Posts by Sean Anderson29

Is it just me, or does the hype around certain players sometimes feel like it's being used to overshadow everyone else's hard work? I feel like we lose sight of the actual team chemistry when the media focuses on just one person.

Hey there,

Man, I seriously thought this whole thread was dead and buried for good, but apparently not, huh?

First off, let’s cut the crap—stop insulting people, including students. You gotta show some damn respect to everyone, especially someone who’s actually healthy enough to even look at these depressing topics, which most people would rather run a mile away from.

"Alternative" my ass. Some people don't even have the luxury of choosing, because by the time they're facing it, the disease is already too far gone, or they try "alternatives" and they don't do squat. I've already written a whole novel about my own situation here—and seriously, thanks to everyone who jumped in—but the bottom line for you and me is the same: In your struggle, you chose quantity, while I'm all about quality. Translation: There’s a massive chance I’ll be nothing but ashes in an urn for a long time while you’re still out there watching the sun rise and set. And hey, don't go calling me a loser. Everyone makes their own calls, and they choose their own path using their own damn heads.

Look, I don't buy into mental health issues, and I certainly don't want to deal with them the "Western" way. If I ever realized I wasn't in control of myself—which can happen to anyone in a split second—I’d honestly reach for a revolver before I'd ever step foot in a psychiatrist's office. But I'm not recommending that to anyone, and I'm definitely not encouraging it; I want people to live. It's just how I view life: there’s a line in the sand where life just isn't worth living anymore, and I'm being blunt about it. And it’s not just about my head; it’s about paroxysmal AFib, too. I love life while I'm actually living it, but when it ain't... what am I supposed to do? Sorry, not sorry.

Yeah, I check my temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. Don't go labeling that as anxiety; it's called taking care of yourself. For instance, keeping my blood pressure under control is absolutely critical in my mess. How am I supposed to *not* check it? And it’s not just checking numbers—I’ve cut red meat out of my diet, ditched the cookies, minimized salt, cut out white flour and sugar, and I'm trying to drop a few pounds. On top of that, I've added things that actually help with my diagnosis, like flaxseed, salmon, nettle tea, walnuts, and stuff like that.

So, go ahead, just label me completely insane based on that, why don't you?

And as for sharing all this shit here, first of all, I don't have any influence over anyone, and second, let's be real—nobody cares. If it weren't for you, this whole topic would have drifted off into total obscurity a long time ago.

I'm not gonna write about this anymore unless someone specifically asks me to share my experiences... I just don't have the time for this. Honestly, if I had never heard of AFib, I wouldn't even know. My symptoms are pretty manageable right now; I'm not exactly "healthy," but I'm doing okay. And obviously, I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of studying AFib like I planned to, because as soon as I started feeling better, I went back to the things I actually enjoy doing. Studying AFib takes a massive amount of time and effort. I'd have to be way sicker to even bother with that. There are much better things to do with your life than obsessing over this... and if I have to, then fine, I'll do it when I have to.

Am I just posting nonsense on the forum? I'd much rather have someone write this kind of stuff to me than have to write it to someone else. But man, it breaks my heart to read something so cruel and heartless. Whatever, though; I'm always ready to forgive sincerely and with a Christian heart...

For me, it's not about having a private cardiologist, let alone a private psychiatrist. If I ever needed help from a combo of specialists, and I had to choose between a neuro guy and a heart guy at the exact same time—I'm picking the heart guy every single time.

I'm not kidding myself; I'm making a conscious risk. I've written about why before. But here's another example: In the morning, the delivery guy brings the newspaper, and I used to jump up to grab it. But after spending two days in the hospital, I see that I don't even feel like doing that anymore; I could barely manage to get downstairs to pick it up. By the third or fourth day, I wouldn't even bother going out for it, and that would be that. Basically, I'm not that guy anymore. Being in the hospital changes you; it makes you someone you don't even recognize.

I know you shouldn't play games with your heart or cardiac issues. I get that. But I don't see it that way. I see it like this: if I follow conventional heart treatment, I'm playing games with my soul and my mental health. And I won't compromise on that—no matter the cost! Why should I have a sick heart AND a sick soul and mental health to boot? I won't! I can't! And I don't want to! I know I could lose my life, and myself along with it. But I could also save my life and lose who I am—which, to me, is basically the same as dying. Life isn't just a healthy body; it's a healthy soul and mental well-being. All of it together is what makes life. Physical health might take a hit, but mentally and spiritually, it can't, because that's what carries you through; it's more important. At least, that's how it is for me, you nutcase.

Look, just trust your doctor, alright? Why wouldn't you? I honestly have nothing but respect for that kind of bond. Cheers to both of you living long, healthy lives! But seriously, let's just drop this whole argument and move on before it gets even more ridiculous. There is absolutely zero point in you trying to lecture me, because nothing you say is ever going to change my mind, and frankly, I’ve got no interest in sitting here giving you a sermon on anything either... Unless your goal was to give me a massive spike in blood pressure and send my heart racing with palpitations—because if that was the plan, mission accomplished! But hey, I can't even stay mad at you for it...

Later!

So, check this out—before lunch, my resting heart rate is sitting pretty at around 52 to 56 bpm. But then I go and have lunch, take about 10 drops of hawthorn tincture, and wash it down with a shot of red wine, and suddenly everything goes haywire. Even while I'm just lying there, totally relaxed, half-asleep or just staring at the ceiling, my pulse jumps up to 80. And I’m not talking about a steady beat either; it’s absolutely racing, just frantic. It doesn't skip beats, but it’s fluttering like crazy in my chest, making me feel like my heart is about to jump right out of my ribs. It lasted for about an hour and a half. Once the racing finally died down and I actually got up to check my vitals, my blood pressure was holding steady just under 120/80 across four different readings over 20 minutes, and my pulse settled at 81 or 82—which felt much more normal since that frantic thumping in my chest had stopped.

The bottom line here is: watch yourself with those hawthorn tinctures! Start with a tiny amount and work your way up slowly.
Personally, I’m cutting back my dose to 5 drops, three times a day.

Anyway, my pulse is back down to 64 now, and the rhythm and strength of the beat feel solid.
That’s the deal with living with NFL—it's basically life on the edge of a sinus rhythm meltdown...
I'm still working on getting my heart rate regulated back to a nice, steady rhythm...

Oh, and one more thing:

Look, once you hit that first bout of Atrial Fibrillation, you can't just assume it's over. The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that 70 percent of patients with paroxysmal AFib experience another episode within One year. On top of that, a massive 90 percent of people end up having another episode within four years.

So yeah, we're talking about 70 percent of patients dealing with paroxysmal AFib getting hit again in that first year, and 90 percent of them facing it within four.

That’s what I call a real challenge. I'm only 1 month and 17 days past my first episode, so I'm basically just starting this whole ordeal, and honestly? I'm already flying without any real supervision from a cardiologist—probably because the treatment plan they gave me was totally inadequate, though maybe they did that on purpose? Aside from my guy Im mortal, and Jose Clark, if you count him as a cardiologist... Look, I'm grateful to them, really, nobody owes me anything, but at the same time, I'm dead set on handling this myself with some help from Google if that's how it has to go.

Sean Anderson29 said:Right now, I’m messing around with this homemade tincture blend—basically a three-in-one mix of hawthorn (at 40%), chamomile, and calendula (taking 20 drops, three times a day), plus a slice of ginger every single day, plenty of meditation, and just staying chill and avoiding heavy lifting, except for walking, obviously, and dodging stress and all that jazz.
But honestly, I’ve gotta admit I’m a pretty lousy doctor for myself, because even when I’m just sitting there relaxing—and I swear it’s because of the hawthorn—my blood pressure hits about 130/90 and my pulse jumps to 74 or 80, instead of staying at or under 125/85, and my pulse should really be sitting down in that 48 to 60 range.
Look, trying to tune this evolutionary miracle we call a heart to run like a Swiss watch is no joke; it's way easier to just throw stones and trash at my former cardiologist.

Oh, and I totally forgot to mention, I actually cut back on the tincture from 20 drops three times a day down to just 10 drops three times a day, just so my pulse and blood pressure don't go rogue, so we'll just have to see how that plays out.
I guess that's what they call "titrating the dose," which is the stuff Jose Clark was talking about.

Anyway, I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’d be easier to tame a wild lion than it is to control a heart, unless you're leaning on heavy-duty chemicals.

Jose Clark2 said:Look, I think I already made it clear in my previous reply that anticoagulant therapy is a totally separate issue from all your worrying about beta blockers. The real kicker here is whether your heart is actually healthy—like, what’s the actual underlying cause of these rhythm issues? Then we gotta figure out how often these episodes of Atrial Fibrillation are hitting, how long they last, and if they just snap back into a normal sinus rhythm on their own. Plus, you really ought to see if there are specific triggers causing these episodes so you can steer clear of them, obviously.

Jose Clark2

Alright, fine, I know you mentioned that, and so did Im mortal (who suggested maybe taking aspirin). Personally, I’ve got zero beef with aspirin; I’d take three a day if that’s what it took. For now, I’m leaning on ginger because it has those blood-thinning properties, though honestly, I have no way of measuring exactly how much it's doing for me.
Maybe that lab test isn't such a huge deal if they're only looking for one specific parameter—if it's around $33, I could just head out tomorrow and get my blood drawn.

About the ginger: Ginger (scientific name *Zingiber officinale*) is a root that originally comes from India. It looks like a hand with crooked fingers.

People have been using it medicinally for over 5,000 years. Nowadays, you don't just find it in India and Japan; they grow it right here in the USA too.

It’s packed with 0.25 to 3 percent essential oils and five to eight percent gingerols—which are basically these thick, oily, pungent liquids.

It works wonders for metabolism in folks dealing with diabetes, and it's widely used to help prevent blood clotting and inflammation.

As for my heart—whether it's "healthy" or whatever—I don't know a whole lot, except for this:

"EKG shows average electrical axis, sinus rhythm 67/min, weak R-wave progression in V2 and V3.
TSH - 1.80

PRELIMINARY HEART ULTRASOUND: LA 44 mm, MR 1-2+."

Now, is that preliminary ultrasound enough to tell the whole story? I have no clue, you tell me.

If they can run one that doesn't cost more than 450 bucks—maybe $167—and they provide a written explanation, then I'll pay for it, no problem. I just want to finally see once and for all if this heart of mine is actually okay or not.
I think getting something like that at the Medical Center in Cleveland would run about $300.

What exactly is Atrial Fibrillation?

If Atrial Fibrillation means those "skipped beat" sensations, I get about 50 of those a day. I used to get them years ago too, just not nearly as frequently.

Now, if Atrial Fibrillation means those episodes where the rhythm stays wonky for minutes or even hours—well, I had two of those ten-minute ones, and both times I ended up in the ER at night. They saw me while I was wide awake.

The third episode of Atrial Fibrillation hit me while I was dreaming (I had this dream about being way up high, and I have a massive phobia of heights—honestly, I couldn't even live on the 5th floor), and that one lasted four or five hours.

The first two snapped back into sinus rhythm on their own, and the third one did too. I have the ER reports and the cardiologist's notes posted in the other threads if you want to read them—but Im mortal claims they weren't spontaneous:

"From what I gather, it wasn't a spontaneous conversion, but rather a medication-induced conversion (amiodarone) back to sinus rhythm."

So, you be smart about it.

And he adds:

"The left atrium is somewhat enlarged, which is common in people with Atrial Fibrillation—the epicenter of the irregular pulse is near the pulmonary vein inlets in the left atrium.

So, is that a healthy heart or what?

Regarding the triggers, I'm with you: identify them, locate them, eliminate them!

Thanks for the help and the suggestions.

Anyway, right now I'm on a regimen of a triple tincture blend—hawthorn (40 percent), motherwort, and chamomile (20 drops, three times a day)—plus a slice of ginger daily, meditation, avoiding triggers, and keeping my physical exertion low, aside from walking, avoiding stress, and so on.
But I gotta say, I'm a pretty lousy doctor to myself, because even when I'm resting—likely thanks to the hawthorn—my blood pressure hits about 130/90 and my pulse is 74 to 80, instead of staying at or below 125/85 or having a pulse between 48 and 60.
Look, trying to recalibrate this evolutionary miracle we call a heart to run like a Swiss watch is no joke—honestly, it’s way easier to just throw rocks and sticks at my old cardiologist.

Anyway, I’m forging my own path here, pulling from whatever works for me between conventional medicine and the alternative stuff. It’s all about gaining insight, educating myself, hunting for solutions, and—God willing—actually getting healthy. I refuse to just roll over and suffer without a fight, but I also have zero interest in being crushed by brutal side effects. I want to truly understand my heart, down to its very soul, so I know exactly what's going sideways when a symptom hits. If the worst happens, I want to be able to say, "Alright, there goes a clot forming in the atrium, starting its deadly little journey..."
I’ve got so many damn things I’m interested in, a mountain of books at home and a massive library on my Kindle, yet here I am, forced to obsess over cardiology for who knows how long... It's freaking exhausting!!!
But hey, maybe my experiences will actually help someone out.

If you happen to be a doctor—which I'm assuming you are—and you can spare a second, please take a look at what I wrote on pages 3 and 4 regarding Low Body Temperature. I'm asking purely from a professional standpoint; it's like a puzzle, an enigma, and I bet you'll find it interesting.

This site is actually pretty solid:

http://www.healthline.com/health/liv...tm_medium=serp

And Dr. Google? Yeah, he's the best doc in the business.

Cheers!

PS: In case everything goes south, I've already tasked one person to come on here and post under my name to let everyone know the patient is dead and the treatments simply failed.

In honor of that, have a drink on me—though honestly, if I'm gone, there's no point in living anyway!

hahahahaha

And he didn't give me a single thing to thin my blood!

If you experience another episode of AFib, blood-thinning medications like Warfarin may be prescribed to prevent blood clots.

I actually ended up in the ER because of AFib back before the third.

Alright, here’s the lowdown on what Atrial Fibrillation actually is:

The article at the first link talks about paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, and in the section labeled #Treatment6 Part 6 of 8 : Treatment Plan for AFib, it says this:

"Your doctor might suggest anti-arrhythmics like amiodarone or propafenone even after your rhythm goes back to normal. They might also put you on beta-blockers to manage your blood pressure."

AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS PERFECTLY FINE!!!

So what, I'm just supposed to keep popping these beta-blockers? Or should I hunt down some other ones that won't make me feel like garbage?
How are you supposed to trust a cardiologist when they pull stuff like this? It's absolutely insane... I seriously can't believe this is how things are done...

http://www.healthline.com/health/liv...mal#Treatment6

Part 6 of 8: Treatment Plan for AFib
Treatment Plan for AFib
Treatment Plan for AFib involves resetting the heart’s rhythm and preventing blood clots.

With paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, your heart rate can return to normal on its own. Because of that, doctors might try to reset the rhythm using meds or cardioversion (an electrical shock).

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

Your doctor may suggest an anti-arrhythmic medication like amiodarone (Cordarone) or propafenone (Rythmol) even when normal rhythm has returned. They also may prescribe beta-blockers to control blood pressure.

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

if you experience another episode of AFib, blood-thinners like Warfarin may be prescribed to prevent blood clots.

There are a ton of books on Atrial Fibrillation on Amazon, so I'm just gonna buy them all and fix this damn condition myself. I don't trust anyone anymore...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...L+FIBRILLATION

Honestly, I probably need to see a therapist, or maybe someone else entirely?

Walter Thomas18 said:Kaiser Permanente—it’s basically a total blood work overhaul.
So, I see you guys finally went ahead and pulled that thing out.
I honestly don't even know where to start with this mess. I hit this wall of having a super low body temperature while I was on that antibiotic course, and man, if you factor in my pulse and that constant, bone-chilling feeling of being freezing all the time... it gets even worse when you consider I was totally off my hormones after I stopped taking Euthyrox. It's just been one thing after another.

If I were sitting exactly where you are right now, I’d be out the door and heading straight to a private cardiologist faster than you can blink. Seriously, don't just sit there taking it—go get another professional opinion from someone who isn't tied to some bureaucratic system. There is absolutely no reason to stay quiet and just wonder what's going on when you could be getting real answers elsewhere.
Look, let me tell you something about the doctors we deal with through our insurance providers—it’s a complete toss-up. You get everything from these absolute legends who are incredibly kind and actually know their stuff, to the total opposite end of the spectrum. I’m talking about those arrogant, self-important jerks who act like they own the place, even though their medical knowledge is barely better than mine! And believe me, I’m not even a doctor; I just spend way too much time obsessively researching everything so I don't get played when I run into one of those ego-driven hacks. Maybe you just happened to hit the jackpot with a bad one, and then later on, some specialist at a private clinic finally steps up and gives you an actual, legitimate diagnosis.

I mean, does anyone actually know what kind of hellish disease this thing even is? I only brought it up here because I joined this forum right after getting slapped with an Atrial Fibrillation diagnosis, and honestly, we’re talking about a total "to be or not to be" situation here. I’ve already ranted quite a bit about this over in the beta blockers thread, too. My heart rate is low, which isn't even my main headache, but man, this whole mess is just unreal.

Look, just between us—and I really do appreciate the advice, I truly do—but there is absolutely no way in hell I’m going running from doctor to doctor. It’s a never-ending cycle, man. You go from one specialist to the next, one test after another, and honestly? It’s a total money pit. I feel like I’ve already lost my health in this process, and at this rate, I might as well just hand over my entire life savings too! If I actually had more cash lying around, sure, I wouldn't hesitate to drop a fortune on more testing, but right now? It’s just ridiculous.

Look, I officially fired my cardiologist from the public health system. Honestly, it was a total no-brainer. This guy was pumping me full of meds that had way too many side effects, and to make matters worse, the whole treatment plan was completely wrong. I’m not about to sit there and let someone mess with my health like that—it's absolutely unacceptable to me. I actually went on a bit of a tear about this in that other thread regarding beta blockers, because seriously, what are these people even doing?
Look, I’m not exactly flying solo here without some medical guidance, either. We actually have a cardiologist hanging out on this forum who’s been a massive help to me so far, and honestly, I’m counting on them to keep looking out for me down the road too.
So, my doctor actually gave me a treatment plan that actually works—like, it finally fits what my body needs. Honestly, comparing what my old doc prescribed to what this current guy I see on the forums is talking about is like night and day. One of them claims to be "treating" me, but in reality, that stuff was basically killing me, while this new approach is the only thing actually making me feel better. And look, I’ve even tweaked things a bit myself; instead of relying on aspirin to thin my blood, I’ve been hitting the ginger every single day since it does the exact same job anyway. It works, period.

So, look, I’m officially doing my own thing now—taking the alternative route and sticking to stuff that actually nourishes my soul, my body, and my headspace without wrecking everything. And honestly? I couldn't be happier with how it's going. It's a massive upgrade from being a total walking zombie just two days ago because I was stuck taking those damn beta blockers they insisted on prescribing me...

Look, circling back to what we were actually talking about—those low heart rates—honestly, I’m just gonna roll with it. I'll deal with the slow pace and keep things moving exactly how they are, staying tucked away from the freezing winter chill while I wait for spring to finally show up, just like I always have.

So, I just checked my stats right this second—right side is sitting at 36.1 and the left is at 35.6. That’s a half-degree difference between them, which honestly makes me wonder why the hell there's even a gap there? My pulse is holding steady at 60 beats per minute, though I have to admit, a little splash of red wine after lunch definitely helped smooth things out.

Look, I’d honestly love to get to the bottom of what’s actually causing this, purely out of curiosity, but I’m sure as hell not paying out of my own pocket to find out. Maybe some actual expert scrolling through this thread will see this post, get professionally obsessed with my case, and decide to crack the code on someone else's dime—you know, like a fancy private clinic or something. If that happens, my brother is the guy to call at 555-019-982. He’d jump at the chance, and honestly, he’d probably even demand a 10 percent cut—maybe like $100,000—of whatever Nobel Prize in Medicine they hand out once the mystery is solved. Hahaha!

This is a massive headache for any pro—whether you're flying solo or working with a whole crew. I mean, think about it: every single metric looks perfect on paper, right? All the stats are checking out, everything seems fine, but then the temperature drops and suddenly your body’s ability to handle the cold just hits zero. It’s like you've got nothing left in the tank. Honestly, I really hope it's not all just about the bottom line...

And here’s another symptom for the list: when it’s freezing outside, even though I’m bundled up, my face and hands—since they aren't covered—get absolutely ice cold. But then, as soon as I walk around for a bit, my body temp spikes to like 97 degrees or even higher, and I start sweating like crazy. It’s a total mess. If I unbutton my jacket to stop the sweating, I freeze instantly because I lose heat way too fast, but if I stay zipped up, I’m basically melting in the middle of winter. When it's not quite as cold out, this whole thing isn't quite as intense, but man, it's still a massive pain.

Look, I don't want anyone here thinking I'm just messing around or playing games—even if my symptoms make me sound like a total clown—but let me tell you, I had a full-blown heart attack right then and there, if I'm even being being half-accurate about what happened...

Walter Thomas18 said:I honestly don't even know what to tell you here.
I know your temperature can drop below 97 when you're on antibiotics, but I have no clue what your heart rate would be doing then.
Your circulation is definitely shot... it’s just not normal (at least according to your doctor).
Did you get checked out at Kaiser Permanente? And are you sure you aren't dealing with some kind of infection or a virus...? Because if you were, your temp would probably be running high...
My kidneys are a mess... I don't even have them. That slow pulse and that weird feeling of being freezing cold was all because I wasn't taking my hormones...
If I were in your shoes, I’d get a full blood panel done and go see a cardiologist immediately.

So, it's 7:15 AM right now, and the temp under both my right and left arms is steady at 96.3 and 96.1, with a pulse of 48.

As for the circulation thing, I have no idea—how am I supposed to check that? (By myself, at home, if there's even a way to do it?)

I mean, I'd definitely feel it if I had a virus or an infection, but I don't feel anything. And I have no clue what KKS is? Maybe I do, but I don't recognize the acronym.

I've already been through blood tests.
And about a month ago, I had an arrhythmia episode where they diagnosed me with Atrial Fibrillation. I've posted a bunch about it in the beta blockers thread, and I actually uploaded two sets of ER results there—both the blood work and the cardiologist's report. If you want to take a look, go ahead; I think those numbers look fine.
I also have the hard copy of the ER blood work that I haven't typed out yet; my sodium levels were just a little bit low. If there’s something specific you're looking for in those results, just let me know and I'll transfer the info or type the whole thing out for you.

Anyway, I don't really know what to say, other than that I'm dealing with some unknown illness until proven otherwise.
But I can't even get a straight answer since I'm stuck at step one with my primary care doctor, whose response is basically: "It's nothing!" So... yeah.
But whatever, it doesn't freak me out too much because it's something I can live with.
I'm more interested in finding the actual cause than just treating the symptoms (unless we're talking alternative stuff), because once I read the side effects listed on the medication inserts, I'd rather just stay the way I am...

Oh, and another symptom: in the winter, it feels awkward to shake someone's hand. It's like I'm handing them a piece of frozen iron because my fingers get that cold.
And when I see some guy without a hat in the cold, I honestly can't wrap my head around how he handles the winter. He's got a coat and everything, dressed well, but no hat, bald, just standing there phlegmatically waiting for the bus at the station, and I'm looking at him thinking there's no way... I'd be dead within half an hour, or my head would split wide open, my brain would freeze solid—I wouldn't even dare experiment with what would happen, even though a part of me is curious to see how far it goes...

It's a weird disease, honestly. For now, I'll just call it "nothing."

Walter Thomas18

So, tell me, does it actually make a difference if I’m measuring under my right arm versus my left? And if it does, how much of a gap are we talking about? Because right now—literally this second—my right side is sitting at 35.0, while the left is up at 35.7.

And hey, let me brag for a sec, I actually hit a personal record once; I saw it dip below 33.0, maybe somewhere around 32.8 if I remember right.
It’s freezing out, my bathroom is ice cold, and taking a hot shower is basically the ultimate setup for breaking a record. But then, as soon as I dry off with a towel and get dressed, the temperature starts tanking, so I have to scramble into bed, huddle up under the duvet and a bunch of blankets, and just wait for a bit until I can finally crawl back up to 34.8 and actually feel okay again...

Walter Thomas18 said:The symptoms I went through when I was off my hormones for a month (I take Euthyrox because I don't have a thyroid).
Are you dealing with water retention, like your face looking all puffy and stuff?

It just hit me—are you seriously telling me your thyroid is perfectly fine but we’re feeling the exact same way? So what kind of illness is that even supposed to be? Where does it even come from, which organ is acting up, and what's actually causing it?

I'm not out here trying to "cure" it, and I definitely wouldn't touch heavy meds or chemicals just for this, but man, I'd love to actually know the root cause. If there's a way to hunt it down and deal with it properly, great, but if not... whatever, I'll just live with it. It hasn't totally ruined my life or anything, and it's not like it's killing me right now...

Walter Thomas18 said:If this turns out to be some brand new disease, you’ll probably get the honor of having it named after you 😁 😉
Anyway, getting back to business... weak pulse, low body temperature...
You claim the thyroid is fine, but do you actually have the lab results with the specific numbers?
I had similar symptoms myself when I was off hormone therapy for a month (I take Euthyrox because I don't have a thyroid).
Is your body retaining any fluid—like, is your face puffy or anything?

I had my thyroid checked recently because of my heart, but I've been dealing with an extremely low body temperature for about two years now; I really felt the impact after one super stressful two-month stretch. I didn't even own a digital thermometer before, and those old mercury ones don't even register anything below 35.5. But yeah, I definitely didn't have these symptoms a few years ago.

My body isn't retaining fluid, my face isn't puffy, I'm not exhausted, I'm not feeling weak, I'm not dizzy, I'm not gaining weight, and I'm not losing weight... everything else is totally fine, except for the temperature being low and my body's ability to handle the cold—which is absolutely zero.

Immunology lab results (August 10, 2015):

Free T4 Triiodothyronine 15.80 (result) 11.5 - 22.7 (reference range)

TSH Thyrotropin 1.80 (result) 0.3 - 5 (reference range)

They tell me these thyroid results look good. Supposedly.

But I still have a massive problem here. Where this is coming from and why it's happening is basically worth a Nobel Prize in medicine at this point.

I am constantly freezing the second the weather cools down; hats are hands down the most important thing in my life right now—I already own four or five and I'm planning on buying two more just for this winter. Fleece pajamas are just as vital; I literally wear jeans over them whenever I step foot outside my house. And I live in Seattle, where a healthy person could practically spend the whole winter in just a light t-shirt.

But whatever, the doctor tells me it's nothing.

TSH Thyrotropin 1.80 (result) 0.3 - 5 (reference range)

4. Meditation actually strengthens your heart
Scientists have officially proven that meditation does wonders for your blood pressure and how your heart functions. By meditating, you’re basically taking direct control over those stress hormones and keeping them totally in check.

Alright, let me jump in here and brag a little about my freakishly low body temperature. Using a digital thermometer, I’m averaging around 96.3°F. Sometimes there's a whole degree difference when I check both armpits—sometimes just half a degree, but the left side is consistently lower than the right.
But honestly, that's just the tip of the iceberg. My resistance to the cold? Non-existent. If the AC kicks on or the room gets chilly and I strip down to a T-shirt, my temp drops straight to 94.6 or even 93.5, so I basically have to bundle up immediately. In the winter, I’m wearing a beanie inside my house, outside, and even while I'm sleeping.
When I take a shower in the winter, my temperature can dip below 93.2 right after; I have to scramble into bed just to warm myself back up.
If I stayed outside in the winter without a hat, I’m pretty sure I’d get brain freeze from the sheer cold. And if I go out underdressed in the winter, my body temperature just keeps plummeting—I feel like it won't stop dropping until it hits whatever the ambient temperature is outside, whether that's 5 or 10 degrees.

Blood pressure is totally fine.
My blood work from the local clinic was also normal, and my thyroid is working perfectly fine. Plus, I don't have any of those classic symptoms you get when your thyroid is acting up.
Pulse stays between 45 and 55, though it can spike higher than that.
I'm not on any medications or therapies whatsoever.
I'm 6'0" tall and weigh about 190 lbs.
I'm 45 years old.

The doctor just tells me, "It's nothing to worry about."
And I'm just like, "Fine, whatever."

This whole thing has been going on for the last 4 or 5 years; before that, I never had any issues with being cold all the time.

Now, during the summer, I can sometimes push it up to 97.7, but even then, if it's scorching outside, I have to stay completely still, lie on my back in bed, and focus on breathing properly—basically meditate—otherwise, I can't hit those numbers.

It's not like it's some massive burden or anything, it doesn't ruin my life, I've just gotten used to it—I just dress well and call it a day.
It's just that I'm genuinely curious about what the actual issue is, and why my temperature under the left armpit is up to a full degree lower than the right side.
What exactly isn't working right in this supposed "evolutionary miracle" we call the human body???
Or maybe I've got some weird condition that hasn't even been registered as a disease yet, so nobody knows it exists, which means nobody knows the causes, the symptoms, the consequences, or how to treat it.

"It's nothing!" seriously.

xaxaxaxax

Sandra Vaughn50 said:Look, if your heart structure is actually healthy, I’d say just go ahead and take the propafenone. Honestly, I’ve used it myself as a...I’m telling you right now, having that pill tucked away in your pocket is a total game changer, seriously. It’s like having a secret weapon or some kind of lifesaver just sitting there ready to go whenever things go south. I don't care what anyone says, you just can't beat that feeling of being prepared for whatever crazy situation pops up out of nowhere. It's honestly such a relief, man.In the event that you start dealing with those sudden, intense paroxysms.

Look, Doc, listen to me...

So, if we swapped out propafenone for something like droneadron—or even amiodarone—would that still count as having a "pill in the pocket," or would one of those two options actually be the right way to go?

Look, if anyone’s got a lead on a book—specifically an American one, not some overseas text—that breaks down how the heart actually functions, I’m all ears. And listen, don't come at me with those massive, dense medical textbooks that read like a dictionary; I need something for a regular person to actually wrap their head around. Just something straightforward so a layman can finally get what's going on under the hood without needing a PhD. If you could point me toward a specific title, or even just a solid chapter in a book that explains things clearly, I’d seriously appreciate it. Any suggestions?

Now that I’ve actually got a diagnosis on the table, I’m obsessed with figuring out how my heart actually works—like, I want to know the exact anatomy of the thing and where my specific issue fits into the whole biological machine. I honestly feel like if I can just wrap my head around the mechanics of it all, I might actually be able to help myself somehow. I don't quite know how I'm going to go about it yet, but I have this gut feeling that understanding the science is the key...

Thanks in advance!

Sandra Vaughn50

First off, thanks a ton for the reply.

As for Propafenone, yeah, if I could just keep it as a pill in my pocket for whenever an episode hits, I’d absolutely take it. But for daily, long-term therapy? No way, not considering what the official drug info says:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/propafenone-oral-route

When I brought up that 4 or 5-year window earlier, I meant that under the condition that I don't try to fight this disease with heavy chemicals. It's common knowledge that chemo-style treatments would probably shave those 4 or 5 years right off my life. I truly have no intention of treating my body with poison, except maybe occasionally just to get myself back in rhythm, exactly like you suggested.

And all this drama is really just a product of how I'm feeling—which is being made way worse by the brutal side effects from Tyrez—because honestly, I don't feel nearly as good as I used to. My body could handle less physical exertion, but my heart just can't take it. This is a heavy sickness to deal with, especially since every single article you read about it inevitably brings up blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, and failures... I'll be a much happier man if I'm just overreacting and if I can actually go back to working physically once I recover...

I drink about a few ounces of red wine a day, or maybe a shot of hard liquor, and rarely both. I had a gut feeling that I could pull through this, and now that you've confirmed it for me—tomorrow, I'm getting back to my old routine.

I appreciate the advice, and I'm certain it comes from a good place, but I'm passing on the psychological help. My counselor is Jesus Christ, and if He doesn't help, then nobody can, and certainly not some guy I visit where I'm just a number among 500 others who follows a script, writes a prescription, and leaves me to deal with the side effects—dry mouth, losing my sense of taste and appetite, insomnia, or sleeping 12 hours a day and whatnot. I've lived 45 years without that kind of help, and I'll manage however long it takes. That's not how you solve problems; you just pile them up and sweep them under the rug.

Fear is actually useful here; if I didn't have any fear, I would have kept blindly pushing forward with Tyrez and ended up in a state nobody would wish on their worst enemy.

I see we don't look at everything through the same lens, but that doesn't diminish my gratitude or respect for you even one bit. You've helped me more than you probably realize. I'm not saying you're wrong about everything, but hey, let's just agree to disagree...

Anyway, let me finally lay out my treatment plan for my diagnosis:

Hawthorn tea or tincture (to generally boost cardiovascular function)
Ginger, as a preventative (to thin the blood)
Avoiding heavy physical strain
Regular walking
Mediterranean diet
Emotional self-control
Meditation

Side effects🙏none; clear-headed, mentally calm, sleeping well, good appetite and sense of taste, normal blood pressure, rested, not exhausted, no dizziness or headaches, and no nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, etc.

Sandra Vaughn50, thanks for the well wishes, and I wish the same for you.

Sean Anderson29 said:Without BB, I crashed out around midnight last night and woke up just before 6:45 AM with my BP at 123/82 and a pulse of 55. Honestly, I felt totally refreshed and rested. My heart isn't pounding at all—in fact, it’s beating way better than when I was on BB, without any of those skips.

But then, right around 11:00 AM, my heart just starts racing for absolutely no reason, my pulse climbs, and now my blood pressure is lower at 111/73 while my resting pulse is higher at 60; then, the second I stand up to walk a few steps to check it, it jumps to 72—and this is happening under the exact same conditions as this morning.

The only thing is, the pounding feels different than before—it's like it's thumping behind closed doors, you know? It's pounding, but it's a bit muffled, almost like BB hasn't fully left my system yet. And there are no skips.

So basically, I never have these palpitations in the morning, but they kick in around 11:00, and if I have even a tiny splash of red wine, it just makes everything worse... definitely skipping the wine today...

Still, it's all pretty manageable; I can live with this.
BB definitely slowed my heart down for those two days while I was taking it and stopped the palpitations, but even while on it, you could tell my heart was acting unnatural, both with the rhythm and the beats themselves.

Actually, something else just popped into my head. Years ago, I had these same palpitations that eventually just went away on their own. I’d take a sip of water and my heart would start racing wildly, or I’d roll over in bed from my right side to my left and it would start thumping again—just out of nowhere, totally unprovoked.

Kevin Hayes83 said:Look, I don't even know what to tell you. I'm not a doctor, and clearly, you're having some kind of issue with your meds or your treatment plan, so I highly doubt anyone on this forum is going to give you a response that actually makes sense..

There are tons of beta blockers out there, and honestly, it’s totally normal for one to not sit right with someone. As for which BB would be best for your specific situation? I can't tell you because, again, I'm not a doctor. I don't even know where you're located, but if you happen to be near Washington, D.C., I’d suggest heading over to the "Heart Center." I went there myself to get all my tests done and sorted out my therapy..

I'm from Seattle.

I don't know if you actually read what was posted earlier, but it was stated that my therapy involves acetylsalicylic acid—basically Aspirin—and potentially propafenone as a "pill on demand," something I'd take if I hit another episode, you know, a paroxysm.

-paroxysm (Greek), med term: 1. a sudden, violent attack, especially a seizure; 2. a sudden worsening of symptoms or a sudden relapse; 3. a peak of excitement or a powerful surge of emotion (like anger or despair).

Bottom line: I feel like I've finally cracked the code regarding my issues, my diagnoses, and my treatment.

I am extremely happy with this therapy, and I'm taking it with my eyes wide open, of my own free will, and fully accepting any risks that might come with the outcome.

As for those expensive private clinics? Yeah, I don't have the cash, though God knows I would go if I did. I could maybe swing a Holter monitor or something similar, maybe up to $400 $167, but that's my limit; anything beyond that is just way too much...

Personally, I'm more about making lifestyle shifts—cutting out junk food, ditching the processed meat, getting rid of cookies from Hershey's and stuff like that. That's what I've done, and now I'm waiting to see what actually improves...
Maybe there's something in those (partial) poisons that triggers these palpitations and skipped beats... And honestly, compared to being on linden tea, I'm actually coming out ahead since I don't have to buy that anymore...
You've gotta experiment a little; you're a human being, you should try things and see how your body reacts.
The heart is its own entity. You have to treat it like something living, something with its own individuality and intelligence. You should look for ways to make it easier on itself, rather than just prescribing Tyrez and relentlessly hammering it 24/7, 365 days a year, which just drags down your quality of life big time because of the side effects...

Sometimes a person just needs to take a certain amount of risk, listen to their gut, and refuse to follow a path laid out by someone who has 500 people just like me. They're just working on autopilot, so even if they want to help, they can't provide a truly personalized approach to every single patient...

Here's the reality right now: my blood pressure is perfectly fine, my pulse is 52, my heart isn't racing, it's beating happily without skipping a beat. I feel great—well-rested, refreshed, totally clear-headed, and mentally at peace. Everything interests me again; I can actually focus on reading books, newspapers, or scrolling through news sites. I can even take a nap in the afternoon. I've got an appetite and I can actually taste my food. The diarrhea (which was from the magnesium supplement I also ditched) will pass, and I won't wake up with a mouth full of blood from bleeding gums...
Compared to living on Tyrez, which turns life into a total nightmare—and I'm just speaking for myself here, not listing everything I already mentioned—this current state is the complete opposite of what I described before.

I'm not saying I'm perfectly healthy, but I think I can find a small middle ground within my illness that allows me to not jeopardize my life while also not losing myself, preventing my quality of life from tanking more than I'm willing to accept...

So, if some blow comes my way and it literally kills me, I won't regret it. I fought as hard as I could, and I gave everything I had to preserve my mental, emotional, and physical health...

Look, I just can't do it—I refuse to wreck my mental and emotional health just to fix up my physical shape. My headspace is everything to me, and honestly, I’m willing to gamble with my life if it means protecting my sanity. It’s my right, too. It’s just plain wrong to let your mind suffer or get permanently trashed just because you're dealing with physical issues.
To actually stay sane, you need solid sleep, you need your brain to stop redlining at a hundred miles an hour all day long, and you need total clarity. You need a brain that isn't constantly overloaded so you can actually sit down, focus, and enjoy a good book, a movie, or a show on TV without feeling totally burnt out. You have to protect that inner peace, period.

That’s the whole deal.

I don't know, maybe I've got this completely backwards. Maybe I actually need to go see a psychiatrist just so they can try to convince me that my way of thinking is wrong.

And seriously, huge thanks to Sandra Vaughn50—honestly, I’d be thrilled if she never typed another single word in response to my posts again, or if I just vanished tomorrow. I really mean it when I say I'm thankful; those few sentences of hers meant absolutely everything to me...