In a message dated 12/27/2007 9:13:27 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Holly et  all, I've been on coumadin for about 2 months, since I went
into A  fib.  I did have to change my multi vitamin to one w/o vit K, as
the  INR (clotting time, I think) was not getting into the desired
range.   Haven't changed my vit A or C intakes, though.  Only side effect
I'm  noticing is my total lack of endurance (out of breath easily) but
don't  think that's synthroid related, just coumadin related.  Hope  that
helps....

Dave  >>>>>
Dear Dave,
 
I was in atrial fib in March of this year. (I went to this great party and  
had 5 cups of the best coffee I had ever tasted. I woke up the next day with a  
pulse too irregular to count.)
 
The local Med Point (Doc in a Box) doc did an EKG and wanted to call  an 
ambulance to take me to the hospital. (Docs tend to be fear mongers, in the  event 
you haven't noticed)
 
People who docs like don't do too well in the hospital, and I probably  would 
not have made it to supper time; so I signed out AMA.
 
I went from 30-45 minute work outs on the Stair Master, to getting winded  
walking up a few stairs. And while I have always known I was in a foot race with 
 the Grim Reaper, it felt like I was getting my nose rubbed in it.  
 
A friend, also in A-Fib, told me about Dr. Janet Smith. She did chelation  
with IV vitamins and magnesium. By the fifth treatment, I was back in a  normal 
sinus rhythm, confirmed with an EKG monitor. 
 
She suggested that I take the wholes series of treatments, so I continued.  
For the first time in about 15-20 some years, I am off my blood pressure  
medication and have a blood pressure better than I had in college. 
 
While I can't diagnose or treat long distance, some things that I believe  
include:
 
1. Big danger from A-fib is the stasis of blood in the atria and throwing a  
clot to the brain or heart for a stroke or heart attack, respectively.
 
2. Coumadin was developed as a rat poison. That is a much better use of it.  
The evidence that it does anything except change the presentation of strokes 
or  heart attacks is scant; and the evidence that it has very bad side effects, 
is  plentiful. Over the years, I have talked with doctors who see major 
swings in  clotting times, during a single day. 
 
3. Nattokinase is a much better alternative that I started  taking when I was 
in A-fib. I still don't want a heart attack or stroke, so  I am still on it. 
Look at _www.mercola.com_ (http://www.mercola.com)   for information on this. 
 
4. Common causes of A-fib include: 
 
A. Inadequately treated Hypothyroidism. Conduction defects (that are part  of 
A-fib) are about 3 times more common in Hypothyroidism. And, NO, thyroid  
status is NOT a blood test. It requires good clinical acumen, a good History,  
and a thoughtful Examination. Take your temperature throughout the day. If you  
are averaging less than 98.6 oral, you are likely hypothyroid;
 
B. Magnesium deficiencies that are rampant in the US. This won't show  up on 
the lab until you have exhausted all your stores and are in serious  trouble. 
Calcium, potassium, and magnesium are critically important  for heart 
function. 
 
 When was the last time your doc talked to you about the importance of  
minerals in cardiac function? I really made up for lost time with my friends the  
"Leafy Greens." While I detest the word, I am pretty much a vegetarian. As a  
perk, I lost 13 pounds since April; without even trying. 
 
C. Heavy metals, which are virtually never tested for nor treated, can have  
a serious effects on cardiovascular function, blood pressure, and overall  
health. I had high levels of cadmium, lead, and arsenic. There is a tremendous  
amount of widely accepted information on the toxicity of heavy metals, and  
virtually all of it is being ignored. Even the amount  of mercury on  absorbs 
from amalgam fillings can have a significant effect on the nervous  system. 
Putting mercury fillings in our mouths is really a bad idea.  Arsenic or lead would 
have been less toxic. 
 
D. Docs make money Treating illness, not Curing it. I think that is  why so 
little effort is spent on diagnosing the cause of these problems, and  more 
often just putting Band-Aids on them. Let me know if this interests  you, I have 
several articles on this topic. You'll find many docs willing to use  drugs or 
surgery to address this problem, but I have never heard of mainstream  docs 
willing to pursue a cause and treat that. 
 
E. Stay away from statin drugs. (Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravocol, and  others) 
These chemicals induce a Co Q 10 deficiency that can usher in  Heart Failure or 
Liver Failure.
 
F. Another friend had A-fib, and he had electro ablation. Later, he read  
that on complication of it can be a fistula between the great blood  vessels and 
the esophagus. 
 
G. As I tell my patients, "Don't believe any doctor blindly, not even me.  
Learn all you can, then, decide what you believe."
 
A prayer that you get what you need to get well. What you do early in  A-fib 
matters a lot. If you can begin appropriate treatment in the first month  or 
so, it is more likely to resolve.   
 
As with all my advice, if it is not useful, "DELETE" is immediately to the  
right of the main keyboard.
 
Peace,
 
Doc
 








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