THANKS-AFIB gone -off coumidan - on cal-mag 2:1

[Guest guest]

For a few months I was having these irregular heartbeats but didn't

take them too seriously until they started to come more frequently and

lasted for hours. So I made an appointment with a cardiologist. The

anxiety of being in the doctors office trigerred an episode while I

was on the EKG . After analyzing the EKG the Dr. told me that he had

determined my problem to be Atrial Fibrillation and handed me a flier

explaining what that was. The nurse then rolled in a TV on a cart and

explained that I was to see a movie on the medication that I was to

take - Coumidan. Until that moment I had never heard of either.

I was thoroughly freightened.

Searching the WEB for explanation and analysis I found this support

group. Looking for alternative treatment I found suggestions to stay

off my beloved coffee, and read about Calcium=Magnesioum 2:1. I also

read the there is a magnesioum deficiency in this country that has

reached epidemic proportions. I believed my diet to be healthy but

obviously something was missiong.

I took coumidan - but not happily.

I started on 1000mg of Calcium and 500mg of magnesium and spaced it

throughout the day. I ate more reularly and went to bed by 10pm. If I

felt my heart begin topump hard and fast I decreased the time between

vitamins to 4-5 hours apart and in the beginning even took 1500mg of

calcium to 750mg of magnesium. I did this for about 5 weeks until I

had to return to the Dr, for and ECHO. Since the fibrillations had

almost stopped I no longer took coumadin much to the Dr's distress.

The ECHO showed that my heart was OK. Another EKG showed that my

hearbeats were regular. THIS WAS TWO MONTHS AGO.

I continue to stay off regular coffee - decaf coffee and tea are o.k.

I barely touch wine - hard liquor never. I DO STILL TAKE 1000mg of

calcium a day to 500mg of magnesium. But since the heart beats

regularly I sometimes forget.

SO -- MANY THANKS FOR THIS SUPPORT GROUP PAGE WHEN I WAS FRANTIC AND

DEPRESSED.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/19/2002 12:08:49 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

photojems@... writes:

<< The ECHO showed that my heart was OK. Another EKG showed that my

hearbeats were regular. THIS WAS TWO MONTHS AGO.

>>

Congratulations! It's wonderful that you are now in sinus, the best state to

be in! You probably will continue with your vitamin, diet, and rest regimen

which made such a difference. If you do start to experience afib again, you

probably should contact your doctor about the Coumadin if episodes are fairly

frequent or long. Some afibbers never take Coumadin and manage to avoid

stroke, but others are not so lucky, as you probably know. My older brother,

in afib for at least twenty-thirty years has never taken Coumadin but has

never had a stroke. I, on the other hand, have taken Coumadin for the past

three years of my nineteen years of afib. I take it even when I am in sinus,

as I now have been for 35 days, because my cardiologist told me that one is

susceptible to a stroke for as many as six weeks after returning to sinus

because clots formed while in afib could be thrown out later. I hope you

never return to afib and never have to use this information, but I am tossing

it out because I've talked to so many people who weren't aware that stroke

danger can persist for a time after one converts to sinus. You're past that

period now though. I hope you continue to enjoy that unparalleled euphoria

of being in sinus!

in sinus in Seattle (Day 35!!)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/19/2002 12:08:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

photojems@... writes:

> I started on 1000mg of Calcium and 500mg of magnesium and spaced it

> throughout the day.

CONGRATULATIONS on your success in stopping afib.

When mine first started I tried taking some magnesium and also

some potassium.... although I felt a little better it did not help

that much. When afib started I stopped some of the basic

nutrition I was doing and went looking for special things to help

my heart. One thing I realized was that I was no longer taking

or getting much calcium. I had almost completely stopped drinking

any milk at all. Although it is a poor source of calcium at least I had

been getting some. And I know we are supposed to be getting at

least 1,000 mg or more.

So about 10 days ago I decided to start taking at least 1,000 of

calcium a day, and it also has a balanced amount of magnesium

in it. By the end of the first day I felt better and could function

better...heart wise although I think I am still in afib. So the

calcium and magnesium are making a difference for me too.

Of course now my wife's upset because I am stealing her

MelaCal.....LOL.

Still working on the coffee though. Was going to go to decaf and

the store I was in now has Seattle's Finest....so just had to

try some...... next time decaf.

Best wishes, Bill Utterback

SSF, CA

[Guest guest]

<< Afib is tricky disease, and unless you know you are absolutely positively

*cured*, I would approach your decision about Coumadin with caution; maybe

even talk it over again with your physician.

Ellen

69 NC (on Dofetilide, Coumadin, Antenolol, Nexium, Fosomax, Calcium

(YUKE....the list never ends)! >>

Except for the Dofetilide (I'm on Procanbid), we are taking pretty much the

same medications, including Coumadin. I am one of the lucky ones in the

group who seems to have the Afib under control (knock on wood!!!--I almost

hate to write that!), but I wouldn't give up the Coumadin. With this crazy

condition who knows when the Afib might return and concerns with taking the

Coumadin absolutely pale when I think of even the remote possiblity of a

stroke. I think we are also pretty close to the same age and I expect you,

as I, have known (and known of) folks who have had strokes and really never

recovered to any sort of quality of life. So,the consequences of stroke seem

to me to be so potentially devastating that I will keep taking the Coumadin.

I have had to learn to be more careful about certain activities, but small

price to pay, at least for me.

Brenta

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/19/2002 7:55:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

Failteg@... writes:

<< Afib is tricky disease, and unless you know you are absolutely positively

*cured*, I would approach your decision about Coumadin with caution; maybe

even talk it over again with your physician.

>>

Ellen,

I agree completely! This morning when I received my report on yesterday's

Protime test, I asked my doctor's nurse if I should continue to take Coumadin

even though I've been in continuous sinus for five weeks now (35 days!). She

said she didn't even need to consult with the doctor before telling me that I

definitely need to go on with the Coumadin even if I stay in sinus for

another week. I was thinking that perhaps after six weeks in sinus, it would

be safe to take a break from Coumadin because my previous cardiologist had

told me that a clot could be thrown up to six weeks after the last afib

episode but probably not after that. However, as the nurse pointed out, I

could go back to afib at any time, something I'm trying to forget!

Like you, Ellen, in the beginning of taking Coumadin, my main focus was dead

rats, bleeding to death, etc. Now taking it really doesn't bother me at all,

except when I'm reading here about people's fears; and I have had absolutely

no problems with Coumadin.

might be interested to know that my Protime report this morning revealed

an INR of 2.19 on 2.5 m.g. of Coumadin daily. That's half the dose I started

on, and I think that's due to my radical change in diet, designed to maintain

sinus as well as lower my dose of Coumadin. It seems to be working. I asked

if that INR is high enough, and the response was that any number between 2

and 3 is adequate. The instructions were to continue on my present dose and

have another Protime test in a month. You may be sure that I will follow

those directions until and if my doctor tells me it is safe to stop Coumadin.

Like you, Ellen, I think the horror aspect of Coumadin is mostly in the

mind, but the horrors resulting from a stroke are a physical reality that I

want to avoid at any cost.

in sinus in Seattle (Day 35!!)

[Guest guest]

Hi & Good Morning:

I have been in NSR now for over a year and half. I went from October 2000 to

August of 2000 (10 Months) before I had a minor Afib episode; then I went

another several months and had another one. Before August, I had questioned my

EP and my GP about discontinuing Coumadin, and they were both adamant that I

stay on it - saying there was no guarantee that I would be free of Afib - and

that I could run the risk of a stroke.

At the start of Coumadin, I couldn't get my mind off of it. It was driving me

nuts thinking about rats, bleeding, and on and on and on. It didn't take too

long to realize that these worries were minor compared to the idea of having a

stroke. Taking Coumadin doesn't bother me anymore; taking Dofetilide does -

inasmuch as we don't know the *long* term effects of this drug.

Afib is tricky disease, and unless you know you are absolutely positively

*cured*, I would approach your decision about Coumadin with caution; maybe even

talk it over again with your physician.

Ellen

69 NC (on Dofetilide, Coumadin, Antenolol, Nexium, Fosomax, Calcium (YUKE....the

list never ends)!

***********************************

----- Original Message -----

From: photojems

(snip) Since the fibrillations had almost stopped I no longer took coumadin

much to the Dr's distress. The ECHO showed that my heart was OK. Another EKG

showed that my

hearbeats were regular.(snip)

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