Fast heart rate and won’t slow - Atrial Fibrillati...

Atrial Fibrillation Support

31,042 members36,645 posts

Fast heart rate and won’t slow

Dangerousdriver profile image
15 Replies

Dear all,

Hope you all had or having a good weekend. Wondered if I could ask a question!

So this afternoon after attending a Remembrance Day parade, I managed to get the chance to spend some time with my partner with the kids being occupied for more than 20 seconds.

After intercourse (yes I’m sorry it’s before the watershed) I felt my heart rate pounding as I had definitely exerted myself. I was wearing my Apple Watch and HR and it was 98 which I wasn’t too concerned with, but normally I return to resting HR very quickly. However, after 2 hours although it’s come out of the 90’s it’s still high 70’s which considering I’m in bed is high.

I took my 1.25mg Bisoprolol early, but still hadn’t dropped. I took a reading from my Kardia 6L and it showed as being normal, just elevated.

So to my question, I’m not panicking, but this is the first time since the ablation that my HR hasn’t dropped after exertion although I appeared to be in NSR, so has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks in advance....

Leon

Written by
Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
15 Replies
Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju

Hello there! I have similar symptoms, sometimes my heart rate won't come down 90. It happened 2 days ago, I was working then suddenly my heart started to race up to 84-92 and I had to wait 2-3 hours before everything slow down.

Now my heart rate is between 62-72. My ablation was in November 2018.

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply to Lien-Ju

Hi Lien,

It’s strange isn’t it? Mine keeps going from 65 to 85 even though I’m lying in bed. Plus I feel really tired now, but everytime I felt like I was dozing off I woke feeling like I was falling.

Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju in reply to Dangerousdriver

What is your average time of sleep? I personally sleep between 7-8h but if I only sleep 6-7h I am really tired and my heart rate is slower than if I have a 7-8h sleep. Your heart rate is 65-85 even if you are lying in bed? Did you notice something else?

I've noticed lately that I could have PAC or PVC when I sit down or wake up.

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply to Lien-Ju

When I’m walking up I’m feeling a strange vibrating feeling in my chest. It’s really odd, but I put it down to anxiety.

I find if I have less sleep then I’ll get ectopics and a higher resting HR.

Upon waking this morning my HR is in the late 60’s whereas normally it’s low 50’s, so something is going on.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

Hi - yes I still have sometimes experience periods of tachycardia (fast HR). It can sometimes be a precursor to AF so it’s a good sign you stayed in NSR.

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply to CDreamer

Yes agreed, I guess that was the bit that got me, you can feel it and you are waiting for the AF to kick in! So I’m relieved it did not though! It seems better this morning though, so we’ll see. I’m going to send the Kardia readings off to the Arrythmia nurses and see what they make of it.

AP224 profile image
AP224

In short yes... I had my ablation in August this year. I stopped taking Bisoprolol 2 weeks ago. When I do cardio at the gym I try to keep my HR at 140 or below. I have noticed the last 2-3 times I have been at the gym my HR descends relatively quickly to 90-95 after ceasing exercise but it can take a couple of hours to get down to my normal HR of 60 or below.

Before I had symptoms of AF I would train at above 140. After stopping my HR would rapidly descend to close to resting within 30 mins.

I am awaiting my follow up at Papworth and will raise this observation but given the trauma the heart has experienced I am neither surprised or worried at this stage especially given everything else seems fine (touch wood!).

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply to AP224

Since my ablation I try to keep the HR under 130 just not to tempt fate. It’s frustrating though as you go the gym to work the heart and you are not getting the max benefit out of it!

I’ve noticed my HR today is higher than normal, nothing to worry about, but I’m going through a lot of stress at the moment at work and home and my boss is not the most sympathetic telling I needed to learn to separate home and work life!! Yeah I know right, hardly supportive. Then in the next breath says you talk to me about any issues you are having, not with colleagues.

So I called in sick today as I really didn’t feel up to dealing with more stress!

Matt40 profile image
Matt40

Good morning Leon - I’m 42 and suffer or suffered with AF diagnosed in May 2017 completely by accident when at the docs for a chest infection. I’ve now had 2 Ablations one in Sept 2017 and one in May 2019 I too have the same issue sometimes as you - on occasion after ‘rigorous’ exercise my heart takes a while to come down to resting again. This doesn’t happen all the time and doesn’t seem to follow a pattern at all and my EP wasn’t really worried about it!! I’m fairly active and walk the dogs for 45 - 1 hr a day and keep a good pace and sometimes that can take 2 hours to come down and with that I can have a little lightheadedness also. At the moment I’m trying to wean off of Atenolol as instructed by my EP to see how I go without drugs - although i’ll Stay on apixaban for a while longer. I think that beta blockers don’t agree with me to well- or that there is something else going on! I too sometimes have that falling feeling when laying down or nodding off and sometimes wake just after nodding off almost like I’ve stopped breathing but the wife says I jump like i’ve fallen over in my sleep.

Cheers

Matt

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply to Matt40

Hi Matt,

Well, we have two things in common! One is our age, and the second we have both had ablations lol.

Can I ask why you had the second ablation? I had mine in May 18 and had a double ablation both RF and Cryo, which for all intense purposes has worked so far I guess, seeing as I’ve never required any medical intervention. I had unbeknown to me AF, Flutter and SVT! Therefore the thought behind it was that I’m otherwise healthy, so this was a belt and braces job.

The week after the ablation I felt better than I have for maybe ten years, I cannot describe how good I felt, no lethargy, no morning headaches. Then a week later it all went away and felt like my normal self again.

Last night I felt lightheaded when my HR was elevated, not where I was going to fall over, but just rather be sitting than standing.

Took my BP earlier and it’s spot on 118/78 which is good, but it’s not nice getting these symptoms. I’m not a nervous person, but of course these things linger sometimes and make you wonder what’s going on. In some ways you are waiting for the AF to come back which of course you don’t want.

I saw the EP’s registrar a few months ago and he was happy with my progress. I took a few Kardia readings I had took of me in SVT and ectopics etc, but he said I might require a touch up ablation at some point. So, we’ll have to wait and see I guess!

Matt40 profile image
Matt40 in reply to Dangerousdriver

Hey Leon - I had my second ablation as I was still getting runs of ectopics for hours/days and these were rather symptomatic - light headed, breathless etc. When they did the op they found one of my pulmonary veins had a small reconnection so that was touched up and like you felt great for a week - top of the world back to my old self - then crash felt tired and pretty much useless - it was then discovered that I had phrenic nerve palsy which happened during the procedure but nobody realised at the time - that seems to be on the mend now. The only thing I noticed recently is that I’m getting a bit of Atrial ectopics which i’ve not noticed before - managed to capture it last night and then that I think makes me panic and sets of SVTs at about 105 plus - only for a few minutes and then I have a word with myself and it settles down. Like you say though always waiting for something to happen - it’s like living on a cliff edge!!

Can I ask, odd question I know, do you still drink alcohol as I find that when I was on the full dose of Atenolol I could but now it elevates the HR a bit too much.

Regards

Matt

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply to Matt40

Hi Matt, our cases sound very similar in some ways. I’ve had ectopics for years, when I was in the police, and then I started to notice I’d get breathless if I was climbing stairs or incline whilst talking at the same time. I never really gave them any thought. They aren’t nice, but I realised they were not harmful and Dr’s were not concerned so I learned to live with them.

No one has ever been able to tell me why I felt so good immediately after the operation and then not so good after that!

I’m pretty certain I’ll need a touch up at some point as symptoms are getting more frequent, so it says to me that something is getting through and needs attention.

My SVT runs only last about a minute which is good, I notice that stress, tiredness etc are all triggers. Like you, I’m waiting for something worse to happen, but then you breathe, take stock and it’s calmed down again.

I’ve practically gone teetotal now with alcohol. I’ll have one alcopop drink once in a blue moon, but I just don’t need it really, do it’s hardly an issue for me.

yes, on occasion my HR sometimes doesn't want to come down after exertion.

I find that a good nights sleep often does the trick.

It could be flutter too, but that is not easy to spot on the single lead Kardia.

Sometimes it's easier to let my partner do the hard work ;)

wheelsup profile image
wheelsup

"When I’m walking up I’m feeling a strange vibrating feeling in my chest. It’s really odd, but I put it down to anxiety."

I have this too!!! Is it the Phrenic nerve, Vagus nerve, another nerve?????

my first ablation 4 years ago went well. cryo. I was back on my feel and off to a work convention 10 days after. but the afib/tachacardia came back and I elected a second surgery this year. This time was electrical, not cryo. They had issues putting me under (most anesthesia ever iven to a patient.... nice to know) and the surgery lasted 3 hours longer than anticipated. I had some existing issue with my neck and wonder if my position during the total 6 hour surgery has anything to do with this.

I think maybe there is nerve damage as a result of the surgery? I woke from surgery anxious and dizzy and it has persisted every day since the surgery this last April. I have occassional increases in heart rate when I do not much of anything. and then it is fine when I do other things. If I know it will heal over time, I will be patient, but I am discouraged as I feel I may be stuck with this condition from this point on. ( I am 52).

EP says all is fine, neurologist says take an anti seizure medication for 3 months and call me in the morning......... no help.

exbcmc profile image
exbcmc

My doc was ok with anything under 100. It stayed high, so it took a second ablation .

You may also like...

Fast heart rate and altitude

rate was between 90-106. It is 8:30 PM and I took a Bisoprolol (1,25mg) to feel comfortable again....

slow heart rate - should I be concerned?

when the thyroid function got back to normal I went back into normal rhythm. At about that time I...

How do I slow a rapid heart rate?

to 135-140 after beginning Amiodarone.....and has fluctuated from a low of 125 to a high of 140...

Fast heart rate.

at 87 per min. It’s very irregular as I have been diagnosed with Parox AF , (which I’m almost sure...

About this slow heart rate

doing something it will rise a bit into the 50s although a good walk or gardening shopping etc...