General Question

gondwanalon's avatar

Is there a non-drug herbal remedy for atrial fibrillation?

Asked by gondwanalon (22864points) April 2nd, 2010

I’m a 59 year old male who’s heart goes in and out of atrial fibrillation (AF) several times per day but is in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) most of the time. This has been going on since 2001. The strongest anti-arrhythmia drugs (including amiodarone and dronedarone) are not effective any more. My cardiologist thinks that amiodarone works adequately and that my condition isn’t bad enough to have an ablation procedure (to correct the electric problem in the atria). I’ve exercised regularly vigorously and consistently since 1979, never smoked, drank booze or took other recreational drugs. My heart is healthy and strong with no disease associated with it. Also my body mass index is 21 (the same as it was in high school). I could whine about how AF is destroying my life but I’ll spare you. Thank you, Lon

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3 Answers

gorillapaws's avatar

Get a second opinion from a licensed cardiologist, anti-arrhythmia isn’t something to play around with by eating oregano or peppermint leaves or whatever. If your cardiologist feels your treatment is adequate and you still don’t feel healthy then you really should go see a second cardiologist.

My father is a General and Vascular surgeon. His good friend was his longtime cardiologist who downplayed some symptoms that cropped up. After talking to another good cardiologist friend of his, he was told to immediately get it checked out. So he saw a second cardiologist, had a cardiac catheter and ended up getting a bovine valve procedure because his valve was heavily calcified and missing a section. It probably saved his life.

The moral of the story is that even good doctors make mistakes sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with getting a second opinion when it could mean your life. Best of luck, I hope they get you sorted out.

Dr_Dredd's avatar

Agree with @gorillapaws. Often, sparing someone the side effects of anti-arrhythmic medications is a good indication for an ablation procedure. However, you do have to balance that with the fact that you might need a pacemaker after such a procedure. Definitely find a good cardiologist who can give you a second opinion.

gorillapaws's avatar

Just curious, but has your situation improved?

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