Low heart rate

[Octopus52]

Hi everyone

Checked my heart rate just now and rate has drppped to 42bpm. I feel ok but this has shocked me. Is this just another problem that arises with AF?

[CDreamer]

It can be. Although a resting HR in the 40’s in an athletes would not be uncommon and HR can drop at night when lying prone but generally it is not desirable and something you should see your doctor about if is more than a momentary drop, especially if you have symptoms. My resting HR can dip into the 40’s but Is soon corrected by my pacemaker.

[Octopus52 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks - will get this checked out tomorrow.

[tdi1272]

beta blockers are likely the reason for a low heart rate. As long as you feel well it’s ok. My heart rate dropped in the 30‘ while on BB. You may feel a big influence on your exercise performance, though.

As written in another reply, bisoprolol is the most used BB for rate control but seems to have bothersome side effects to certain type of people (including me, several years ago)

[Hidden]

I am on 5 mg of Bisoprolol at night, daily and it keeps my heart rate nice n' steady at 65 bpm ish.

However, occasionally, several times a year it drops to 45/46 bpm ish.

I also go extremely cold, particularly hands and feet. It sorts itself out after a few hours.

No worries, no problems. I'd be much more worried if my HR increased.

[MydogBrandy]

Hi , I found that bisoprolol reduced my heart rate when I was on it . I would mention it to doctor.

[Octopus52]

Thanks everyone for your advice.

[moods]

Hi,

What everyone says regarding beta blockers bringing the heart rate down so the heart may be protected from any already disability worsening, I have exactly the same reaction with Bisoprolol 15mgs daily. Its certainly reassuring to know your pulse is a steady 56, as mine is, as opposed to a galloping 100 and odd.

Its a fact the faster the pulse rate the lesser years the heart survives, a healthy one that is...................................Ron.

[ILowe]

I also have a theory that if the HR is too low, the body needs to compensate. One way of compensating is to increase the irregularities, which then provoke tachycardia, (regular). Before you know where you are, you are in AF.

We need a betablocker that works to limit extremes, while not pushing you too low when resting. We need to start thinking about asking doctors about short acting betablockers such as propranolol which you take in the daytime only.

[KMRobbo]

I was told by my GP that 45 resting was too low as when I was asleep it would drop by another 8 or so into the 30s and she was not happy with that. (My normal is 70, maybe a bit less at the time as i was fit then before AF.

That was on only 1.25mg bisop.

That was the least of the side effects as far as I was concerned so i was happy when she agreed to switch to something else.

I would give your GP a call to discuss fairly soon if I was you.

Best wishes

[Octopus52 in reply to KMRobbo]

Thanks for that. I have an appointment this week to discuss

[Coco51 in reply to KMRobbo]

What did you switch to?

[KMRobbo in reply to Coco51]

First off Atenolol,another beta blocker but this was still terrible for me. Very sleepy, tired, low excercise tolerance, only did 2 weeks, then my gp decided i did nor tolerate beta blockers and put me on 120mg of verapamil, a calcium channel blocker- was good hardly any side effects just a tiny bit of excerise intolerance, (compared with no drugs!).

I was on this 20 months until my a Fib progressed and I had to go on flecainide rhythm control with (for some reason) diltiazem rate control.

I did not get on with that either, but by then I knew I was having an ablation so put up with it, until i came of all drugs la May 2018.

[EngMac]

I have learned, for me at least, when my back is causing problems my heart rate will go in to the 30's or low 40's. If I adjust my back through movement, I can usually get the heart to beat in the 50's or 60's. So maybe what happens is through movement over time, your heart speeds up because now it is getting a good vagus nerve signal to do so and not a temporarily impeded one.

[ILowe]

Interesting. Very helpful. I did not know that. This contributes to my instincts and conclusions that variability has a natural purpose, and variability is normal, and medication that over-reduces variability is not a good idea. healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

As the artiicle says, "A healthy heart is not a metronome...

[planetiowa]

I am on a low dose beta blocker (Atenolol 12.5 mg) and my resting heart rate is 52. When they tried increasing my Atenolol to 25 mg, my resting heart rate would drop to 42, though I felt fine otherwise.

[Coco51]

Any joy from your doctor? (Perhaps joy not the right word!)

My HR resting is around 44/ 45. Even twenty years ago before AF it was 48. Bisoprolol has lowered it about 4 BPM. At night it's in the 30s. The good news is I'm still here !

I am no athlete, but do a lot of moderate walking every day. Bisoprolol limits how much my HR increases with exercise, even though it's a low dose of 1.25. I would love to be off it, but my EP says it stops the side effects of Flecainide. (As explained in Sanjay Gupta's YouTube video on Flecainide). I suspect I will end up with a pacemaker one day.

Would love to know how you got on.