Low Heart rate, should I be worried?

[Alessa69]

Just checking some of my swimming & walking. Fitness stats etc led to me checking my daily heart rate stats, which I hadn’t looked at for ages..... Realise that on a fair few occasions over last 10 months my HR is low 40’s , very occasionally it has hit 32 at rest. I can happily swim 35 lengths at 99-102 beats per minute, at an average pace. Not so great when walking uphill though . My AF has mostly behaved itself over the last year, I’m on Rivaroxaban 20 mg , with Flecaineide as a PIP, have not needed it over last 10 months& thought that I was doing well. My cardiac journey has been challenging , I did a flying job for many years that out quite a strain on my heart & I used to exercise a lot more than I’m able to do now. My waking resting heart rate has always been about 53-55, but I had NO idea it went quite so low at other times at rest. It seems rather random, will try and see how it relates to exercise days, wonder if that affects it? Would you worry? I kind of switch off worrying about stuff that I cannot change.......

Answering my own question,I guess am going to have to go back to Cardiologist for a check up, as it been a well over a year since EP studies for ablation & diagnosis of AF . I was cardioverted 4 times during op, felt overwhelming relief after op, maybe that was the cardioversion , or relief finally knowing what the real issues were.

I’m sole carer for my beloved Veteran husband,who is 83, so I often tend to put my stuff to one side . We have both seen same Cardiologist for 22 yrs, but it took a long time to get diagnosis for me, women seem complicated in some areas. Am now 67, which seems totally outrageous, life flies by too fast when you are busy and living it!

Sorry for lengthy post!

[BobD Volunteer]

I think unless you are an olympic athlete a heart rate that low is not a great idea so please do make that appointment sooner rather than eventually. You are no use as a carer if you can't function.

[Alessa69 in reply to BobD]

Thanks for that wise advice Bob. I must admit, it took me by surprise , it is just so random, but crops up fair few times . My challenge now is getting hold of our mutual friend at RBH .......

[Alessa69 in reply to BobD]

Am at RBH , waiting nervously as ran out of time doing separate life stuff to get my head around all my questions...

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Alessa69]

Been waiting for a response from him myself.

[Buffafly]

What device do you use to measure the rate?

[Alessa69 in reply to Buffafly]

Apple series 4 , which to date has proved to be very reliable for me.

[CDreamer]

Hi - I am similar age & circumstances with 86 year old husband who is quite fit but has slowed down a lot so I’ve found I have to pick up a lot more of the chores. My HR started to drop in a similar manner to that you described & I found that slow HR triggered AF episodes just as easily as tachycardia.

I had Pacemaker implanted - for that & other reasons & it was the best thing to improve my QOL.

I think it is important that we look after ourselves, especially when we have people to care for as we can’t afford to be out of action for any length of time. I always think of the statement that the announcers say on aircraft ‘put on your own oxygen mask before helping others’.

Best wishes CD

[Alessa69 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for your kind reply. Yes, my beloved is an ex Para& Himalayan climber , so he’s had extreme fitness. His only symptom was a nagging wife , I managed to sign him up for a bells& whistles treadmill test inn1998, which led him to a super young Cardiologist at the Royal Brompton , who ended up with me me as an add-on patient 6 months later after a very scary in- flight incident. So the journey started. In those days, no- one thought much about fit females in mid 40’s having heart issues, we did not fit correct profile!

What does worry me , is being able to stay fit enough and well to help him keep his independence, and mine of course. Walking our dogs helps both of us .

[jeanjeannie50]

Agree with Bob, any heart rate under 40 is not good. How do you feel when it goes as low as 32? It's a wonder you haven't passed out. Have you had your thyroid function checked, as it being under-active could be the cause?

Jean

[Alessa69 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jeannie, yes,I had wondered about thyroid function , I’m always making sure that GP checks my thyroid, am just within limits usually, but suspect it’s borderline possibly. Have checked back through, it mostly drops to low 32 when sleeping, the irony is , I only noticed it because I was checking back through my swimming HR stats,( trying to up fitness levels to help heart & weight ) which made me look back over the last 10 months. Usually my waking HR is around 52, it’s been that for years, so have never worried before. My cardiac profile has always been a bit unusual, it took many years before AF was diagnosed during planned SVT studies by EP.

Strange, I can happily swim at good rate for an hour, but am SO exhausted the next day, it’s taking me more than 1 day to recover just from a pretty average swim time.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Alessa69]

Sounds very much like your thyroid to me as that's exactly how I used to be. You know it's your right to ask what your thyroid level is from your doctors surgery. I can get into my records online. I used to find that if I did anything that required stamina it was as though I'd used up my energy quota and had to wait until my body recovered and made more.

I've found that swimming is likely to trigger my AF and feel sad that I'm too afraid to do it now (used to train twice a week in my late twenties). If you get your thyroid result and let me know what it is I can probably tell if it's that. My GP left me with a high level for years and my goodness didn't I suffer! I used to put my tiredness down to my AF and thought that was how everyone felt.

[Alessa69]

That’s really interesting , and very helpful thank you! We have had a new GP over last year, he’s super, very motivated to help get you right, we are very lucky. I think the problem is, unless you fall within a certain level, the NHS does not do further thyroid tests for T3 split etc. I may need to try and get an endocrinologist appointment for further investigation whilst I can still pay my Health Ins premiums! It just seems like an uphill battle sometimes.

I would be lost if I couldn’t swim, it keeps me sane and diverts my mind from

other worries . Luckily, it does not seem to trigger AF , I have been fairly steady this last year, thankfully except during very hot days. What is strange, was that I felt extremely well after they had to Cardiovert me 4 times during EP studies in September 2018, the feel good factor wore off around Jan last year. Perhaps it was just relief at diagnosis and being taken seriously after struggling for many years .

[Maggimunro]

Hi Alessa

My resting heart rate used to be as low as yours but since having my 3 ablations it is a very steady low 60’s at rest.

Have you considered ablations?

[Alessa69 in reply to Maggimunro]

Mine was abandoned during EP studies in 2018 as I kept going into AF, hence 4 cardioversions on that day! Need to go Back to EP I guess .....

[Maggimunro in reply to Alessa69]

Sorry to hear that

[doodle68]

Hello Alessa since being on beta blockers my resting heart rate is in 40s 50s, I queried this with my EP consultant via the nurse at the arrhythmia clinic at was told as long as I felt ok and not dizzy or faint not to worry about it. I didn't persue the matter because I hear the words pace maker mentioned and I am not a great fan of being messed about with in hospitals unless it is a life and death situation .

Heaven knows what it is when I am sleeping but I get up in the night without feeling dizzy so it can't be too bad.

Like you I am continuing with excercise in hope of mentaining a level of stamina and fitness

to heart health

If you have any concerns at all I would certainly query it with your GP or consultant.

[Alessa69 in reply to doodle68]

My resting HR has always been low 50’s so that does not worry me. It’s the variations down to low 40s and occasional

30s that concerns me....... It’s all a bit random and J get very tired. Am not on Beta blockers , just Flecaineide. Appointment now booked !

[Ecki]

I'm on 2.5 mg bisoprolol. My heart rate during the night tends to be high 40s to low 50s. I walk the dogs every day, 2 to 3 miles and I often find that my heart rate drops into the high 30s after my walk. I don't have any symptoms from this and I don't worry about it. I'm waiting for an ablation (should have been last week but was cancelled at the last minute, lack of beds). I'm expecting that my resting HR will be higher after the ablation. I use a Garmin Vivoactive HR. Just thought, I always have a cup of ginger tea after my walk, don't know if that would affect my heart rate.

[Seventy9]

Not sure when your having the procedure

But I’m due to have same Ablation at the

Royal Brompton this year. Waiting now

Only told last Thursday by my lovely

Profesor.

Please let us all know how you get on .

Good Luck

John ( Seventy Nine )

[Alessa69 in reply to Seventy9]

You will be incredibly well looked after at the Royal Brompton . My beloved is treated there, several stents over the years & I had my Last few procedures there , but yesterday my RBH Cardiologist did my ablation at the Harley St Clinic due to Covid restrictions ( which are only just lifted this week at RBH )

I’m too tired today to write any sense tonight , could not sleep 💤 properly last night post op , back home now & fading fast tonight , feet up snoozing !

[S11m]

When I was an endurance athlete (I cycled 1,200km in 87 hours in 1995) a pulse rate of 30bpm was fine.

Before I had the three cardioversions, two catheter ablations and two pacemakers, my pulse rate was 35 when I had AF... and, sometimes, I woke up paralysed from the eyelids down.