Re: Could this be AF?

I'm sorry to hear about your difficult situation but it is actually more common than you might think. We hear about your symptoms quite frequently in the heavy metal (HM) detox groups. I've been there. I had to rush a close female friend with a long history of AF symptoms to the ER due to chest pain. While she was dehydrated--low Na & K, etc--she also had costochronditis, something I assume you don't have.

Quite a number of HM detox group members have had heart palps. Mine were due to too much DHEA while taking a dose less than what my doctor suggested after he tested. Since then I've done better with a modest dose of pregnenolone plus a tiny amount of DHEA twice per week.

I think you are right to be looking into adrenal insufficiency as a factor. You might learn more about the following:

Primary vs secondary AI/AF

Aldosterone (Na & K regulation)

4x saliva cortisol test (probably a must for your situation )
http://www.canaryclub.org/adrenal-article-980/706-cortisol-1-or-4.html

You may need a functional medicine doctor or similar rather than an HMO doctor to get hydrocortisone on the basis of the 4x saliva cortisol. More on FM here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkxk7nod33o
Btw. Dr Hyman went to ten other doctors before someone realized that heavy metals were involved in his strange list of "yuppie flu" symptoms when he was a young doctor.
http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/mercury-get-this-poison-out-of-your-body/#...
While I was grateful for Hyman as I was considering the possible involvement of HMs, I chose Cutler's detox protocol.

You seem to have a low magnesium cluster of symptoms (typical with mercury). Do you tend to strain your muscles easily? If I were you I'd be taking Mg citrate or glycinate several times per day. Remember Epsom Salt is Mg sulfate. Some like a foot bath for more subtle effect.

Hypoglycemia--cortisol is a glucocorticoid! You will have to clean up your diet. Learn about the glycemic index of foods. A close female friend and I both had mild hypoglycemia. Healthy diet, small meals and healthy snacks help to smooth out the energy roller coaster. Also glutamine can be handy between meals--more on that available if requested.

Don't be discouraged by the negative test results. This is really not that uncommon in the HM detox groups and with AF/AI. Dr Hal Huggins wrote a somewhat entertaining article on this phenomena.
http://www.hugginsappliedhealing.com/fatigue.php
Huggins is a pioneer in mercury free dentistry. Essentially the set of tests you got are not good at helping people with AF, especially if HMs are a major contributing factor.

My test results were negative for over a decade while my health declined. It really messed up my life and career. A close female friend had been going to an HMO endocrinologist for over a decade for thyroid meds which were only somewhat helpful. It was not until I got in the HM detox groups that I kept hearing from members--mostly women--with my friend's symptoms. This is one example.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/message/111235

My friend had list of adrenal related symptoms as long as her arm but the endocrinologist did nothing!

Temperature testing resource
http://www.drrind.com/therapies/metabolic-temperature-graph

I mention the HM issues for you because of the eye floaters and "depersonalization". These symptoms are not nearly as common in the detox groups as AF, but they are not uncommon. They are usually reported by members who are sicker than the average member. I suggest you investigate the HM angle shortly after you get a 4x saliva test and likely hydrocortisone medication or similar. Also, remember you can add pregnenolone, adrenal cortex extract, etc along with a lower dose of HC. My friend finds this better than the doctor suggested HC dose.

There are 900+ hair tests plus symptom lists from HM detox group members at this site.
http://livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/hairtest/hairtest3/
With your symptom list, I'd expect you to be developing food and chemical sensitivities quite soon as the HMs mess up you gut and liver function.

btw, the "coincidence" with the "time of the month" probably isn't coincidene at all! Learn about the great variation in progesterone levels during a woman's cycle. Prog is one of the adrenal cortex hormones as seen here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis.svg
Notice that pregnenolone is the grandmother hormone and that cortisol and aldosterone are downstream at the end of the production line. HMs mess with many enzymes causing the body to not make various conversions at a normal rate.

Internet web sites and discussion groups were not available for most of the years my friend and I were struggling with life-limiting symptoms. However it does not have to be that way for you! Don't treat your doctor like a medical god, but rather as just one medical resource. Do your homework and get much improved!

ATB

Joe Tweet