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A friend has been dealing with afib now about 2 yrs or so and can't seem to get into a good mood. She's taken some A/D drugs and they would make her heart palp more. I know everyone is different and one really can't prescribe here but she asked if I would ask C-D.
She knows of alternative heart MD's but they are out of her insurance and pricey.
This is probably asking too much but throwing it out.
Surely there are many cardiologists available through her insurance even if, heaven forbid, they are of the traditional allopathic variety. She needs to make an appointment and go discuss the problem.
Is she taking any supplements?
You don't make it clear whether she was being treated for AFib or whether AFib was only experienced when taking antidepressants. Regardless, tell her to see her doctor no matter what letters follow his or her name.
The low mood may actually be another indicator of a heart issue.
Palpitations can be nothing or they can be very serious. You don't know until you've had a cardio workup and an evaluation of medications (including supplements) that you are taking.
Is she actually dealing with afib or is it another type of arrhythmia like PVCs? This makes a huge difference in diagnosis. I originally went to doctor several years ago when I was not feeling well, and often had irregular heart beats which had started up. He did not diagnose anything for me, so I was on my own. In my case I believed it was possibly mitral valve prolapse or something related. I do have spinal curvatures and issues along with bone spurs that affect my digestive system. My reason for explaining all this is that true afib can be LIFE THREATENING while PVCs can be a benign condition. Mine have mostly resolved.
I think it is important that she get a true workup by a doctor she trusts to be sure.
Oh she has a REAL heart specialist and she also sees integrative MD's and has been for years. She's an RN and works to avoid drugs but this heart thing hit her a couple yrs ago. She's dealt with depression a lot of her life even before the heart issue hit her.
She'll have to figure it out. Some days she's good and other days the heart acts up.
As her friend I sometimes feel she is not getting enough thyroid med but if she updoses some, her heart will act up. But what do I know, everyone's body is so so unique. I take a fairly high dose of thyroid and my heart is fine.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 08-22-2018 at 11:39 AM..
Is she under a 'real' doctor's care or just yours?
Your post is rather funny, Real doctor. I see real doctors real MD's like Harvard, Stanford, Ucla, Brown medical schools and they chose to go on to more advanced schooling to work with therapies other than the drugs they are taught in the medical schools. She sees these type too but does see a heart specialist now and sought out one who is open to alt supports. So with her drugs her doctor OK's other stuff she takes.
It's also called Functional Medicine and so many here don't think these MD's are real doctors. They are just no real big drug doctors. But they can write drugs if the patient needs.
And if a patient say comes in with cancer issues, the MD will give suggestions or like allopatic MD's refer them to oncologists.
Different mindsets and so many closed minds too.
I've said it before and I'll say it again..there are many paths to Health and Wellness .
Last edited by jaminhealth; 08-22-2018 at 12:38 PM..
Your post is rather funny, Real doctor. I see real doctors real MD's like Harvard, Stanford, Ucla, Brown medical schools and they chose to go on to more advanced schooling to work with therapies other than the drugs they are taught in the medical schools. She sees these type too but does see a heart specialist now and sought out one who is open to alt supports. So with her drugs her doctor OK's other stuff she takes.
It's also called Functional Medicine and so many here don't think these MD's are real doctors. They are just no real big drug doctors. But they can write drugs if the patient needs.
And if a patient say comes in with cancer issues, the MD will give suggestions or like allopatic MD's refer them to oncologists.
Different mindsets and so many closed minds too.
I've said it before and I'll say it again..there are many paths to Health and Wellness .
You do realize that after medical school, there is residency, right? It’s not just like you go to medical school and they “teach” you stuff and you are good to go. You go through medical school, do the match, and if you do internal medicine, you might decide to further specialize and do a fellowship that requires even more training. Most doctors I’ve gone to recommend more than just drugs. They’ve recommended natural options, supplements, etc. in addition to prescription medication.
Oh she has a REAL heart specialist and she also sees integrative MD's and has been for years. She's an RN and works to avoid drugs but this heart thing hit her a couple yrs ago. She's dealt with depression a lot of her life even before the heart issue hit her.
She'll have to figure it out. Some days she's good and other days the heart acts up.
As her friend I sometimes feel she is not getting enough thyroid med but if she updoses some, her heart will act up. But what do I know, everyone's body is so so unique. I take a fairly high dose of thyroid and my heart is fine.
If your friend is an RN, she probably realizes she needs to work with her cardiologist to minimize the afib and its adverse effects as much as possible. There's no surprise, IMO, that she'd have at least some depression if her afib isn't under control, and she's in afib a lot of the time, or there is no telling when it will act up. Afib makes the person feel lousy, with the heart fluttering like that, the circulation is compromised to some extent and the person is tired, short of breath, and maybe with some chest discomfort, and somehow, when the heart isn't acting right the person just tends to feel as though they might die, even if it's not a life threatening arrthymia.
Treatments for controlling atrial fibrillation range from medications to control the heart rate (lowering it to a normal range) and/or heart rhythm (out of afib to a normal sinus rhythm), cardiac ablations, life style modifications including weight loss, elimination of triggering events (these are different for each person) exercise as tolerated. The success of any of these measures for controlling or eliminating afib differs with each person, sometimes it's a matter of trying a number of things till something works.
Your friend no doubt knows this too, but since a diagnosis of afib carries with it an increased risk of stroke (due to blood clots formed in the "fibrillating"atria getting into the circulation and into the brain), the person needs to be on an anticoagulant, like coumadin or one of the newer anticoagulants such as Eloquis or Xarelto.
I know quite a few people with afib, including my sister and a friend. My sister has had three events where she had to go to the hospital to be cardioverted, she takes a calcium channel blocker drug (diltiazem, I think) to control her heart rate and Eloquis, and says she has been successful in more or less keeping it under control by deep breathing and relaxation techniques when she starts feeling those warning palpitations and that funky feeling that accompanies afib. My friend has had one stroke already (pretty well recovered from it since her husband recognized what was happening and got her to the ER in time to get the clot-busting drug before her stroke caused permanent damage), she's working with her cardiologist to control her afib, she has other health issues probably related to the afib, and takes a number of drugs, including Xarelto. Her cardiologist has also recommended exercise and weight loss to help the afib, and got her enrolled in our local hospital's cardiac rehab program, which consists of a monitored exercise program tailored to each patient's needs and condition of his/her health. My friend thinks this is helping her fib.
My cardiologist told me one time that he'd learned in a continuing education course that moderate exercise can have a significant positive effect on afib- he said
the source stated moderate exercise could cut the chances of recurring afib by 75%- not sure in what context this number came from but the take home message is that exercise is good for afib.
There's a lot out there in the way of managing and controlling afib, but the successes of these measures really depends on the individual, which is why it's up the the individual to work with a professional to determine the best course for him or her.
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