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Fast heart rate and altitude

Lien-Ju profile image
13 Replies

Hello there! Today is my first time skiing since my ablation (28/11/18). I've noticed that my heart rate is way faster than the previous days. I had an EKG 3 days ago and everything was fine except a fast heart rate (because of stress I don't feel comfortable with any kind of "test").

Today my resting heart rate was between 90-106. It is 8:30 PM and I took a Bisoprolol (1,25mg) to feel comfortable again. I can't sleep with a fast heart rate.

My question is the following:

Did someone experience the same thing?

I first thought about altitude but maybe there are other reasons?

Julien

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Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju
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13 Replies
CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

Yes, I found I really couldn’t ski at altitude of 1500m+. It was just too exhausting & so much time spent waiting for my HR to come down before the next lift that I haven’t been back skiing now for 5 years, really miss it.

secondtry profile image
secondtry in reply toCDreamer

Snap CD, I love Austria and the mountains, in my youth I worked two seasons in the Arlberg. However, that had to be given up 😤 as even in UK at normal altitude one of my AF contributors is not enough oxygen going in due to a narrow 'stuffed up' upper respiratory area (there is a technical term for this I believe) and I focus on breathing deeply on my daily walks and use a nasal strip at night, which is just sufficient. Have a great day and big thanks for all your quality comments here.

Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju in reply toCDreamer

I feel you, I am now between 1600-2100m and it is hard to keep skiing without take regular pauses.

D_afibber profile image
D_afibber

Hi Julien. Same here. Used to love hiking high mountains. But I find that I tire easy and my heartbeat raises too fast (140-160) last time. So I keep my altitude much lower and only walk the lower hike trails now. Seems to work ok now. But higher altitudes with reduced oxygen level pressure is not for me anymore. Just the way it is now.

Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju in reply toD_afibber

Hi D! I will keep my altitude lower to enjoy my skiing holidays as you did. Today I went to 1600-1800, yesterday I was to 1800-2100 and I feel more comfortable today. I also took Bisoprolol 1,25mg to slow down a little bit my heart rate, it helps!

jwsonoma profile image
jwsonoma

Hi Lien-Ju

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and go skiing in the Sierras often. Days trips don't bother me too much. Skiing is between 2,100 and 3,000 m. I train aerobically all year other wise I am huffing and puffing just walking to the tram with my skis. I find sleeping at altitude does effect me. 2,100m has 25% less oxygen than sea level. To compensate your body has to get more blood cells throughout your body. It does this by pumping more and trying to reduce the fluid volume of your blood (more red cells per liter) by dehydrating. IE going to the bathroom a lot. That results in a rapid pounding heart and multiple nightly trips to pee for the first couple of days. I found I recovered in 2 days if sleeping at 2,100 m but sleeping at 2,500 m harder. Your heart is going to be working harder just doing nothing, I don't get much sleep with the multiple midnight trips and it isn't pleasant with the pounding heart so take it easy for the 1st couple of days and you will adjust. Walking hills on a daily basis (pre trip) really helps. Have fun.

secondtry profile image
secondtry in reply tojwsonoma

Thank you very useful to know.

Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju in reply tojwsonoma

Thank you very much for all those information, a lot of things I ignored. Today I feel better than yesterday (yesterday I was at 2,100m) and today more 1600-1800. I also took a small dose of Bisoprolol and I don't have palpitations. I also have a bottle of water to not being dehydrated.

We went up to 10500ft recently, but had to come straight down on lift. I don't know whether it was affecting my heart but I just felt bad. We've set ourselves a limit of about 7-8000 ft for any future holidays.

Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju in reply to

I guess it is the best decision, yesterday I had palpitations and I was not aware of my fast heart rate. Today my heart is slower but I dont have any bad feeling, this is way better!

Desanthony profile image
Desanthony

The oxygen level in the air goes down at night and once when skiing at very high altitudes in America many years ago now before I discovered my AF I found I had problems breathing at night and had to pay to have oxygen to use at night. During the day I was fine and could ski as normal. Have never been to those type of altitudes again other than going up Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc but the Italian side) and had to quickly come down from the two top stations as I found breathing there hard and again on the Jungfrau - loved being at the top but couldn't spend a lot of time up there. I am hoping to try skiing just easy blue runs in somewhere like Andorra again once I have had my ablation. That's if there is snow at the lower levels with global warming.

Lien-Ju profile image
Lien-Ju in reply toDesanthony

I also noticed that I had some pain to catch my breath last night!

djmnet profile image
djmnet

It's the altitude and reduced oxygen that makes the heart work harder. Hard not to worry, but it's pretty normal even for folks without afib.

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