Dwight Kalita, PhD
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a worldwide epidemic affecting 37 million people, and its rising prevalence will most certainly account for increasing public health costs. I am 76 years old and have had A-fib for almost 10 years. During that time various cardiologists gave me 2 ablations and 5 cardioversions, but the Afib always returned. I have been on numerous drugs, all of which caused serious side effects and none of which ever cured my Afib.
From 11/3/2022 to 11/10/22, my heart monitor recorded a 6% burden of A-fib episodes with a 150bpm maximum rate. These on-and-off episodes continued despite taking Dofetilide (antiarrhythmic) and Diltiazem (calcium channel blocker for blood pressure) since April 22, 2022. In April 2023, I read a European medical article “Association of IV Potassium and Magnesium Administration with Spontaneous Conversion of A-Fib in the ER Department” in JAMA Oct. 2022. After thinking about this article, I decided to see if the combined, oral administration of magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and Dofetilide would help prevent my chronic A-fib episodes that I have experienced for almost 10 years.
I began taking the following around April 15, 2023: electrolyte powder: one scoop per day of 1000 mgs potassium citrate, 120 mgs magnesium citrate, plus very small amounts of other mineral complexes. I have been taking 500 mgs of magnesium taurate orally for 5-6 years but continued to experience on and off Afib episodes. When I had an episode that lasted more than 20 minutes, I took 2 grams of magnesium IV and that always converted me back to sinus rhythm. Then I read the above JAMA article about IV magnesium and potassium together converting ER Afib patients in Europe so I began taking both nutrients orally. That oral combo nutrient program of magnesium and potassium is what really eliminated my Afib!
Within one week of taking the above mineral supplements with Dofetilide, my heart palpitations and A-fib episodes disappeared. My two EKG “sinus” reports since beginning K and Mg supplements confirm this observation as well as home-Kardia monitoring. I have also not needed to take any 2-gram magnesium IV treatments to convert my A-fib episodes since I have not had any episodes for the last 6 months. I eliminated Diltiazem because of stomach pain and diarrhea side effects; but my blood pressure has actually improved since the introduction of the K1000 potassium supplement.
My quarterly blood work measuring Mg/K remains within normal levels since beginning the mineral supplementation program. My local cardiologist as well as one at the Cleveland Clinic both approve of my new drug/nutrient treatment plan. And best of all since beginning this treatment plan, I have had no side effects and no more A-fib episodes whatsoever. It is now very clear to me that my 76-year-old heart cells need extra magnesium/potassium supplementation in order to live a life free of the very debilitating disease called atrial fibrillation.
This article was originally published by the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service on November 30, 2023. The OMNS free subscription link is http://orthomolecular.org/subscribe.html and the OMNS archive link is http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/index.shtml.
Related Reading
Khan AM, Lubitz SA, Sullivan LM, et al. Low Serum Magnesium and the Development of Atrial Fibrillation in the Community: The Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2013; 127 (1): 33-38. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3541701/
Dean C. Atrial Fibrillation: Remineralize Your Heart, 2015. https://drcarolyndean.com/https://www.drcarolyndean.net/introducing-atrial-fibrillation-remineralize-your-heart-by-dr-carolyn-dean/
Published February 24, 2024
About the Author
Dwight Kalita, PhD, is co-editor of A Physician’s Handbook on Orthomolecular Medicine, in collaboration with Drs. Roger Williams and Linus Pauling. Readers may contact Dwight Kalita at dkalita@embarqmail.com.