It is so embarrassing to have this condition while in my mid 20s! I'm just messed up and I need support. When I first got diagnosed, I went to research it and found that it is mostly in elderly people!
It's not only that, but nothing seems to be working for me. Apparently I have what's called Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which means I don't have it constantly. But when I do, I can feel it and it isn't a pretty thing. I really freaked out the first episode and it went on for a long time and they cardioverted me. That was scary. I thought it was all over, but of course, it came on again.
Anyway, I was put on Tambocor at first and it really slowed my heartbeat. I got too weak and was fainting. So I'm off of that and still just a mess. My doc wanted to try other antiarrhythmic drugs, but I told him I was too afraid they'd mess me up worse. I am afraid every day that I'll get an episode and I'm afraid of getting a stroke too. I surely don't want to end up being an invalid for the rest of my life. So I take blood thinners to keep my blood from clotting, but I am never stable with that. I'm either bleeding all the time or they tell me my blood isn't thin enough to prevent clotting! It's like they can't seem to just get it at the right consistency.
I hate being so young and having such a severe disease! I can't enjoy life like other people my age. I mean, I am OK when I'm not having an episode (aside from all the side effects of blood thinners). But A-Fib seems to come up quite frequently. I usually just try to relax and let it go away on its own, but I often feel weak and lightheaded and it scares me. Cardioversion wasn't bad. I didn't feel anything really, but it scares me to think that my heart is actually being shocked, so I avoid it.
I was reading online about ablation. It is another scary procedure that I would not want to have. But at the same time I don't want to die before I'm old! Do you think it is something I should consider or no? I just want to get rid of this problem!
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hello,
No-one can decide for you but here on this forum you will invariable find "holistic" answers.
I don't think you want to be on drugs for the rest of your life and just consider the long-term effects of that. So are you looking for holistic options? I'm sure there is lots you can try. From my own perspective though, an important point lies in your last sentence. "I just want to get rid of this problem!" From a TRULY holistic few this never works! In fact, if medicine had caught up with quantum physics, doctors would know this too. And many probably do, but they give patients what they ask for.
Illness is there for a reason and if it was a matter of simply getting rid of something, then there would be no learning and hence the challenge/journey/gift which the illness provides is wasted.
Hello,
So are you looking for holistic options.
Yes! I feel like I am a robot, being chemically controlled. I don't want to be on drugs, and right now all I am on are the blood thinners. I hate it, but I also don't want to get blood clots and end up worse off than I am right now.
I understand what you say about it being a learning experience and I try to look on the bright side as best I can. But the part that gets me is the fear. I am afraid of getting another episode and afraid of getting a stroke and ending up unable to speak or unable to walk...and at my age, that would be horrible! Maybe I should rephrase. I don't need to be "rid" of the problem necessarily. I just want to have it under control before something serious happens to me. I also don't want to go about each day worrying about it.
Thanks for your reply!
I understand where you are coming from in terms of the potential consequences. On one hand none of us are truly in control of life, a fact which is best accepted with humility. On the other hand, they say God helps those who help themselves, and I would agree in the sense that we can still make a difference through our actions.
I have looked into what heart problems mean in terms of psychosomatic causes and you can use what I share as a working hypothesis and either it will help or not.
What I've found is to do with either "fear of life" or "excessive emotional stress".
So the way I would work with this is to first of all assume it may well be true that I fear life or that I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself emotionally. That's because often things are so subtle that we don't see them at first and we think they aren't true for us. So I keep an open mind. Then I would look for any clues in my behaviour that maybe I feel I won't be able to cope with the challenges life brings me (hence fear) or anything similar. I can obviously only give examples here but the things is, it's not always easy to spot. If it was, we would not call forth physical imbalance but would instead spot the underlying issues before the materialise physically.
Personally, I believe we are only ever given challenges which we need and which therefore we CAN handle. But needless to say, this rational understanding does not always help when irrational emotions and feelings are involved.
In view of your traumas/problems in life (growing up) I suggest that a lot can be sorted using [url]Emotional Freedom Technique[/url] (EFT). Now I know this is a therapy that can be used by tapping on oneself, but in your case I would find a highly [url]qualified practitioner [/url](eg Master) who can help you and teach you how to use this tool to your particular advantage. Stress - past and present - is the cause for over 70% of illness and it is astonishing what can be dealt with using EFT. There is plenty to read on that site and lots of stories of those who have been helped with this method. Watch the videos too, to see the changes in expression on people's faces when their trauma has been dealt with!
I would look for a practitioner well experienced with sorting out trauma - speak to them first to find someone you are comfortable working with. The other advantage of EFT is you can be guided with the wordage and tapping over the phone/skype, so you don't have to travel to the therapist. Living where you do this could be a great time and money-saver!
Once past traumas have been dealt with you may well find that the heart problem subsides considerably and you can get on with your life 🙂
Very best wishes
I don't mean any offense in any way, but what you two are describing just scares me more. I never thought of my heart problem on such a deep level, dealing with my emotions and past etc. I believe in God and I believe that he allows things to happen to us for a reason. But thinking about my illness on such a deep level just adds extra to the load.
Of course, there are emotions to deal with every day...but that's everybody. It seems as though you are thinking my disorder has to do with psychological health and I only see it as physical. I don't have any psychological disorders. Yes, I was physically abused when I was younger. That is a long story but I have been slowly healing and my girlfriend has pulled me through more than I ever thought I could get through.
I don't know if I give off the impression that I am severely psychologically disturbed or not. Truth is, at the moment, I am very content with my career and the people in my life. No real stress other than my illness. I wouldn't be afraid if I knew that my illness was under control. Right now, I am looking for advice on how I can physically control my problem. Or at least where I can go to find help, what I should say to my docs, should I find other docs etc. Are there any mineral supplements or natural remedies out there to reduce my problem? Things like that...
But I do thank both of you for your advice! I appreciate that you are trying to help.
I am delighted you have such wonderful support now. That is excellent.
There was absolutely no intention of labelling you as psychosomatic - that would be unkind! There is however a considerable element of trauma impacting on health in the most unexpected ways. To my amazement, I watched Gary Craig (founder of EFT and Church counsellor) at his seminar in UK discover the cause of a 56 year old man's excruciating pain in his knee being the result of his truama as a two and a half year old child, when his father took his teddy bear away as he 'was now old enough to do without it'. That past pain was held in his knee and once that truama was dealt with by tapping, then his knee became pain-free. Do look at EFT - it is a most excellent tool, and look up about Gary Craig too - a wonderful, kind, caring Christian.
Perhaps if you told us you are looking for supplements and natural remedies then I could have given you that information. Many heart rhythm disorders are due to lack of magnesium. "The level of magnesium in the blood correlates with the ability of the heart muscle to beat properly" (Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno). Actually your doctor should be well aware of this - it has been known about since 1935! and is basic biochemistry done in 1st year med school. Several studies have been done to show this, and even that magnesium supplementation is beneficial even when blood levels are normal.
That being said, you must look at both your gut and your diet. Your gut may have been damaged due to the gut flora becoming imbalanced as a result of infection, antibiotics and/or stress (sorry, but true!). When they are imbalanced they will damage the gut wall making it difficult for some nutrients to be absorbed properly. So this might be a cause.
Your diet is far more likely to be a cause - but I admit I have no idea of your dietary habits. Magnesium is found mostly in nuts, kelp, wheat bran and germ, buckwheat, blackstrap molasse, millet and vegetables and you will need to eat a minimum of 3 x 4oz servings of vegetables daily, preferably raw in salads or lightly steamed/stirfried for maintenance. As there is such an impact on your cardiac health, a supplement of magnesium is most probably warranted. If your Dr cannot/will not sort this out then I can PM you with contacts of suitable practitioners in US. There are a number of other useful supplements and herbs that are helpful but need to be prescribed on an individual basis (and they are a lot cheaper than drugs!).
Meanwhile a wholefood diet could do wonders for your health and wellbeing. There are masses of books available or have a look on-line.
Well, I don't know if this would have anything to do with it, but it relates to your first suggestion. I probably should not describe in detail what happened to me though. It was an intentional attack that almost resulted in death when I was younger. (More than once) If anyone is thinking it was my parents, it wasn't. I was never abused by family. If I describe what happened, would I be kicked off the forum? I am not thinking my health problems are due to the "stress" of the incident as much as the physical impact on my body from being "chemically" abused...
Hi RiB17
My daughter has exactly the same as you, she had the arrithymia for 2 years and took various medication, she also had AF.
Hers started after a very heavy drinking bout, and she smoked was overweight and unfit.
She did have the ablation, last year and she was very brave about it. They said that she was a good candidate for the op and even though it hasn't taken it away totally, when she has completed UNI next year is having it done again, she was on warfarin , which needs to be checked very regularly for a tweek in dosage to get it correct, and now the op has been done is not on it. she is on Dronodrone which regulates the beat and she is happy with this, she wasn't always before. She has used lavender and Ylang-Ylang essential oil, relaxation methods, massage and keeping her mind busy, she said that when she thought about how she felt they came on because she could feel the heart beating different and it scared her. She still feels them now but sees them differently, now she knows she is not going drop down ded.
You need to speak to your own Dr/GP tell them your worries , ask for a referral to the heart specialist, ask about ablation and the benefit that you may get if you need it done. Tell them you need support , if your scared tell them and that you may need more support. Look at things to relax you, so that you don't trigger them, do exercise gently keep moving keep living a good life, meditate if you can. I hope you get some resolve from this..my daughter said she would have it done again, but not the first time she went in obviously. she hoped she would not have to go back but as I said she is now.