Re: Ground Flaxseed- Toni

[Guest guest]

Toni,

My son told me he takes his teaspoon of daily flaxseed in a protein shake.

Others told me they sprinkle it over cereal. Said it has nutty taste.

Some sprinkle it on salad.

The birds in the back yard enjoy it wherever they find it.

LJ

[Guest guest]

My son told me he takes his teaspoon of daily flaxseed in a protein shake.

Others told me they sprinkle it over cereal. Said it has nutty taste.

Some sprinkle it on salad.

--------------

LJ ... I sprinkled mine on cereal. It kind of looks like dirt, so I was

expecting it to make the milk weird in the cereal, but it didn't. It was fine.

The cereal taste (healthy stuff) was still the main taste, but if it had tasted

horrible I'd have noticed, and it didn't. I see my doc in June so I'm gonna do

it now till then and see how my cholesterol levels are ... figure it's healthy,

and I'm still taking the 1000 mgs of flaxseed oil too. Wish some of this stuff

would help on my a-fib... I'm still taking magnesium, but nothing helps anymore.

Am chronic. Am pissed about it. Am frustrated. But am alive and at work and

kicking ... so it's all good I guess.

Toni

CA

[Guest guest]

Toni wrote:

I sprinkled mine on cereal. It kind of looks like dirt, so I was expecting it

to make the milk weird in the cereal, but it didn't. It was fine. The cereal

taste (healthy stuff) was still the main taste, but if it had tasted horrible

I'd have noticed, and it didn't.

There's a cheery a.m. thought -- dirt on the health cereal.

Glad to know you're able to keep working so you can afford puppy treats.

Is the chronic af very symptommatic?

I still believe in miracles (of sorts). My heart is calm -- never anticipated

that happening after the cardiac surgeons deemed me hopeless and never to see

them again. (I hope to never see them again myself.)

LJ

[Guest guest]

Hey LJ ... the af is symptomatic some times and not others. Right now it is ...

giant squirrels. My heart rate also is going over 100 more often than it

should. THe digoxin doesn't seem to be working well for that either. The dig

level is supposed to be beween 2.0 and 3.0 ... mine used to be 1.8 to 1.9, which

was almost the low end. The doctor said that was just MY normal. Now, the

tests for the last several months have shown a level of 0.8 ... even if I just

took it an hour before I had the blood drawn. I thought perhaps the timing of

my magnesium was interfering, so I changed what time I take both the dig and the

magnesium, and even went a week without the magnesium. Nothing helped. The

doctor is stumped as to why my body seems to be either rejecting the digoxin or

not responding to it. Since I " m already taking .25 mgs. twice a day, that's the

max dose so I don't know what else I can do. Since I can't takeany of the other

meds, and my health plan still won't approve an ablation with Dr. Natale, I

think I'm SOL ... and pretty scared about it. I try to seek out denial to live

in so I'm not so frightened so much of the time. It definitely bites. Thanks

for asking.

Toni

CA

Re: Ground Flaxseed- Toni

Toni wrote:

I sprinkled mine on cereal. It kind of looks like dirt, so I was expecting it

to make the milk weird in the cereal, but it didn't. It was fine. The cereal

taste (healthy stuff) was still the main taste, but if it had tasted horrible

I'd have noticed, and it didn't.

There's a cheery a.m. thought -- dirt on the health cereal.

Glad to know you're able to keep working so you can afford puppy treats.

Is the chronic af very symptommatic?

I still believe in miracles (of sorts). My heart is calm -- never anticipated

that happening after the cardiac surgeons deemed me hopeless and never to see

them again. (I hope to never see them again myself.)

LJ

[Guest guest]

Tony, Is there an appeal process you can go through with your insurance co.?

Would a beta blocker help calm the squirrels?

indiaink99@... wrote:

Hey LJ ... the af is symptomatic some times and not others. Right now it is ...

giant squirrels. My heart rate also is going over 100 more often than it

should. THe digoxin doesn't seem to be working well for that either. The dig

level is supposed to be beween 2.0 and 3.0 ... mine used to be 1.8 to 1.9, which

was almost the low end. The doctor said that was just MY normal. Now, the

tests for the last several months have shown a level of 0.8 ... even if I just

took it an hour before I had the blood drawn. I thought perhaps the timing of

my magnesium was interfering, so I changed what time I take both the dig and the

magnesium, and even went a week without the magnesium. Nothing helped. The

doctor is stumped as to why my body seems to be either rejecting the digoxin or

not responding to it. Since I " m already taking .25 mgs. twice a day, that's the

max dose so I don't know what else I can do. Since I can't takeany of the other

meds, and my health plan still won't

approve an ablation with Dr. Natale, I think I'm SOL ... and pretty scared

about it. I try to seek out denial to live in so I'm not so frightened so much

of the time. It definitely bites. Thanks for asking.

Toni

CA

Re: Ground Flaxseed- Toni

Toni wrote:

I sprinkled mine on cereal. It kind of looks like dirt, so I was expecting it

to make the milk weird in the cereal, but it didn't. It was fine. The cereal

taste (healthy stuff) was still the main taste, but if it had tasted horrible

I'd have noticed, and it didn't.

There's a cheery a.m. thought -- dirt on the health cereal.

Glad to know you're able to keep working so you can afford puppy treats.

Is the chronic af very symptommatic?

I still believe in miracles (of sorts). My heart is calm -- never anticipated

that happening after the cardiac surgeons deemed me hopeless and never to see

them again. (I hope to never see them again myself.)

LJ

[Guest guest]

Tony, Is there an appeal process you can go through with your insurance co.?

Would a beta blocker help calm the squirrels?

------------------

DAvid ... I WISH! Believe me, I did every appeal and action I could think of.

The stress was so overwhelming that I got deathly ill and spent 11 days in the

hospital and six months of a nightmare. I can't go through it again ... and am

not sure I could survive it if I did. And due to damage from a previous SVT

ablation four years ago that permanently damaged my heart, digoxin is the ONLY

medication I can take. I can't take beta blockers, calcium channel blockers,

nor anti-arrhythmics ... that's why I said I'm SOL if the digoxin has stopped

working. My only other prayer is an a-fib ablation, and due to the damage by

the other guy, Dr. Natale is the ONLY guy I'd let into my heart (I had a consult

with him two years ago and he wanted to do it but my insurance company wouldn't

cooperate). So I live in constant terror of cardiomyopathy, thickening of the

heart walls, heart enlargement, stroke, you name it. Plus I feel very limited

since I've been in constant a-fib since last August 27th (but who's counting)

.... I'm exhausted a lot and feel lucky that I can still work. I don't have much

energy for much else, so my world is very constricted and small (and boring)

these days. They tell you a-fib won't kill you ... it'll just take away so much

of your life that you won't much care if it does.

Toni

CA

[Guest guest]

Toni,

Isn't digoxin a form of digitalis - like the plant kind?

If so, perhaps there is some chemical interaction. Perhaps some new food item

or other exposure is reducing the action of the digoxin. Just a thought.

Perhaps it is something systemmic like less blood oxygen saturation caused by AF

- which reduces the efficacy/usability of the digoxin?

I thought the mag was supposed to be taken with food - because it's just a

supplement to what we lack in our diets. Not that this should make a

difference, but it is a digestive item.

Have you perhaps developed metabolic syndrome? That could interfere with

absorption of stuff.

Don't give up analyzing the situation because it's good for the brain and the

heart.

LJ

[Guest guest]

Hi LJ ... all good things to consider and the answer is I have no idea. I used

to take my magnesium three times a day with each meal. That is too close to the

9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. digoxin ... so now I take it at 3 p.m. alone and a

slightly smaller dose (800 mgs instead of 1200 since I'm already in a-fib all

the time anyway). 3 or 3:30 p.m. is the farthest away I can take it from both

digoxin doses. And yes, digoxin is a form of digitalis, a very old med,

plant-based initially, and supposedly very safe. I analyzed my food choices and

have been very careful, and nothing I eat should interfere with digoxin

absorption. Even my internist was puzzled. I don't know enough about metabolic

syndrome to know if that's a factor. And I meditate and do deep-breathing and

all that stuff to try to improve or maximize oxygen intake and utilization. Not

sure what else to do or try or analyze. Suggestions appreciated.

Toni

CA

Re: Ground Flaxseed- Toni

Toni,

Isn't digoxin a form of digitalis - like the plant kind?

If so, perhaps there is some chemical interaction. Perhaps some new food item

or other exposure is reducing the action of the digoxin. Just a thought.

Perhaps it is something systemmic like less blood oxygen saturation caused by AF

- which reduces the efficacy/usability of the digoxin?

I thought the mag was supposed to be taken with food - because it's just a

supplement to what we lack in our diets. Not that this should make a

difference, but it is a digestive item.

Have you perhaps developed metabolic syndrome? That could interfere with

absorption of stuff.

Don't give up analyzing the situation because it's good for the brain and the

heart.

LJ

[Guest guest]

Toni - have you gone to the state insurance commissioner? That's one of the

first things I was told to do when my PVI was denied. And if you have to no

avail, then go to your congressman and plead your case. There are also firms

that do nothing but help people through appeals and such.. seems a waste that

there need to even exist such, but you might considering hiring someone to do

the work for you again.. they may know tricks that you don't, and it would

certainly take the weight off you personally.

Stef

indiaink99@... wrote:

Hey LJ ... the af is symptomatic some times and not others. Right now it is ...

giant squirrels. My heart rate also is going over 100 more often than it

should. THe digoxin doesn't seem to be working well for that either. The dig

level is supposed to be beween 2.0 and 3.0 ... mine used to be 1.8 to 1.9, which

was almost the low end. The doctor said that was just MY normal. Now, the

tests for the last several months have shown a level of 0.8 ... even if I just

took it an hour before I had the blood drawn. I thought perhaps the timing of

my magnesium was interfering, so I changed what time I take both the dig and the

magnesium, and even went a week without the magnesium. Nothing helped. The

doctor is stumped as to why my body seems to be either rejecting the digoxin or

not responding to it. Since I " m already taking .25 mgs. twice a day, that's the

max dose so I don't know what else I can do. Since I can't takeany of the other

meds, and my health plan still won't

approve an ablation with Dr. Natale, I think I'm SOL ... and pretty scared

about it. I try to seek out denial to live in so I'm not so frightened so much

of the time. It definitely bites. Thanks for asking.

Toni

CA

Re: Ground Flaxseed- Toni

Toni wrote:

I sprinkled mine on cereal. It kind of looks like dirt, so I was expecting it

to make the milk weird in the cereal, but it didn't. It was fine. The cereal

taste (healthy stuff) was still the main taste, but if it had tasted horrible

I'd have noticed, and it didn't.

There's a cheery a.m. thought -- dirt on the health cereal.

Glad to know you're able to keep working so you can afford puppy treats.

Is the chronic af very symptommatic?

I still believe in miracles (of sorts). My heart is calm -- never anticipated

that happening after the cardiac surgeons deemed me hopeless and never to see

them again. (I hope to never see them again myself.)

LJ

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/18/06 1:00:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

quarteracreorchids@... writes:

> Toni - have you gone to the state insurance commissioner? That's one of

> the first things I was told to do when my PVI was denied. And if you have to

> no avail, then go to your congressman and plead your case. There are also

> firms that do nothing but help people through appeals and such.. seems a waste

> that there need to even exist such, but you might considering hiring someone

> to do the work for you again.. they may know tricks that you don't, and it

> would certainly take the weight off you personally.

>

Some new suggestions to consider Stef! I did file a complaint with the state

medical board. And since I could get the ablation with my health plan and

the barracuda, it negates my case and insistence on Dr. Natale. And I'd have to

hire someone because I can't compromise my health again by starting up the

fight again ... I take it too much to heart and it takes too much out of me.

But definitely something to consider ... thank. Your caring means a bunch.

Toni

CA