Ablation procedure - arhythmic heat beat

[JimR]

CDash, I posted this some time ago but will repeat it since it seems somewhat relevant and have updated it a bit.
I thought I would share my experience with palpitations in the hope that it might help someone out there who is secretly suffering; secretly being the word, because it is amazing the number of people who suffer from palpitations and only open up when prodded a bit.
Apparently they're quite common and doctors will tell this to their patients which is supposed to be a comfort. Unfortunately, the words don't necessarily help overcome the fears that you are about to die, obviously depending on the severity.
I started to have the odd missed heartbeat in my early 50s. Very gradually they got worse although nothing of too much concern until I was in my early 60s, I am now 71. I of course went to the docs to be given a few basic ecgs and to be told nothing wrong. They started to get worse, although in episodes rather than all the time. Sometimes I would get them several times a minute for several hours. Finally the doc gave me a prescription for a beta blocker - Atenolol. It worked to some extent but didn't cure the problem. I tried monitoring what I was eating (and drinking). There was some correlation but nothing that I could say had a definitive pattern. Stress? Quite possibly some correlation but not conclusive. The doc gave me more intensive tests: ecg stress test, nuclear stress test, holter monitor. I also had a heart cathetorization. In part these tests were because I suffer from a mild angina if I exercise too rapidly (there are some pretty steep hills around here), although if I walk gently for awhile before building up the force it doesn't happen. Anyway, no significant obstructions. Eventually given nitroglycerine tablets which, when taken before any exercise, completely eliminates any angina.
So the palpitations continued. Obviously I read a lot, including garbage on the internet. One thing that seemed to be worth trying was a magnesium supplement. I bought some chelated magnesium tablets (ordinary magnesium oxide is not absorbed by the body very well and is just a great laxative; I prefer to live without that!). This was last September 2015. I continued taking the magnesium for about 2 months; nothing, the palpitations continued. I almost gave up, thinking this was another false path. I continued taking them for another month and interestingly the palpitations started to diminish. I took a blood test to see what my magnesium level was; it was at the lowest level on the recommended scale, and this after 3 months of taking a supplement! Goodness knows what it was before. I stopped taking the Atenolol but I upped the magnesium level, although somewhat less than some of the recommendations you see on the internet. Now after another 3 months I very rarely had a palpitation, maybe one every couple of days! I walk about 3 kms every other day (or try to if I'm not feeling too lazy). However, I do take the Atenolol if the palpitations start to come back with any frequency but at a fairly low dosage of 12.5mg (half a 25mg tablet).
I find it strange that no doctor ever mentioned the possibility of low magnesium level to me but hope this will maybe help someone with this problem and to suggest it to their doctor. One caveat, the remedy is obviously not going to work for everyone, because there are other causes of palpitations. I also haven't mentioned any specific dosages because again this is something that should probably be evaluated by a doctor; I am not.