I am wondering if any of you afibbers have had extreme drops in your blood pressure when you are in afib or even when you are not in atrial fibrillation ? For the past 24 hours I’ve been in and out of NSR , mostly out. After a rather busy day, I got home unloaded a plant from my car, walked to backyard, and to the mailbox -it was very hot and humid. All of a sudden I was very weak but managed to get inside and sit down without fainting.
when I took my blood pressure. it was about 85/48. One other time recently my BP dropped severely. I was told it was because I had congestion in my lungs, therefore stressed my heart.
My blood pressure fluctuates, a great deal, however having it drop as low as it did today is frightening.
Of course, I will check with my cardiologist, but just wondered if any of you have had anything similar happen to you?
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Tux18
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In a word - yes. Dr Gupta explains this fluctuating BP when in AF in a York Cardiology on YouTube video and uses the simile of a hose attached to a tap with the pressure being even when the tap is on but when the tap is turned on and off consistently the pressure fluctuates.
I had syncope (fainting) with low BP. It was one of the reasons my pacemaker works so well for me as since implant my BP, even in AF, tends to stay steady. My normal pressures have always been low 100/70 - if I was lucky. Even straight after cycling to the GP surgery I never exceeded 120 systolic, in AF BP became unreadable and I fainted. Lying prone with feet elevated higher than heart helped, along with hydration and electrolyte drink but I couldn’t stand, standing was the worst so standing in line for anything became impossible.
Heat and humidity will exaggerate the problem and increase your need to hydrate - when we are busy we forget to do that. Slow down in heat and humidity and take learning from the Caribbean lifestyle, you never see the locals rushing anywhere - with good reason.
Thank you for your reply as it was helpful. I think I’m drinking enough but maybe I’m not. I’ll definitely drink more water and slow down. I should have said in my post that I have a pacemaker, which without it I’d no doubt fall on my face.
Standing in line is the worst! I relate. I became an incident in the bagging area after a long hot flight back from Turkey last April and 20 minutes in the passport queue 🙃. Luckily colleagues travelling with us were retired medics and weren't phased.
Thank you. I knew what had happened as it had happened before post longer AF episodes. So it ws a matter of lie on cold.floor, feet up, chug water and eat a square od Turkish delight in case its blood sugar. My BP monitor was on the Carousel somewhere...
I think the clue may be in "hot and humid." I had a few similar events during recent hot weather which were easily stopped by drinking lots of water. Good hydration is vital and if you wait till you are thirsty it is usually too late.
I will definitely try to drink more water than I have been. And I need to stay out of the heat and humidity. This is the second time this week actually that I felt similar , the other time I was staining the deck. Even though it was not extremely hot, it was very warm and humid. Thank you so much for your reply.
Yes, I recently had a spell of frequent AF episodes and ectopics in hot weather, very fainty and unsteady which turned out to be low BP. Now have a problem because my systolic tends to go high but my diastolic is too low if I take BP meds.
Thank you for your reply. This summer has been the worst for me as even when my BP does not drop like it did yesterday I can hardly move around at all without feeling weak. Makes it hard as when there’s some thing that needs to be done I tend to just want to take care of it.
I have had my blood pressure drop as low as that and felt lightheaded. Hydration is important as advised by others. Also, watch your blood sugar as that drops suddenly. Have something to eat as well as drink. My blood pressure suddenly drops at times. I was told not to have hot baths or showers, so the heat must play its part.
I think you are right about heat playing a part as some time back I realized that taking an extemely warm/hot shower could put my into AFib. Thank youvery much for your reply.
Hi There, low blood pressure happens to me when it hot out side too, I get a reading around 91/57. I become very light headed and when you try to walk your legs feel very heavily.This usually happens when Iam out at the shops or dog walking first thing in the morning before sun rise. It's very frustrating because iam useuly out on my own when it happens. You Just need to take things more steady and like everyone else has said need to drink at least 1.5 litters of water a day, it's difficult too do anyone will tell you this. I try and have three 500ml bottles of water between 10am untill 5pm.Take care.
Thank you very much for your reply Jakayla, such happenings are quite scary and frustrating. I will try to take things more steady and drink more water than I have been doing It helps to know others have had similar symptoms when overheated -keeps me from feeling so alone.
I was in AFIB for 9 days and yesterday just came out and all the time when I am in AFIB, my blood pressure goes very low like that! AND sometimes my Heart Rate goes down to 43 for a minute and I told my heart doctor and he says that is really low for my HR! But being in AFIB I don't think there is much we can do!
My heart rate used to go down very low also , however now I have a pacemaker so the heart rate does not go down extremely low. It’s just my blood pressure.
Even though I was resistant to getting a pacemaker, it has been good to know my heart rate a lot go below 60.
I have low blood pressure too. Systolic is rarely over 100 (except when I am lying down), dystolic is more stable in the 60s. When I stood up the other morning it dropped to 71/57, when it had been 107/66 minutes earlier when I was lying down. I was in NSR. I was recently swapped from Apixaban to Edoxaban to see if that would help increase my blood pressure, but it doesn’t seem to have made any difference. When I am in AF my blood pressure is lower than when in NSR. I think the advice about drinking plenty is good. Also, sit down if you can or even lye down when you feel faint. Then get up slowly and gently move around.
This is interesting and helpful. In the past when I was in afib my BP would frequently be high now it seems it’s doing the opposite. Trying to drink more water. Thank you for your reply.
Hi, I've had intermittent a fib for 7 years, without BP changes except for 3 mos ago where even lying down, I started having syncopal episodes numerous times d/t my pulse & BP going very low, 80/40 a few times, was very weak for months,, little activity. I went to the hospital for 3 days. The EPS said it was from the medication I was on- Sotalol, which I have taken for years with no issues. As soon I was off it, I felt fantastic and hiked 2 miles a day later! Now up to 3-4 miles a day and other exercise, swimming, bike riding, etc. So what I'm saying is, check what meds you're on, you never know if they can be the cause of those changes. Good Luck!
That’s wonderful that you were able to correct your problem by getting off Sotalol. I take metropolol, but I have stopped over the last two or three days knowing it could make my situation worse. Hopefully I will talk to the doctor soon. Thank you so much for replying.
You asked what problems I was having with metropolis. None except with my BP is low then I don't take it as it causes BP to to drop lower. The only thing I take is Xarelto and Metropolol.
Hi. You may be interested to know that my husband started to have faints back in February . Each time it was after walking a few miles and going into a warm café for a coffee. He has AF and is on Bisoprolol. 2.5/day. He was thoroughly investigated with a 24hr BP monitor, echo, stress echo, 14day Holter etc. And finally a Tilt Table Test with Dr Boon Lim.
The BP monitor showed very low BP especially at night when it went to 85/57!
The Tilt Table Test was very revealing. By keeping him upright at a slight angle for 20 minutes it was able to replicate the pre-syncope symptoms with dizziness, nausea, sweating, and muffled hearing. Then by instantly laying him flat, prevented the full fainting.
The monitoring showed his heart was ok but revealed he needed more hydration and electrolytes PLUS compression stockings.
He is reluctant to wear the full stockings but now wears flight socks all the time and drinks 2 5 litres of water with ORS electrolytes front-loaded in the earlier part of the day.
(There's a video of Dr Boon Lim on the Arrhythmia Alliance website talking to Trudie Lobban about this)
PS to above. The interview is by Trudie Lobban with Dr Boon Lim and Professor Richard Sutton on the Arrhythmia Alliance website answering the question, "What is a tilt test and how does it help diagnose syncope?" I can't seem to get the link but Google will find it.
Hello. I sometimes experience a drop in blood pressure when I stand up from sitting. I don't blackout but I do get visual disturbances. I find that tensing my leg muscles helps as it seems to increase blood pressure.
Just to add a small point; home BP monitors are likely to give varied and inaccurate readings when the user has arrythmia. Don't take my word for it, this info is in the instructions.
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