Beat to Beat

[Clareowenpearcy]

Looking at my beat to beat HR, does anyone have a consistent heart rate. Every second it changes. Low of 39 to a high of 176 so far this morning🤷‍♀️

[Paulbounce]

Hi Clare.

I'll give you my usual disclaimer - I'm not a doctor so this is just based on my own personal experience.

Everytime a home monitor will show such readings if you are in afib. It measures the reading every second. So if for example your heart beats very quickly from one beat to another it will show up as 176. If it skips a beat then it will show as 36 BPM. It's all over the place when you are in afib and changes from second to second. It's not an accurate reading of your average HR over a longer period of time. You're not judging this with a FitBit watch by any chance are you?

The only way to get a proper reading is with an ECG. What device do you use?

Paul

[Clareowenpearcy in reply to Paulbounce]

Thanks for your response.

Apple Watch and halter monitor ( just had the monitor last week) I’m used to the highs but not the lows. It seems to be the lows that are concerning my GP. I have had Afib & A flutter for a lot of years but do not have any symptoms and thankfully it has never bothered me. I used to feel it but don’t anymore and I still go in and out on a daily basis even after 13 years since diagnosis and 3 ablations later. Time to see the cardiologist again and decide next step.

[mjames1]

To be expected. That's probably because you are in afib and the beats are uneven. So only some monitors will give you an accurate count. That is a select group of bp monitors and ekg devices like Kardia and Apple Watch. If you can find your pulse at wrist or neck, just count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. That is your heart rate. The first beat you feel is zero not "1".

Jim

[Clareowenpearcy]

Thanks for your reply.

Thankfully I’m not prone to anxiety! My dr wants me to wear the watch as I don’t feel or have any symptoms…. I resisted for years and was none the wiser. However, getting older and now started meditation which I was not on previously except for an anticoagulant.

[DevonHubby1]

Again, I'm no Dr. Are you on any rate limiting drugs? 176 is quite high if you are regularly hitting it.

[Paulbounce in reply to DevonHubby1]

I totally agree. 176 BPM is far to high if it happens regularly and lasts for a period of time. That needs to be dealt with if this is the case.

Paul

[Ppiman]

I think your GP will likely look a bit further into whether the AF has changed at all. The Holter ECG will be helpful.

Steve

[2learn]

how do you feel. If you feel ok why keep checking, it may be just causing you unnecessary worry and affecting your HR. Its bound to change depending on what you are doing, eating, how you feel etc

[clifetta]

Hi Clare, mine does this every night 37 to 191 while I am asleep. I just see the report on my fitbit in the morning. I feel ok so I dont worry about it. I do toss and turn all night, I have always been a restless sleeper so I assume thats whats causing it to vary so much. Daytime it varies between 68 and 120. So you are not alone in the variation.

[Clareowenpearcy in reply to clifetta]

Good to know! Thanks… Daytime is 45-220 only lasts a second🤷‍♀️

[Izzle]

Years ago I went into AF on the golf coarse whilst wearing a chest monitor (like cyclist and other athletes use). I rushed off to the emergency Dr's who plugged me in to ECG and BP monitors. Interesting that all 3 devices showed different HR and after discussion we thought each had an individual algorhythm programmed into their onboard computer chip which massaged the input HR data over differing time periods. That was our collective best guess.