AFibbers Database: Fran

Name	Fran
Location	Ross-shire, Scotland
Age	41
Diagnosed condition	Paroxymal Atrial Fibrillation
Years with condition	20 +
Duration of episodes	very occasionally now.
Event preceding first AF	Childbirth by epidural
General health	smoker but still very fit
Current state	coping very well and getting on with life
Triggers	Alchohol. Food additives, preservatives (sulphites, nitrates) MSG, Sweetners - aspartame, nutrasweet etc. Gets really bad 6-12 hours after major stress or major activity. Although it never happens during. Heat. Low air pressure
Preventions	Don't consume anything with triggers in it. If I make a mistake the follwoing alleviates it: Activity and fresh air. Sleep with window open above bed what ever the weather.
Current medications/side effects	None. I came off all my previous meds (digoxin then arythmol, sotalol, flecainide and atenolol) xmas 2001 and 'medicated' with diet (antioxidents and trace minerals etc). 6 months later I have almost eliminated AF. I feel much better without drugs, and am convinced they made the AF worse.
Past medications/side effects	Digoxin (10 years). Slowed down, more arrythmias, no appetite and no sex drive. sotalol: (1 year) 'forgetting' to breathe and sleep apnoea, ANXIETY, feeling noise as above, fatigue and major sleep problems, nightmares, low blood pressure - 85/35, more arrythmias. No appetite, no sex drive etc. Flecainide: (1 week) full body tremor and pulsating light. Less AF but sinus tachycardia. Atenolol Tiredness, bad sleep, jittery, can 'feel' sudden noise (electric shock throughout body) spasms in fingers and toes. Also don't know if this is connected but joints have become sore since starting.
History of surgery	N/A
Future plans	To see a holistic Dr. I am on a waiting list and she expects to see me about xmas 2002. Am convinced that my AF is the result of oxidative stress which has caused an hormonal imbalance in the ANS. I need help in getting my body back in good balance.
Personal comments	After suffering for 20 years with AF and taking most of the tablets in the book I became permanant. But I have managed to stop the permanent AF, and seemingly most runs of paroxysmal AF through good nutrition and ommitting any food additives. Dr's should be educated on the side effects of these tablets and not label the many side effects as different diseases. I have been given many labels for side effects of tablets and effects of AF (they include menieres disease, migraine, Myalgic Encephelomylitis, Central sleep apnoea and epilepsy). Footnote I now know that most of these symptoms are the result of oxidative stress.
Check list	acebutolol amiodarone (cordarone,pacerone) anisindione (miradon) atenolol (tenormin) aspirin azimilide bepridil betaxolol bisoprolol (monocor,emconcor) bretylium bucindolol carvedilol cibenzoline dicumarol digitoxin digoxin (lanoxin) diltiazem (cardizem) diphenylhydantoin disopyramide (norpace) dofetilide (tikosyn) dronedarone encainide esmolol (brevibloc) ersentilide flecainide (tambocor) gallopamil ibutilide (corvert) lidocaine mibefradil metoprolol (lopressor,toprol xl) mexiletine moricizine nadolol phenytoin procainamide propafanone (rythmol) propranolol (inderal) quinapril (accupril) quinidine (quinaglute) sotalol (betapace) tedisamil timolol tocainide trandolapril (mavik) valsartan (diovan) verapamil (calan,isoptin) warfarin (coumadin) asthma diabetes GERD/acid reflux hypertension hypotension hyperthyroidism hypothyroidism adrenergic vagal familial idiopathic/lone paroxysmal permanent/chronic atrial flutter cardiomyopathy CHF PAC PVC SVT syncope bradycardia tachycardia heart block myocardial infarction rheumatic heart diease sick sinus syndrome stroke WPW electrical cardioversion defibrillator pacemaker ablation bypass maze Male Female

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