Pulse range

[Tilly1957]

can one be in AF without excessively high/low pulse rates?

[Jalia]

Yes, in one word! It is usually higher rates but certainly can be lower. My husband is an example of 80/90s and in permanent AF. Myself , I could reach 240s prior to my 4th ablation 15 months ago!

ps more recently my Kardia has diagnosed AF for me at 50/60 albeit briefly!

[Tilly1957 in reply to Jalia]

Hi Jalia, does he get symptoms? I keep feeling like I am going to go into af, but nothing happens, although today, when i was lying in bed, I could feel my heart beat against the mattress (as you do) and it seemed erratic, but pulse not going high, and bp behaving ….. hmmmmmm I really need to get the battery cover back on my Kardia so I can use it 🤣 x

[Jalia in reply to Tilly1957]

No symptoms! Only discovered he had AF by chance by my Kardia ! He's now anticoagulated!

[Tilly1957 in reply to Jalia]

scary! Lucky you had a Kardia! I took the back off mine to replace the battery, now I can’t get the back cover back on 🤣🤣🤣🤣 x

[Jalia in reply to Tilly1957]

You need to use brute force! I had this problem with my second

[Tilly1957 in reply to Jalia]

I am worried it would break! Will try again …. And again until it clicks back in x

[baba]

yes

[Tilly1957 in reply to baba]

thank you x

[Paulbounce]

Hi Tilly.

I echo the other comments - yes. Are you on a beta blocker ? If so and your HR is low it might worth talking to your doctor about reducing the dose. I'm in persistent afib and my HR tends to stay steady(ish) due to taking the maximum dose of Sotalol. I noticed though that after I had been in sinus for a while it would rocket up and I could tell within seconds that afib had returned. That tends to be the 'norm' but for some the rate can be lower. It is possible to have afib and not have any symptoms at all.

Paul

[Tilly1957 in reply to Paulbounce]

I have been on nebivolol (after trying bisoprolol for a few years 🤪) for some months now, seemed to suit me. It’s the feeing I have prior to afib that I am getting but no symptoms - although I say that, I get irritable and a funny feeling in my chest for a few days before an episode, and that’s been happening but no episode (or obvious one) Am going to try and get through to gp tomorrow as I have a knee that keeps giving way, so will speak about this too.

So symptomless af would be the erratic rates but without me feeling it ….. hmmmmm x

[Paulbounce in reply to Tilly1957]

I think you would know about it Tilly if your HR was really erratic ie shot up to 150 + bpm. 'Silent afib' though is different and in my opinion one of the most dangerous. There are people walking about who don't have any symptoms at all and are therefore totally unaware of the problem - hence they don't seek medical intervention. In my opinion they are ticking time bombs and totally unaware of the added risk of a stroke. As is often stated on the forum we are all different and afib affects us all in a distinct way. Some show symptoms but others might not. The only way to know is an ECG or to just simply check your pulse if you feel you might be in afib.

Good luck with knee.

Paul

[Tilly1957 in reply to Paulbounce]

before the nebivolol mine would hit 180 or just over, diving around like a I don’t know what.! Horrid, isn’t it. But this med has helped my bp and far less af episodes. I also have verapamil as a pip ….. and am taking a anti coagulant. I could just be being neurotic. Plus I have fibromyalgia (finally diagnosed last month) x

[Paulbounce in reply to Tilly1957]

Tilly wrote

"It’s the feeing I have prior to afib that I am getting but no symptoms - although I say that, I get irritable and a funny feeling in my chest for a few days before an episode, and that’s been happening but no episode"

First off Tilly I'm not a medic so this is just my personal take and only your doctor can confirm. I wonder if you feel irritable if it's caused by Fibromyalgia ? You have most likely seen this but I'll put a link below about the condition.

nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyal...

Now this in turn could make you feel stressful - which could lead to you getting afib. Maybe I'm clutching at straws with this one but it could be the Fibromyalgia causing your problem rather than afib. This is worth asking your doctor about tomorrow when you speak to him / her.

Let us know what the doctor say's on the thread - I would be interested to know.

Paul

[Tilly1957 in reply to Paulbounce]

thank you, it had crossed my mind. I have read somewhere there is thought to be a connection between af and fibro - with af being a symptom of fibro. Although I don’t want the gp to start labelling everything ‘oh it’s fibro’ 😱🤣. It’s difficult to see the same gp at our practice. The only full time one is someone who I have no trust in and really don’t want to see. Thank you for your input x

[Tilly1957 in reply to Paulbounce]

Hi, I did get a telephone appointment, with a new doctor, but only discussed my knee ….. for that I am referred back to the bone guy, plus physio you start mid January. I will keep an eye on my pulse more. Thank you for all your advice

[Elli86]

Hi Tilly.

Yes it’s definitely possible. My heart rate is often 90 or lower when in af. It has been known to go excessively higher at times but on the whole it’s usually 70-90. Doesn’t make you feel any less rubbish though. Used to totally wipe me out. I’ve had an ablation now and haven’t been in af since February but yes it’s 100% possible.

[Ppiman]

That's my experience. I have had it with a high rate (180bpm or so) only once, mostly it's 85-130bpm. My friend has AF all the time at normal heart rates.

Steve

[Norfolk_spaniel]

I have had several spells of AF, feeling very rough with them but my HR only increases from my usual 60 to around 80. I also see my BP drop so I no longer need medication.

[Silvasava]

My AF is rythm not rate, I'm on half a tablet of Nebivolol. Generally my pulse rate is in the mid 60's. It seems as if I've always had it, just not been aware.

[RoyMacDonald]

Yes. I've counted 60 bpm while in bed and every so often there was an irregular beat. I'm only on Apixaban. I'm 78.

All the best.

Roy

[WildIris in reply to RoyMacDonald]

In my experience, most isolated irregular beats are not AF. I have always had lots of irregular beats in an otherwise healthy heart, like my father, with several Holter monitors over the years showing no AF. Then I had a heart murmur and valve replacement and started getting PAF about once a week. My heart rate only goes up about 10 bpm. Not many symptoms, but that doesn't affect the stroke risk. So I started on Apixaban and found I could only take 2.5 mg a day without unbearable itching, so I take Nattokinase too which science says is good for clot-busting and accounts for the long life of the Japanese, if only purity was consistent among supplement companies. No, I don't really know what I'm doing, but the Apixaban is so expensive here that I can't switch to some other drug at this point. I think I need a clotting/bleeding study.

[RoyMacDonald in reply to WildIris]

When I had a major stroke they told me it was because I had AF and hadn't been taking the Apixaban I was prescribed (I was worried about bleeding) when they originally diagnosed me with AF. I am taking the Apixaban now 5 mg twice a day. I've learnt my lesson the hard way.

All the best.

Roy

[Decaf_Andy]

Yes, for me going into AF simply adds 30-50 beats per minute to what it would normally be. So at rest it might be 80-90 in AF against 45-55 normally. During brisk or hill walking it would normally be 90-110, but 130-150 in AF.

I have no symptoms except being able to feel the annoying thumping and fluttering and reduced cardiovascular performance beyond above activities. Anything that would normally see 150bpm, such as a significant hill climb on a bike is more difficult in AF.

[dmack4646 in reply to Decaf_Andy]

Snap

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to Decaf_Andy]

Mine is like this too. Although the resting rate doesn’t rise as much, my walking rate goes up by about 40, and uphill walks/stairs are more difficult. Not exactly breathless, but my legs get tired.

[Ddob in reply to Decaf_Andy]

The same here

[Chrisdave]

Definitely, I'm in permanent AF with a resting heart rate of 80 - 90

[dmack4646 in reply to Chrisdave]

What does it go to walking etc ?

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

Yes. Pulse is your H/R. My day is high and meeds controlling but at night it is 47.

cheri JOY

[Geza10]

Hi I am in permanent AF where a Fitbit my resting rate 49-53 and working or training never goes above 135 i have done a lifetime of sport which I think started the AF 8 years ago before AF my heart would beat in NSR 38-45 doctor thinks the slow beat caused AF

on apixaban but otherwise feel good, with my wife and daughters I'm happy with life

[Desanthony]

The short answer is yes. I am now in permanent AF with a resting heart rate in mid 50's and rarely get over 130 even when exercising - I do circuit training in the gym at least 4 times a week and walk for an hour every day. I was first diagnosed with persistent low rate AF back in 2017. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers took my resting rate down to the mid or low 30's so after about 9 months they decided not to try any more for me as they took my rate down so low that made me feel worse than the Af itself, and it was never high in the first place. Had 3 successful cardioversions but missed out on an ablation because of Covid in the Coronary Unit at our hospital and by the time came round again to try getting it done a scan showed my heart had successfully re-modelled itself so another cardioversion and/or ablation would most likely not have been effective. My cardioversions did keep me out of Af for a total of 36 months during that time and all in all I did feel better during that time but now just carry on regardless and am doing fine.