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Low heart rate anyone ?

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
I have low / very low heart rate. I obviously don't have Pots, and I know for a fact because I've been tested for it.

People with ME usually experience an increase of their resting heart rates when more fatigued. With me it's the opposite. It seems that the more fatigued I am, the lower my resting heart rate. For example, my usual resting heart rate is 48. In the last 10 days, one morning my resting heart rate was 41 and a few days later, 38. These are average values from 2 1/2 minutes of monitoring with a strap.

My heart rate does increase too much upon activity though. For example sometimes I will be at 105 from slowly walking (which is more than double my RHR).

I still have some cardio tests to do but I have been cleared of any major cardiac problem.

Anyone else in this situation ?
 

Snow Leopard

Hibernating
Messages
5,902
Location
South Australia
Unless you are of athletic build, this suggest you have a heart condition.

I would ask a doctor about it - my Aunt had a similar condition and it was fine for many years until her late 50s, when she needed a pacemaker.
 

Basilico

Florida
Messages
948
These rates sound extremely low. I'm glad you've been so far cleared of a major cardiac problem, but I really hope you don't accept the doctors telling you that you are fine, because this is definitely not normal. If they aren't finding anything wrong on the tests they run, that just means that they are not running all of the right tests.

I don't have Bradycardia now (though I did in the past, it mysteriously disappeared) but I do tend to have low BP, typically around 90/55. When I go to the doctor's office, I get white coat syndrome and it's always 110/70. So I've started taking a picture of myself with the BP cuff on and showing my low BP at home so that when I return to the doctors I can show them documentation that testing my BP in the office does not accurately capture what it is day to day. Have you done the halter monitor test at home? That might give them better data than what they are capturing at the office.
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
Unless you are of athletic build, this suggest you have a heart condition.

I would ask a doctor about it - my Aunt had a similar condition and it was fine for many years until her late 50s, when she needed a pacemaker.

I used to be athletic but now I am an athletic couch potatoe ! :) My dad also has low heart rate. One time it went as low as 26, but that was when he had a heart attack. :-(

I plan to ask my doctor. He wants me to go to Itheca before sending me to do some more cardio works, he says it would help them know what tests to push, but I'm not ready for Itheca yet. Lots of money and risky for my health.
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
These rates sound extremely low. I'm glad you've been so far cleared of a major cardiac problem, but I really hope you don't accept the doctors telling you that you are fine, because this is definitely not normal. If they aren't finding anything wrong on the tests they run, that just means that they are not running all of the right tests.

I don't have Bradycardia now (though I did in the past, it mysteriously disappeared) but I do tend to have low BP, typically around 90/55. When I go to the doctor's office, I get white coat syndrome and it's always 110/70. So I've started taking a picture of myself with the BP cuff on and showing my low BP at home so that when I return to the doctors I can show them documentation that testing my BP in the office does not accurately capture what it is day to day. Have you done the halter monitor test at home? That might give them better data than what they are capturing at the office.

I also have low BP, usually around 90/45 or even 102/38. But since I started taking nimotop, which is supposed to lower yourBP, my BP did the opposite and went up to 100/60.

I had 2 holters at home. The first one for 8 straight days and the second one for 48 hours. The second one found a few bouts of tachycardia but nothing major. I am kind of a mystery, both for my brain and my heart ! (On my brain I have a severe injury on top, which Dr Hyde says he's never seen, and although he thinks it might be from a concussion, we can't find anything in my past to explain this).
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
Can you record in pictures/short video when you are at home and measuring your rates?

I wear my strap when I measure my heart rate so I have it on my app. It's a good idea, I'll print a screen shot to show my doctor next week. Thanks, I hadn't thought about it ! :)
 

ryan31337

Senior Member
Messages
664
Location
South East, England
Hi @Dechi,

What protocol did your doctors follow when testing for POTS? Poorly managed testing, performed at wrong time of day or even just on a particularly good symptoms day can skew results. Going off my own experience I wouldn't expect to get a reliable answer unless its from a POTS/Dysautonomia specialist clinic.

At my worst bradycardia was quite significant too, avg in the 40bpm's, but as low as upper 30's when most relaxed. No background of athleticism to expect such a result. I had a good spread of tests: 7-day holters, 24hr BP, echos, tilt table and active stand tests & CPET. No classical heart problems found, just a pattern suggestive of POTS/IST.

The bradycardia improved significantly when I adopted the ketogenic diet at recommendation of an endocrinologist. It would seem that the swings in my blood glucose, probably a result of POTS-linked rapid gastric emptying, may have had some influence on HR/BP.

Ryan
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
Hi @Dechi,

What protocol did your doctors follow when testing for POTS? Poorly managed testing, performed at wrong time of day or even just on a particularly good symptoms day can skew results. Going off my own experience I wouldn't expect to get a reliable answer unless its from a POTS/Dysautonomia specialist clinic.

At my worst bradycardia was quite significant too, avg in the 40bpm's, but as low as upper 30's when most relaxed. No background of athleticism to expect such a result. I had a good spread of tests: 7-day holters, 24hr BP, echos, tilt table and active stand tests & CPET. No classical heart problems found, just a pattern suggestive of POTS/IST.

The bradycardia improved significantly when I adopted the ketogenic diet at recommendation of an endocrinologist. It would seem that the swings in my blood glucose, probably a result of POTS-linked rapid gastric emptying, may have had some influence on HR/BP.

Ryan

@ryan31337 I was tested by a specialist, the head of the Dysautonomia dept of the hospital himself. I don't know the protocol he used, but I had the prolonged tilt table test that lasts 30 minutes (I had to stand up for 30 minutes). I also had a bunch of other tests and the whole thing lasted about 2 hours.

Also the areas of the brain you would expect to be hurt when you have POTS showed up okay on my brain scan. I sometimes think I might have some type of orthostatic intolerance, at least occasionnally, because on many days my heart rate will go up 27-30 beats within 1 minute of standing up.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I had 2 holters at home. The first one for 8 straight days and the second one for 48 hours. The second one found a few bouts of tachycardia but nothing major.
I use the AliveCor for home EKGs if I am suspicious. FDA approved.
For example, my usual resting heart rate is 48. In the last 10 days, one morning my resting heart rate was 41 and a few days later, 38.
Mine is exactly the same but for me, part of it is the effect of drugs. I am being evaluated for a pacemaker.
Anyone else in this situation ?
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
@Sushi now that you mention it I remember reading your post about the pacemaker. You weren't sure you wanted to go with it. I hope I don't have to go there :-(

So you rent this equipment or did you buy it ? Doesn't it make you more anxious though ?
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
@Sushi now that you mention it I remember reading your post about the pacemaker. You weren't sure you wanted to go with it. I hope I don't have to go there :-(
Oh, I want the pacemaker as at present I can't get my heart up to a rate that will support the activity I'm doing. I just haven't qualified for it insurance-wise.
So you rent this equipment or did you buy it ? Doesn't it make you more anxious though?
I bought it and love it. With a code I can supply, it is $75 (you need a smart phone or tablet though to use it). It is the opposite of anxious-making for me. It is computer read and if it comes out normal (as it usually does) I am relieved. It it is abnormal, you click on email and send it to your doctor and know that whatever is happening will get attention. I also show my recent EKGs (stored on my phone) to my doctor when I have an appointment.
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
Oh, I want the pacemaker as at present I can't get my heart up to a rate that will support the activity I'm doing. I just haven't qualified for it insurance-wise.
I bought it and love it. With a code I can supply, it is $75 (you need a smart phone or tablet though to use it). It is the opposite of anxious-making for me. It is computer read and if it comes out normal (as it usually does) I am relieved. It it is abnormal, you click on email and send it to your doctor and know that whatever is happening will get attention. I also show my recent EKGs (stored on my phone) to my doctor when I have an appointment.

That sounds great but I wouldn't have the knowledge to interpret the results correctly. Unless it's really dumb proof.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
That sounds great but I wouldn't have the knowledge to interpret the results correctly. Unless it's really dumb proof.
You don't need to know how to interpret it. It is FDA approved as accurate. You get an immediate computer reading, if you want more information you can pay about $10 for a cardiologist to read it personally, but I rely on sending it to my doctor who loves that I use it.
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
You don't need to know how to interpret it. It is FDA approved as accurate. You get an immediate computer reading, if you want more information you can pay about $10 for a cardiologist to read it personally, but I rely on sending it to my doctor who loves that I use it.

@Sushi I hope I'm not annoying you but I am not sure I fully understand. You mentioned it reassures you because you know right away that you're okay when you use it. But you also say that you need to send the data for interpretation. So I guess the machine gives you basic information such as a green or red light but if you want details you send it to your doc ?
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
You mentioned it reassures you because you know right away that you're okay when you use it. But you also say that you need to send the data for interpretation. So I guess the machine gives you basic information such as a green or red light but if you want details you send it to your doc ?
The readings that you usually get are "normal," "possible Atrial Fibrillation," (that is when I'd send it to my doctor), and "unclassified," which usually means that I am too close to electrical interference such as a TV. When I get that, I move to another place until I get "normal" -- which I always have gotten after moving. When you get "normal," it means that everything is fine, so you can relax.

Since it regards a pulse under 50 or over 100 as "unclassified," I move around a bit to get my pulse up before taking a reading. Have a look here to see how it works. You can see your pulse second by second as it records. You can also set the recording time for 30 seconds to 5 minutes and it will record any comments you make while taking a reading.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
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19,935
Location
Albuquerque
@Dechi Since ME/CFS patients can get a lot of bumps, thumps, double or skipped beats, I find it very reassuring to be told that the benign ones are normal.
 

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
@Sushi thanks for clarifying. I re-read my holter and it says I had 4 episodes of atrial tachycardia of 3-7 beats up to 169 bpm. Is this different than atrial fibrillation ? It also says my sinus rythm correlates with my symptoms of dizziness, weakness and feeling cold. I have to ask my doctor about that, not sure what to make of it.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I re-read my holter and it says I had 4 episodes of atrial tachycardia of 3-7 beats up to 169 bpm.
Yes, quite different. Afib is not really heart beats but fibrillation or quivering of the atria. But, atrial tachy would be obvious on an AliveCor reading--either to a novice or a doctor. It would look like a bunch of beats clustered much closer together on the tracing. It would also register the 169 BPM.
It also says my sinus rythm correlates with my symptoms of dizziness, weakness and feeling cold. I have to ask my doctor about that, not sure what to make of it.
My guess would be that this is because of the low heart rate. I have a Holter sitting on my counter now that I have to turn in tomorrow.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
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Albuquerque
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