ativan sometimes would abort an attack. So they gave me 2 and within a minute or so, the pounding stopped. Maybe the adrenalin was contributing to the AF/ It's a scary thing to be experiencing.
Since taking that ONE pill, after a time of avoiding it, the AF came back with a vengeance despite not ever taking any Metoprolol, ever again.
I was offered a pacemaker, no thanks, I was offered drugs, no thanks because that doctor was unaware that there are two kinds of AF, one vagally mediated and one adrenergically mediated. Sometimes both factors are in play. But you have to know which is dominant before you know what drugs to try.
So, I was on my own. This was over 20 years ago, I had a new computer and there was the Internet. So I began my research. I learned a lot about the heart and I also learned that medicine hasn't got any permanent solutions, let alone an actual CURE,, not just treatments.
As I went from website to website, I found that the comments sections were very informative. People who, like me, were trying to find a solution.
I came across a piece written by an electrical engineer who had some higher learning of chemistry. As I read, one thing popped up. Defficiency in minerals, Notably, magnesiun, and potassium.
Magnesium is essential for some 300 biochemical processes in the body. Most people are mineral defficient, including magnesium.
Also, magnesium is essential for muscle contraction and nerve conduction. There it was. The AV node is the biological microchip that times the various chambers of the heart to contract and relax. Nerve conduction.
And of course, the muscle is the most stressed and continuously functioning muscle of all the muscles. Every single second of your day and your heart works, HARD.
If you cut a piece of heart tissue from a living heart, that piece would contract at some 70 beats per minute, untill all the cells died. Each cell has this timing function.
So if you're in a coma, this is what keeps you alive.
But when you need lots of blood flow to your muscles, fight or flight, the adrenaline kicks in to raise your heart rate to do that job.
When the danger is over, your vagal nervous system kicks in to lower your heart rate.
Three control mechanisms that control your heart's function. HOWEVER, when you take a drug like Metoprolol, it's a beta-blocker and this drug lowers your heart rate, even when you need a highr rate such as fight or flight. No more jogging for you, me lad.
So your heart has been given a BRAKE, as in a cars brakes. Imagine if the brakes on your car were dragging. You'd kill your gas mileage, STRESS and wear out your engine, and need a brake job and tire change far more often than otherwise.
The same thing happens with a pacemaker. I'm sure they have their place to save a failing heart but wait, maybe that heart has a drug hurting it? A drug meant for something else? Maybe that heart isn't getting enough magnesium?
I can't help but wonder if it's not AF that's killing people prematurely, but the DRUGS, or the pacemakers?
I titrated 250 mg of a multiple magnesium product, in stages over the span of a number of weeks. By the 3rd week, my AF attacks slowed and were less sever. By the 8th week, they were gone. But too much can give you loose stool. So I backed off to 1500 mg and that worked perfectly.
All this took place some 16 years ago and since then, I haven't had a single episode of AF.
Just think, a drug GAVE me a disease, and a NUTRIENT cured it. Yes, nutrients can cure disease, like scurvy and vitamin C,,,, and rickets and vitamin D3.
The interesting thing is, since I cured my AF, I haven't had a single cold, or flu or even the sniffles. BONUS.
@@randomthings8247 I am wondering how common it is for a-fib to get worse as a person ages? Mine did get worse and I needed an ablation about 4 years ago (I am 67) Amiodarone is one rough drug to say the least. I take Sotalol 2x80 mg daily. I am not noticing any side effects. Or so I think.
@@danr5105 It's too bad that you took ablation. They fried your AV node so that you needed a pacemaker? That's what they told me. I said no thanks. What are the drugs for?
@@randomthings8247 Hi Random. Amiodarone and Sotalol are both heart rhythm drugs. I don't know if they work the same way. Amiodarone carries an FDA "Black Box" warning. Sotalol is easier for me to tolerate.
Why don't try the new age reveal and grow young to fix it, time to move in new age meds.
Hello is 17.44 if someone is so miserable they can't work with afib they should have already had a stroke by golly
Just go vegan and obviate this whole line of thinking.
+Darryl Robida Your' right, he's fos!
+Robert JJacobs Stupid.. CVD is irrespective whether ur a vegan or omnivorous.. actually having a balanced diet is the key. Stupid vegans
Have had AF for over 30 years now, getting more and more frequent to the point it is now very severe. I have been Vegan for 5 years. So, apart from helping my general health and of course ( the point of my becoming vegan) no longer being responsible for harming animals, your theory hasn't worked for me.
@@Corky084 what is a FOS?
@@Celevie wow your angry lol
Excellent presentation by Dr. Cooley. Made it easier to understand. Thanks.