Caffeine is the Culprit!

[Perrster]

It took nearly two months to accomplish but I have finally decaffeinated myself! As difficult as it was for this old Swede to quit coffee-it had to be done. My arrythmias have subsided, I am sleeping better and feel better overall.

My next cold-turkey assignment is sodium. But, holy smokes, it's in just about everything we eat!

 

[hensylee]

One help is to never add salt at the table. One day I was visiting my brother at his assisted living facility and stayed for lunch with him. Plates are brought in, individually, for each tenant and as I looked around the tables, each tenant grabbed the salt shaker and vigorously shook the salt onto their food. I thought "wow, their blood pressures are sure rising while they eat and they are old and it's not good for them". Then our plates came and lo and behold, not a drop of salt in any of the food! They had hired a new cook who apparently didn't believe in salt at all. Yuck!!! LOL

 

[Nancy]

I've been cooking low sodium (trying to get to no sodium, but it's almost impossible) for quite a while for Joe. He hated it at first and complained all the time. Finally he got used to it, but there are still some things which absolutely must have a little salt to taste good. One of them is spaghetti sauce. We've found that he can tolerate s little sodium, as long as the rest of the time it stays no sodium. If we go out to dinner, the next few days have to be very carefully planned to get rid of the sodium.

It's very tough, but it makes a world of difference in how Joe feels CHF wise.

 

[mainframe]

Perry,

Did you have arrythmias prior to "using" caffine? I'm just eights days past surgery and hoping at some point my cardio will give me the nod to try caffinated versions of some things, ie., diet soda, lattes etc. I don't want to screw anything up however.

Thanks

Chris

 

[hensylee]

There is actually a light salt in the stores. It is really salt but less than regular salt - does that make sense? Have a friend who uses it. I often use NOSalt and Butterbuds, however, if you need to watch potassium NOSalt has a lot in it.

We had a discussion re caffeine a long time ago in here and so many of us just hadda have our mornin cuppa - or have a rotten day. It's hard to give it up so I applaud you, Perry. once went visiting children, none of whom used coffee, developed a horrid headache and had to go to local restaurant to get some leaded coffee - and, lo, no more headache. Try to drink less of it now. Often have cappaccino instead and it has less coffee in it maybe, but serves the purpose all the same.

 

[Ron K]

Coffee

Coffee

Hi Chris,

When I had my first appointment with my cardiologist two and a half weeks after surgery, one of the things I asked about was drinking regular coffee. ( Although there was nothing in my discharge instructions that said to avoid caffine, my wife had decided that I should only have decaf.)

The cardiologist said he had no problem with me having one or two cups of regular coffee in the morning, but just don't work up to drinking a pot a day. I even asked if he meant regular coffee mug servings, or the smaller tea cup sized servings. He said regular mugs were fine. (I was so glad that he said this while my wife was sitting there. If I had told her he said this when she wasn't there, she probably wouldn't have believed me.)

Check with your doctors and see if they will give you the same advice.

Perry, since you were having problems caused by the caffine, I commend you for breaking the habit. Caffine is not an easy thing to give up, especially if you've been drinking it for many years.

Good luck with the low sodium diet.

Ron K

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I just had popcorn for dinner, which is fairly regular for us on Sunday evening, and am finishing off my last Diet Coke of the day. I can't do popcorn with no salt, as I already am using the light butter. I have more Caffeine on the weekends, maybe 2 Diet Cokes a day during the week and 3-4 a day on the weekends.

My cardiologist said that I really didn't need to worry much about salt. I don't add salt to food after it's cooked, but I do cook with it. I remember the worst thing that I had in the hospital 26 years ago was a no sodium PBJ sandwich - YUCK! After my surgery, I had Diet Coke on my meal tray. I've had some problems with irregular beats, but was told not to worry, so I'm not.

I tend to be a blind optomist - as long as I don't see the bad things, I think only good things are happening!

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Me? Grumpy?

Me? Grumpy?

Way to go, Perry!

I quit caffeine cold turkey after my AVS diagnosis. Had to shave about 25 bpm off of my heart rate, and I was nearly mainlining Starbuck's.

Had a headache for a month. This, on top of new Beta Blockers, made me a sluggish dude for a couple of weeks. I was so worried about my heart rate that I was finally able to stay focused and quit the caffeine this time. I must have tried half a dozen times over the years..

It's amazing how much better I feel after cutting out the coffee and soda.

Great job..

 

[Jean]

Caffeine

Caffeine

Several years ago...before lite coffee...I started mixing decafe and caffeinated coffees...and then they came out with the half and half coffee which I pretty much drink whenever I can...even in restaurants , I ask for one the first time and the other on a refill with some still in the cup from the first time. I am also weaning myself off caffeine pop since I have been doing Weight Watchers...trying to get to like water.

 

[jade45]

No Caffine

No Caffine

Been reading the post about the caffine and coffee;
why hasn't anyone mention cutting out the chocolate,
doesn't it contain caffine too?And can anyone help in remembering a herb that has the taste of salt but isn't.
They used it in one of the Fox 19 Morning News cooking
shows a couple of weeks ago?



--------------------
jade
confused

 

[Gail in Ca]

After my surgery I decided to go with the caffeine free pepsi or coke whichever is on sale. I don't even notice a change in taste.
But give up chocolate?? Never in my lifetime, I just love chocolate, I even have put choc chips in plain muffins for breakfast, yummmm.
Gail

 

[Jean]

What...NO CHOCOLATE????

What...NO CHOCOLATE????

Jade,

Bite your tongue...cutting out chocolate, my word! Don't you know it is good for the female psyche and the heart too??!! Cut it out, oh my....never, NEVER! (please, I hope you know I am kidding...sort of!) I am on Weight Watchers just now and I'll tell you what , I plan to have a little chocolate...even if it is just one Hershey Kiss a day! It is vital to life!

 

[Zipper]

Chocolate

Chocolate

Make that dark chocolate! One article I read said a small amount (forget how much....how convenient for me..lol) of dark chocolate is beneficial for the heart!!!!!!!! I did not question that one!!!! LOL!

Zipper/Joan *~*

 

[Zazzy]

Joan,
I am so with you on that one!!! I believe I would commit crimes for dark chocolate!!! ha ha

BTW: My heart surgeon's associate told me that chocolate is good for PAIN!!! I just hold on to that thought!!! hee hee

Your Z partner!
Zazzy

 

[Mara]

I haven't had much caffeine at all since 1994 when I had my first terrible tachycardia episode. About once a week I have a regular Red Coke. I like sodas like Sprite and Sierra Mist, and always did. Plus there's always "diet brown water" as we call diet caffeine free Coke/Pepsi.
Decaf tea is good.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Perry

I swore off coffee upon receiving the news of impending surgery.

Then, post op my heart was beating irregularly for 2 years. Figured caffeine would be adding fuel to the fire.

About a year ago I returned to a regular sinus rhythm. I feel you are doing the right thing considering your bounding pulse. Now that I am in sinus, I do have a cup of coffee in the AM with no problem.

I will email you my cell phone number in the event we have to connect on Thursday before dinner. If you could do the same, that would be great.

See ya soon.

 

[MarkU]

After my AVR surgery 15 months ago I cut back to two cups of coffee per day (at home in the morning while reading the paper). I had been drinking close to a pot a day at the office, more as an addictive habit than anything else. I now drink water all day which makes me feel better and is good for my diet.
After my surgery I found that I had lost my taste for soft drinks. I used to drink a lot of caffeine-free diet Coke, but for whatever reason it just doesn't taste good to me anymore.
I also gave up beer entirely, which again, wasn't a bad thing. I do enjoy red wine (Merlot mostly) in moderation, and try to be consistent in my consumption so as not to screw up my INR levels.
All in all I think my diet and habits have gotten much healthier since my surgery. My surgeon said my St. Jude valve would last for 30 years and I want to make sure that the rest of me does too!

 

[Perrster]

Hey Mark,

Thanks for your comments.

I was a "pot-a-day" coffee drinker as well and I have also primarily quit soft drinks as my taste for it went away after surgery too. While water is the primary drink on the menu now, my taste for beer has come back and I can control myself better with my self-imposed two drink limit.

What more can we say other than surgery has been cause for healthier diet and habits!

Click-on!

 

[jackc]

Caffeine ??

Caffeine ??

Perry,

If your taste for beer has returned you must be on the path to recovery.....now all you need to do is get a "hole in one" and recovery is complete!!

Hang in there!

Jack ( Welland )

 

[jade45]

OK OK OK GUYS

OK OK OK GUYS

I'am so sorry that I ragged on the chocolate.don't get me wrong I luv the choc myself,and I also heard that it was good for the old ticker, can you guys ever forgive me LOL!





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jade