Just gotta see if things are working
T

Tess - I noticed yr post on Taurine. It interrested me because my husband has had heart valve replacement surgury - 3 yrs ago. We both started Atkins this past Jan. He lost some weight, but quit bexause his heart started racing like crazy! Scared the crap out of us. Question - what is Taurine?Does your cardiologist know you're on Atkins? I later learned that it might have had something to do with dehydration, but he doesn't want to go back on it.
Diane

Hi Di
Well, that is interesting re your husband. I had quad bypass surgety 4 1/2 years ago. Spoke to my cardio re diet & he is happy for me to do this only for about 6 months. Then he will be running a whole series of tests on me again. God, I hate that. Blood pressure goes thru the roof whenever I go near a doctor now. I think after that horrible experience, it brings back too many memories. Was it just dehydration did the docs find out? Or was it the diet? Would be really interested in knowing. Thanks.
Cheers...Pam

Hi Pam - not really sure what caused the rapid heart rate, but when it happened we assumed the worst, that there was something wrong with his valve. He saw his cardiologist right away, but tests showed nothing wrong. He wasn't too happy to hear the he had been on Atkins. but by that time he was off it. It was only a few weeks or a month later that I read that anybody could have that, and that it might be because of dehydration. We nver did get to the bottom of it, but he's too apprehensive to go back on. Hoe long did it take you to recover from your surgery?
Diane

Hi Di, thanks for the reply. Re "recover from surgery". Don't think anyone ever does! Has been over 4 years now, and I still remember every rotton second of it! The fear is also still there for me - ie. "am I going to have a heart attack?. Physically, probably a good 7 months. Mentally - never!
Anyway, que sera sera.
Cheers...Pam

Hi Diane,
I had an aortic root and valve homograph at Cleveland Clinic three years ago. It was my second, replacing a repair that had failed a year earlier. All seems fine now and I will have my annual at Cleveland next week. I intend to tell my cardiologist of my involvement with Atkins at that time, and expect his blessing. I have lost 35 lb, and am almost totally off of my post operation meds. I suspect he will remove the rest, as my vitals are now BP of 105/60 and a resting heart rate of 60. I suspect I am currently overmedicated. At any rate, this woe has only had a positive effect on my system. I am very subject to arrhythmias as are many valve patients. I have a blocked left bundle branch as a result of damage to my heart during the two surgeries. This places me at very low threshold for PVC'S and STV's (palpitations/ rapid pulse). The solution to lowering the threshold is to be decaffeinated, limit alcohol, mental stress, and be in the best physical shape as possible. Still, in meeting these requirements, I found and increase in the PVC's after about 2-3 months on the diet. My research indicated that this was most likely from an electrolyte imbalance from the dehydrating effect of Atkins, plus I am still on a prescribed diuretic. I started taking potassium and magnesium/zinc supplements and did not notice much improvement until I added taurine, and amino acid, that has had a reputation for helping arrhythmias. Check it out at this web page:
http://www.gnc.com/health_notes/Supp/Taurine.htm
During my early recovery (two months) I was admitted to the ER several times from severe tachacardia, 300 beats/min+ and that certainly was scary and has made me very cautious to not do any thing that would cause this event to occure. I can understand your husband's anxiety very well. The fact that the Atkins approach has gained such good press in the last year and that it was no longer thought of a "bad" for heart patients is what caused me to try it again. I was very successful doing it in the 70's when it was less that accepted and I had no heart issues. The fact that Atkins himself was a cardiologist and recommended it to his own patients was enough for me. Regardless of what my own cardiologist says, I will continue with what I am doing. I see this man once a year now, but I live with my body every day, and being a man of science myself, would not place myself in harm's way.
I hope this is of some value to you. I wish you and you husband
the best and would be happy to reply with more if you have any questions.
Terry