Heart Scare

[Teacher Terry]

Caffeine in any form is not good. Originally the doctor told me to not have any caffeine which I haven’t done. I used to like the beer and wine tastings also.

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry Caffeine in any form is not good.

The only problem I've had giving up caffeine is finding alternative beverages to drink. I drink a lot during the day and the "just drink water" option doesn't work for me. I can handle about one glass of water then it's too much. I don't like or tolerate milk very well, and every caffeine free option I've tried is loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners.

I tried some coconut water and flavored waters but didn't care for any of them.

So far the best option I've found that I still enjoy is "bold" ginger ale. It's higher in sugar than my teas, but lower than my colas. Still, I don't really want to drink carbonated beverages all the time either.

I picked up some decaf tea bags, but as expected, I just haven't had the time to brew my own.

I used to buy caffeine free cola's when I was younger, but that's apparently not a thing anymore unless you go diet with the artificial sweeteners. Yuck.

[Turbo29]

If you have a medical problem, which is exacerbated by caffeine, I understand avoiding caffeine. Otherwise what is the evidence that "caffeine in any form is not good?"


I rather like the supposed quote from Voltaire. When told by his doctor that coffee was slow poison he replied, "Yes, it is a remarkably slow poison. I have been drinking it every day for more than seventy-five years.”


I think I will go grind some beans now.

[Teacher Terry]

Turbo, caffeine is not good when you have a heart problem like the OP and me. I still drink 2 cups. You can drink sparkling flavored carbonated water. I put lime or lemon juice in regular water.

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo29 If you have a medical problem, which is exacerbated by caffeine, I understand avoiding caffeine. Otherwise what is the evidence that "caffeine in any form is not good?"

The standard answer says caffeine can contribute to heart rhythm problems, such as the premature atrial contractions I'm experiencing. However, everything I have researched says there is no data to back up this recommendation. Maybe if you drank espresso's or energy drinks regularly, but my caffeine intake is on the low end anyway.

I've been drinking caffeinated beverages for 50+ years without a single hiccup until a few weeks ago. So I have my doubts, but I am tired of the PAC's so I'm willing to give it a try just to see. I have no love of caffeine, I just want beverages I enjoy drinking. Unfortunately, it seems to be a standard ingredient these days along with high fructose corn syrup.

[mountainsoft]

Applied the Zio XT heart monitor today. The prep wasn't as bad as I feared. The alcohol wipe stung a bit after shaving and sandpapering my chest, but I tolerated it better than I thought I would.

I can feel the adhesive strips pull a little when I move, but it's not bad. It will be interesting to see how it is to sleep with it on.

[MissMolly]

You know there are a lots of soft drinks without caffeine but are not diet - root beer, Sprite, grape soda, orange soda, Ginger Ale... And Coca-Cola makes Caffeine-free Coke.

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissMolly You know there are a lots of soft drinks without caffeine but are not diet - root beer, Sprite, grape soda, orange soda, Ginger Ale... And Coca-Cola makes Caffeine-free Coke.

Yep, I spent about 20 minutes at the store last week reading all the labels on beverages.

The biggest problem with root beer, cream soda, etc. is the high sugar content.

Caffeine free Coke and Pepsi aren't available right now due to aluminum shortages caused by covid supply issues. They're using their limited cans for more popular flavors. Not sure why that would affect 2-liter plastic bottles, but whatever, that's their story.

For now I've made do with Sprite, 7-up, and Ginger ale. I've actually really enjoyed the "bold" ginger ale, something I wouldn't have even tried otherwise. I still have some Coke in the morning, and maybe a glass or two of tea during the day, so not 100% caffeine free at this point.

[mountainsoft]

I finally got the results from my 48 hour ZioXT heart monitor. Doctor said there were "very brief runs of atrial tachycardia" and repeated again, "no medication or treatment" is necessary. I don't know, sounds pretty scary to me...

He seemed more concerned about getting my blood pressure down (currently averages around 145/85 or less) and started me back on a lower 25mg dose of Losartan. I'm a little nervous about taking that again as most of my symptoms went away when I stopped it last month. He's the doc though, so I'll give it a try.

I'm also taking 5mg of Amlodipine and can't say I have noticed any effect at all, positive or negative. It didn't change my BP that I can see, and didn't seem to have any affect on my PAC's.

I started taking 250mg Magnesium and that seemed to make a bigger difference than anything. No change to BP of course, but the PAC's seem less intense and less frequent, I feel like I have more energy, and the numbness/tingling in my feet went away.

I'm basically just learning to live with the PAC's. They seem to happen most in the morning around breakfast time. I can feel little flutters in my chest and my BP monitor confirms my heart is beating weird, but otherwise they aren't bothering me. Slightly uncomfortable and a little nerve wracking, but I'm alive.

The jury is still out on the caffeine influence. Some days when I drink caffeine I might notice a minor change, but most days it doesn't seem to affect anything. I'm still planning to phase out as much as possible, but we've been snowed in this last week so I've been trying to finish up my stash of caffeinated beverages.