Re: Dr Mercola's article on A-Fib

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve

Well done!!

I was interseted in what you said about low body temperature. How on

earth do you get this back to parr. I have low body temp. I am hoping

it will pick up, as is my BP. But I would be very intersted to hear

how you did it.

I'd like to say though - Changing you diet is not necessarily naive.

It sounds it, but.... I can't believe what it has done for me. There

is also a Dr down south who has cured his cancer from eating only

unadulterated food.

HAve you researched what goes into food these days, even fresh

stuff. I am well on my way to conquering my AF. I know that it was

down to eating 'neurotoxic' food full of 'excitoxins'. I am now off

all meds and additives for two months and have only had one AF run in

this two months (this was a daily and constant occurence before). The

reason for this one run was I ate supermarket cooked chicken. I know

this sounds ridiculous but they are full of chemicals and can even be

injected and basted with MSG.

I mean we are what we eat.

I have also got rid of all my other associated problems, which for me

was fibromyalgia, cramps, chronic fatigue, depression, apnoea,

blurring eysight etc (I am hoping that it has also got rid of my

associated seizures, but they only come every year or so. But it had

been at least 13 months since the last one)

I know for a fact that my endocrine system was totally out of whack.

The change in my health over the last two months is incredible.

I can understand why people want ablations. I was arguing with my Dr

for one not even a year ago. But I am so glad I found this method

that helped me. I know it could help others but as you said everyone

seems to think it naive. As I say you shouldn't knock it till you've

tried it. And it is difficult as it means changing everything you

used to shop for. Not eating your favourites, peeling most things,

unless they are home grown, no more shop jam or cereal, meat,

checking on preservatives, buying bulk pulses, beans nuts, herbs

spices, meat from source etc etc. And there are plenty of resources

out there to help you know what they are in and understand the

chemical significence of it and how they compete with the enzymes in

our body. Leading to all sorts of problems including AF. I mean why

can't it be something so simple. We are what we eat.

Fran

> > on Sun, 17 Feb 2002 at 10:56:16, Driscoll

> > <james@d...> wrote :

> >

> > >There can come a time when it really doesn't matter if

> > >it's a symptom or a cause as long as you get rid of the damn

thing.

> >

> > Yup ! Am currently there and wearing the T-shirt!

> >

> > >Ablation is not my idea of a first line solution but I'm glad

it's

> in the

> > >list.

> >

> > Ditto.

> >

> > Thanks for your reply, .

> >

> > Best of health to all,

> > Vicky

> >

> > London, UK, 1954 model

> >

> > " We don't have a hopeless end; we have an endless hope "

> > - anon (?) via Ellen

> >

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> -----------------------

[Guest guest]

I agree with Vicky, and with . And I also wonder how others can be so

sure that 'their' method, what ever that might be, was actually the reason that

their Afib went away. How do they know that it was not just coincidence or some

other factor that they completely missed because they were so narrowly focussed

on whatever. The body is a very complex thing.

We all know that ablation is only treating a symptom, and that there are risks

involved. And that studies of the long term consequences haven't been done

because these new methods have not been around that long. But I think there is

enough evidence to say that it works wonderfully for some people. Great that it

is a choice that works for some. I just hope the researchers don't stop looking

for other ways of treating Afib.

What particularly doesn't work for me is the attitude I get from Dr. Mercola's

views and Steve's email. It makes me want to lash out and start with the

personal attacks. And that is not my understanding of what this list is for.

I, personally, already feel enough like a failure because I could do nothing to

stop my Afib from becoming permanent. I have been vegetarian all my adult

life, I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't drink coffee. I used to be very fit

and I am very health conscious, but the afib still got me.

My Afib is probably due to changes in my heart caused by my rheumatic heart

damage. My left atrium is enlarged and now the right atrium is slightly

enlarged. But then the left atrium has been enlarged for at least 20 years. I

have mitral stenosis but the valve has not particularly gotten any narrower in

the past few years. So why did the afib happen at this point in time? And why

did it go permanent after only 2 1/2 years. No one can say. Ablation,

unfortunately, is not even an option for me, because I AM in permanent afib.

Though even if it were an option, I would be reluctant to choose it because I

have mitral stenosis and don't want to risk getting pulmonary vein stenosis as

well. I would go for the maze, even if it is gruesome. But that is not an

option until my valve needs replacing. And that might be never, precisely

because I have worked so hard at having good health.

Great to hear what works for others, but perhaps we could keep the attitudes at

home. I don't think anyone on this list needs them.

Good luck to everyone,

Diann in Sydney

[Guest guest]

Hi Diane

The last thing I want to do is to upset you or anyone. WE all know

that AF has many different causes, and I would not dare to presume

my 'diet' would help all. But I am convinced it will work for a lot.

I can't be the only person. Hence, what is good for the goose is not

neccasarily good for the gander. All I wanted to do was pass my

experiences on so that it could help others. I have no heart disease,

no rheumatic disease, no MVP. No anything except for a list of

symptoms which no-one could source.

At one time I was even given the waste basket diagnosis of ME

(Myalgic Encephelomylitus)or CFIDS in the States, but they are

changing the name cause no-one can agree what it is or what parts of

the body are involved. The latter explanation for my AF was it was a

muscle which had been affected by the FM which attacked my other

muscles. So maybe ME (whatever it is) is another syndrome that can

cause AF. But I had AF long before the other symptoms of ME. So this

did not add up either. The only thing I knew was it was all tied up

together somewhere.

The reason I know that my AF has gone and is not coincidence is that

I have been doing my 'chemical free' (as poss) diet for over a year

now. It was not till I stopped my meds (which unknowingly to me at

the time, actually contained some of the chemicals I was trying to

avoid)that it all clicked into place. All my ailments have gone now

(I also think the beta blockers made it worse). Only when I make a

mistake and eat something bad does AF come back for a short run until

my body has got rid of the chemical. Each time (twice) i have been

able to find the culprit.

If I continued eating my old style diet it would not be long until I

was back with AF and ME. Which for me included seizures, two weeks at

a time of vertigo and dizziness, AF, breathing problems, apnoea, FM,

cramps, tics in my extremities, brain fog, exploding head syndrome,

and memory loss. There are probably others. The best way I could

explain it was my body did not work properly, it over reacted, it

under reacted, or it did not react. And I knew it was down to my

nervous system. But the neuro said no. And the heart man said it was.

But never did I get a referal to an EP. HE thought the neuro should

take care of it and the neuro thought the cardio should take care of

it.

Imagine how frustrating it is to have been so near to deaths door and

thought this was it for life, then discover 'A CURE'. And find that

no-one believes in it. I can't show that a twisted joint has gone

straight, or that acne has gone, because my symptoms were not

disfiguring. They were of the type that no-one could see, so they

would think that you were putting it on. If its not a cure, then I

don't know what it is. It is not spontanious remission or anything

like that, coz I could give it back to myself tonight by just taking

a drink of diet juice, long lfe fresh orange, or eating a slice of

ham, or opening a can of soup, and worse taking my magnesium citrate

supplement.

Since finding this out I have come across a lot of research about why

these chemicals do this to our bodies. They compete with our bodies

own enzymes and cause the calcium chanel to stay open, depleting us

of magnesium. They also attack the hypothalamus which regulates the

whole endocrine system, which at best will cause a few more problems

and at worst sudden death. So as far as I am concerned this is not a

quack diet. It is working for me.

This is a method of getting rid of AF, just as is ablation. Ablation

works for some people and not for others. This chemical free diet is

risk free and if it doesn't work then you haven't lost anything. But

it takes time, and is not as easy as just cutting out the name of the

chemicals on a jar. It is on some organic food too. IT is on instant

teas and coffees. It is everywhere. It just means a concerted effort

to cut them all out by rsearching what they are. The easiest way I

have found, so I don't take any risks, is to peel and wash everything

and make everything from unadulterated scratch. I don't even use

toothpast now. I use baking soda and my teeth (what are left of them,

due to anticonvulsants) are the best and the whitest than they have

been since they first grew in.

Sorry if I have gone on again. I feel it is falling on negative ears.

But if you found something that worked you would be shouting it from

the rooftops too!! For me this is the end of a twenty year voyage to

understand why my body did what it did. If it hadn't have worked I

would be pushing for an ablation too.

Fran

>

> We all know that ablation is only treating a symptom, and that

there are risks involved. And that studies of the long term

consequences haven't been done because these new methods have not

been around that long. But I think there is enough evidence to say

that it works wonderfully for some people. Great that it is a choice

that works for some. I just hope the researchers don't stop looking

for other ways of treating Afib.

>

> What particularly doesn't work for me is the attitude I get from

Dr. Mercola's views and Steve's email. It makes me want to lash out

and start with the personal attacks. And that is not my

understanding of what this list is for. I, personally, already feel

enough like a failure because I could do nothing to stop my Afib from

becoming permanent. I have been vegetarian all my adult life, I

don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't drink coffee. I used to be very

fit and I am very health conscious, but the afib still got me.

>

> My Afib is probably due to changes in my heart caused by my

rheumatic heart damage. My left atrium is enlarged and now the right

atrium is slightly enlarged. But then the left atrium has been

enlarged for at least 20 years. I have mitral stenosis but the valve

has not particularly gotten any narrower in the past few years. So

why did the afib happen at this point in time? And why did it go

permanent after only 2 1/2 years. No one can say. Ablation,

unfortunately, is not even an option for me, because I AM in

permanent afib. Though even if it were an option, I would be

reluctant to choose it because I have mitral stenosis and don't want

to risk getting pulmonary vein stenosis as well. I would go for the

maze, even if it is gruesome. But that is not an option until my

valve needs replacing. And that might be never, precisely because I

have worked so hard at having good health.

>

> Great to hear what works for others, but perhaps we could keep the

attitudes at home. I don't think anyone on this list needs them.

>

> Good luck to everyone,

> Diann in Sydney

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

on Tue, 19 Feb 2002 at 19:28:04, fross2001 wrote :

<lots of great description about the problem and the cure - snipped>

Fran,

This is a great story and outcome - I'm glad for you. I also think your

recent big personal decision you posted about must have helped?

I guess what we all need is to keep going and find what works for us,

but I fear that as the body is so complex, and the poisons in our world

are so ubiquitous (if this is what is causing the problem), many, if not

most, of us are unlikely to get such a good result.

What me and my Cardiologist certainly agree on is what we both like to

call a multi-faceted approach - if something I'm researching and doing

helps (like food intolerances and gastric status), then he's all for it,

and if it doesn't work, I'm all for his solution - ablation - provided

his solution doesn't have negatives which for me would be unacceptable

(e.g. like amiodarone would have - for *me*).

No, I don't particularly like the idea of someone poking about inside me

zapping bits of a rather important organ, but when folks like C get

good results, it gives hope, and as says " I'm glad it's on the

list " .

Best of health to all,

Vicky

London, UK, 1954 model

http://www.vagalafibportal.fsnet.co.uk/

" Science may be described as the art of systematic

over-simplification " - Karl Popper

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[Guest guest]

Can anyone tell me what the diet is. I would like to try chemical free, to

see if it will work for me. I am going to start getting a good massage every

week and go to an energy healer and continue with my accupuncturist. These

all have brought some temporary relief in the past, and I have cut out a lot

of different things from my diet before and have achieved some sense of

relaxation. But....My atrium(s) still flutter all the time and the lowest

heart rate I have been able to get (sporadically) is about 117BPM. I am

taking Metoprolol 200mg a day and 5mg coumadin a day and 240mg of Cardizem a

day. Taking a little more of the beta blocker (metoprolol) brings it down a

little more, but eventually my body will get used to it like it has in the

past and no longer respond as well to it. I have had this for 12 years. I

started out on Digitalis 0.25mg a day/then went to tenormin,

flecainide(briefly), sotalol (Betapace) then on

amiodarone and metoprolol. The Betapace really screwed with my body. It took

so long to get to a therapeutic level and resulted in some of the brain fog

symptoms listed by others (tics in the extremities, memory loss, irritability

vision problems, etc.

the metoprolol and the amiodarone have both ( at least I feel ) not much

relief and a bit of blurred vision, and my heart rate seems to be going up

and down like a yo-yo.

Quite personally I have tried lots of herbs, (hawthorne, purported to

normalize heart rates and blood pressure), all kinds of vitamins. The last

time I went to the ER Feb 5th I felt like my face was going to explode. I

would appreciate any information from anyone who has found anything that will

help control this. Anything that works.

Thank You God bless all, ph

[Guest guest]

Fran,

You were not upsetting me, sharing about what is working for you. Wonderful if

it is really working for you. And maybe it will work for some others. Nothing

wrong with a good diet. Enjoy the success! I wish I did have something to

shout about. But, unfortunately, I have not found that 'miracle' yet. But then

we never know what the future will bring.

Regards,

Diann