I was wondering if any of you had experienced this.
My GP upped my dose of bisoprolol more than a month ago from 1.25 once a day to 1.25 twice a day. I found that only one dose of 1.25 wasn't quite enough to keep my pulse down, but 2.5 at once was too much, so we compromised on twice a day.
All was going very well until a few days ago, my pulse, which normally is a nice resting 62ish, is now a resting 58 ( as per my Fitbit). Tonight I was feeling a bit dizzy and happened to check to find it was 51!!! These are my sleeping numbers!
I have no idea why this would spontaneously happen. My GP is confused as well. She didn't tell me to cut the dose, but I'm wondering if I should scale it back again. I see my cardiologist on Tuesday.
Has this happened to any of you?
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Jfib
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58 doesn't seem too bad. I had this happen with a 12.5 mg twice daily dosage of Carvedilol - ended up getting dizzy spells and had lower than normal resting heart rates (around 51). Ended up cutting that dosage in half. Even at the half dose, my resting heart rate still gets that low on occasion.
I guess it's not so much the lowness (the 50's aren't terrible) just the suddenness of it, when it had been going so well. I was hoping for some predictability, I guess I should know better, lol!
I don't have experience with a Fitbit. I do have equivalent devices by Polar though. You have to be careful with understanding the outputs though as the randomness of AF can give unreliable readings
No problem with it, it won't interact in any way... it just won't accurately measure tachycardia or afib, but it's pretty good for NSR.
Yes, I was on a low dose of Bisoprolol, 1.25 or 2.5 (can't remember exactly) twice a day and my heart rate, which is normally fairly fast, went down into the 30's, and that was whilst I was walking when it would normally be about 100-110. I was taken off it as it doesn't suit me at all.
in reply to
Hi, I guess the resting heart rate will be an average so your heart will go below that number sometimes. I found on bisophonol that I'm fine until heart drops to the low 50's and then the dizziness sets in. I also know that my heart rate will drop when tired, e.g. if sitting after completing a reasonably fast sustained walk and tired from it my heart rate will go below the resting heart rate figure. I only worry about it if I get the dizziness. Try not to constantly monitor on your Fitbit as that can cause anxiety and one of the symptoms of anxiety can be.......dizziness!
Lol, you are right Richard, checking my pulse rate can get obsessive. I had gotten better, until the dizziness started, same as you when it drops to the low 50's. I guess I'll have to see if the cardiologist changes my drugs... not looking forward to the idea of starting all over again!
I know the feeling. I tried a few and Nebivolol was the answer for me it is half calcium blocker half betablocker so it slows your heart rate down but not as much. My resting rate is around 60 now and I feel so much better for it.
in reply to
Oh and I didn't say I haven't been in AF for nearly 80 days now on it! Although I have a better handle in the triggers now as well which I'm sure impacts on it too.
Thanks, Koll, and Good to know ! 'm just disappointed as it seemed to be working so well, and with far fewer side effects than Metoprolol. Why must the heart be so unpredictable!
I thought your HR during the night always drops anyway? I don't think the numbers sound bad at all, as has been said, but everyone is different and if you have symptoms then something is going on which needs tracking down - maybe it is your BP - do you monitor that? I had very low BP which would always make me dizzy on rising in the morning, I had to be very careful and sit upright for a while before getting up.
I couldn't take Bisoprolol either, drug from hell as far as I am concerned as it made me feel dreadful and I could cope with fast AF better than side effects of Bisoprolol, even low doses.
hi yes after my CV , MY PULSE DOWN TO 49/ 55 / SO I CUT MY SOTALOL FROM 80 TO 40 TWISE A DAY , BUT FEELING OK , STILL NEED TO SEE MY GP FOR THAT , ALL THE BEST
Hello Jfib, I was put on 2.5 Bisoprolol last year when diagnosed, and apart from 4 episodes where my rate went up to about 120 my heart rate is now between 38-42, blood pressure all over the place but feel fine.
My heart rate is usually between 45-50 but my cardiologist prefers to keep it on the lower side. I take 5mg bisoprolol twice a day. Lowering the meds makes my heart rate go too high. It's been a balancing act getting the dosage right over the years but this seems to be ok. It has dropped lower and I do get tired but a nap usually works to sort that out. I have to explain when go a&e or my practice nurse that my heart rate is usually low x
Sounds like you and I have a similar problem, in that it has been difficult to find a dose that would control my tachycardia, but not make me bradycardic. I was hoping this dose was working, but maybe my cardiologist will say it is still ok... I'm annoyed because it WAS working beautifully.
Seems from above that each person is very different but n case it helps
Have no idea what my pulse rate was before being put on Bisoprolol (seem to recall cardiologist mentioning 120!) but ever since being required to monitor just my blood pressure, I have been noting down the pulse rate too.
Seemed to be largely 70s/80s/90s for some 3 months after increasing Bisoprolol to 5mg per day (and adding Amiodarone into the mix) then suddenly seemed to drop to 40s/50s.
By chance I (finally) got called in for a hospital pre-assessment a few weeks later. They seemed surprised at my low pulse but said I should only be concerned if it dropped below 40.
I did mention it again to the EP just before my ablation but got no reaction. Notably, however, post-ablation my dosage of Bisoprol has immediately been reduced to 2.5 mg (and the Amiodarone halved).
Thanks for asking. Difficult to know how I feel one week after ablation, especially as I am following all the advice from forum members and being deliberately idle! And also I actually felt alright on the higher doses and did not sense I had a low pulse rate. (As a separate issue Amiodarone had actually put me in NSR so now, of course, I worry reducing it and then coming off it in 6 weeks will put me back in AF!)
Anyway I do hope you have sorted your concerns out or will when you see your cardiologist. At least you know from everyone's input that it seems there is no need to panic if over pulse rate above 40.
Mine is 54 resting but I check it on my phone app and fitbit which isn't always correct best to do it yourself takes a bit of getting use to but more accurate. I do feel tired but better than palpitations and a floppy fish feeling going on. I am on 5 mg. Regards Chris
I do double check my Fitbit pretty regularly. It is accurate when pulse is lower and in NSR, but I find it does have limitations when in tachycardia, and definitely when in Afib!
I can imagine the fitbit can't catch it sometimes . Also my BP monitor has a job when it is going haywire . I wish you well. I am leading a fairly ok life with a low resting heart my cardiologist said he may consider next year lowering the dose of bisoprolol. Best wishes Chris
I cannot take Bisoprolol on a regular basis as it lowers my HR too much. My normal is 51 and with Bisoprolol it drops into the low 40's even on lowest dose so I'm not surprised to hear you are suffering as well. I take one x 1.25mg when AF starts and then no more.
my resting was in the low 50s (in bed) with out Bis ( lots of cardio) it dropped into the 40s so I quit taking it and it is back in the 50s. I keep Bis as a pill in the pocket. I know it takes a while to fully adjust to Bis and you need to back off slowly if your are considering doing that
My rest rate is 48bpm according to fitbit, i do find it can go below that sometimes, seen it at low 40s before. I'm currently on 2.5mg of bisoprolol (down from 3.75). Usually when resting in the evening If i feel a bit funny I just go for a quick walk with the dog to get the rate up again but this happens once in a blue moon. My next meeting with the EP be a discussion on a further reduction down to 1.25. I do find i tend to get ectopics when the rate is low though.
Yes I have been doing the same thing... as soon as I see it so low, I start moving about, it works
Yes I do find I have a lot of palpitations when it is low as well.,. I call it having the "Thumpies". I find my heart beats slowly, but very forcefully. I can feel it in my fingers. I know also that if I try to sleep while this happens, I will wake with Tachycardia or Afib.
The thumpies thats a good name! I find when i'm suffering a bit with 'the thumpies' and a bit of tachycardia a good light walk with lots of slow breathing excercises (Details on this forum) will really help take your mind of it. When I'm on kiddy duty I've even done this round the house! Has definitely helped me sleep when i felt i couldn't. Also counts towards steps on the Fitbit
My medication was changed 6 months ago from Flecainide to the beta-blocker, Bisoprolol. The cardiologist said it was necessary due to my approaching age ( I shall be 70 next February). After this change the cardiologist asked me to see my GP after a month so he could double my dose of Bisoprolol from 1.25mg daily to 2.5mg daily. However, when I saw him my heart rate was 44 and he refused to double the dose. He reviewed me on a monthly basis and my heart rate fluctuated from 44-49 beats per minute. When I had my check up with the cardiologist last week I had a reading of 51 beats and he agreed with my GP not to double the dose. I can feel dizzy and occasionally faint and I'm often quite tired. I haven't had an AF episode in the past 6 months and I wonder if with my heart beating so slowly it can't get going to a racing heart beat. The cardiologist seemed happy with me, so who am I to argue? I'm sure you will mention this at your appointment but I wouldn't be surprised if your dosage is cut. Good luck. Let us know how you get on.
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