Heart - Irregular Rythms

Asking around, I've found many people have irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmia's in medical jargon. Wikipedia has a good page on it and tells about different types, etc. So what do you do if you have a recurrent irregular heart beat? Do nothing or 1. See the doc and take drugs; or 2. Take care of the deficiency that is causing it.

NOTE! At any rate, it is a good idea to see your doctor to determine what type you have, how serious it is, and what else may be a contributing factor (high blood pressure, electrolyte imbalance, diabetes, etc.). A doctor may want to put you on a Holter Monitor to look for more information. Your heart is not something you just want to stop on you!


1. Drugs - Any unnatural substance not normally found in the body that has side effects; often serious and unintended (USDA). The side effects then require another drug, etc., etc. There is also a problem with potentially serious hazards of using skin numbing products, also known as topical anesthetics, for relieving pain from mammography and other medical tests and conditions. FDA is concerned about the potential for these products to cause serious, life-threatening adverse effects, such as irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing difficulties, coma and even death, when applied to a large area of skin or when the area of application is covered.

2. Natural supplements - Replacing what the body has lost through neglect, poor nutrition, or the effects of drugs (those unintended side effects) and antibiotics. It would be nice if we could get it from our foods, but that's getting harder and harder.

I will leave #1 up to the doctors - that is what they are trained for and best at; but personally, I like to try #2 first. For a doctor, I would recommend finding a Fellow of the American Academy of Cardiologists - F.A.C.C.

#2. Here are commonly recognized deficiencies that lead to heart arrhythmia's or irregular heart beats and some ways to address those deficiencies:

A. Coenzyme Q-10, or simply CoQ10, is normally synthesized by your body and is used in the production of energy. The ability to make CoQ10 lessens with age as well as taking certain medications. There are no known side effects of supplementing with CoQ10 that I'm aware of.
Dr. Steven Sinatra recommends 60 to 120 mg/day as a protective measure and 180-360 mg/day for those with arrhythmia, angina pectoris, high blood pressure, gum disease, or for those taking statin or beta blocker drugs. Vegetarians are also likely to be low. See Book

B. L-Carnitine is also used in cells to produce energy. The synergistic effect of supplementing with both L-Carnitine and CoQ10 together may do more than either alone. Due to this combined effect, some supplement manufacturers combine the two.

C. Magnesium. Since it is estimated that over half of Americans are deficient in this mineral, it's a good idea to get more anyway. Soaking in a warm tub with Epsom salts or soaking your feet in a foot bath of Epsom salts is a good way to get magnesium into your system. You see, if you are low on magnesium, absorption in the GI tract is compromised. I've found topical application using a gel is also helpful. Magnesium deficiency can result in spasms, cramps, arrhythmias, tics, premenstrual difficulties, and even sudden cardiac death.

D. Fish Oil. Fish oil contains both DHA and EPA; Studies of several societies with low cardiovascular disease show the beneficial effect of these substances. A comprehensive treatment of arrhythmias should include 1g/day of high quality, heavy metal free, omega-3 fish oil. It even comes in flavors or gelcaps. Included in treatments recommended by the ACC.

E. Vitamin D. Although not directly associated with arrhythmias, it is vital for general heart health. Vitamin D is not just another vitamin it is a precursor to a hormone, and this prehormone is responsible for making a very important regulator of cardiovascular processes. Vitamin D deficiency activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and can predispose to hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency causes an increase in parathyroid hormone, which increases insulin resistance and is associated with diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, and increased cardiovascular risk. See JACC, and U.S. News

Other interesting and related articles: PeaceHealth, Toxicity (scroll towards bottom of article), RevolutionHealth.