A-fib and low BP in a bent position

[Jonathan_C]

Hi - I am in persistent a-fib and in reasonable health.

When I exert myself in a bent over position I get unusually short of breath (it escalates much quicker than seems in proportion to what I am doing) and often when I stand up I feel vertigo / loss of balance / loss of orientation.

The loss of balance feeling lasts a few seconds - usually if i take a few deep breaths and and swing my arms around it goes away quite quickly. Its not a nice experience, but something I have learnt to manage.

By "exert" I mean things like if I bend over to brush my dog (which is a 35kg ridgeback) or get on my haunches to open / close the pool cover. The exertion is mild, but enough to raise the heart rate.

I have been unsure whether this is linked to my sinuses or the a-fib - but a physio suggested a plausible medical explanation is that when exerting myself in that position the a-fib causes my blood pressure to drop and then standing up with the low BP i get the vertigo sensation.

Can anyone relate this?

[Popepaul]

Sounds to me like postural/orthstatic hypotension. A drop in blood pressure when rising from a laying or sitting position. I think that everybody experiences this occasionally during their life, even the young. It can become more common with age. It can be a side effect of medications and it can occur with cardiovascular illness including afib. I experience it myself, less often over the last 6 months. The only risk is that you might fall or even black out.Stay hydrated and always rise slowly from a prone position. Salt and liquorice can help raise blood pressure but I would not use them if my resting BP was high.

Please note that I am only reflecting on my personal experience,

[Jonathan_C in reply to Popepaul]

This makes sense and that its unlikely to be my sinuses. Thanks

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Popepaul]

Hi

re: Liquorice.

It interfered with my daily thyroxine as thyroid cancer robbed me of my thyroid and 12 right lymphs (2 affected). I was lucky because a stroke with AF prompted the hospital to do a carotid arteries scan which were clear. I was on no meds.

I had to take more thyroxine until I was balanced and had eaten all the box of liquorice. I read it was a suspected food to absorbing thyroxin.

cheers JOY. (NZ) 74

[Popepaul in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Interesting and a clear caveat for some. The physiology of nutrition is certainly complex. Glad to hear that you were able to correct your condition.Regards

[Buffafly]

I get very breathless when working at anything with arms raised and noticed that I forget to breathe while concentrating so now remember to stop for deep breaths at short intervals. You may be squashing your internal organs slightly while bending and need to take ‘breather breaks’. Also agree with Popepaul.

[mjames1]

May be "Bendopnea". Multiple causes but you might want to see a cardiologist to rule out heart failure and a pulmonologist to rule out lung/diaphragm issues. Have you recently gained weight around the waist? That also could contributing.

Jim

[Jonathan_C in reply to mjames1]

Thanks. On this "Have you recently gained weight around the waist?" - No - I am in reasonable shape weight wise.

[mjames1 in reply to Jonathan_C]

Sometimes added girth can put pressure on the diaphragm when bending over but that doesn't seem to apply to you.,Good luck in tracking down the cause of your SOB and please report back if you find out. One other thought is GERD/heartburn. I had some SOB issues related to that.

Jim

[lizzily]

This is me. Kneeling to weed the garden etc and the world spins when I try to come up, dizzy, nausea etc. if I record my BP soon after it’s in my boots. I was blaming 2.5 mgs of Bisopralol but my EP isn’t worried so I just come up really slowly breathing deeply.

[Treschere]

Hi, sounds like Bendopena, are you on Amlodipine as that was a side effect of it for me, once I changed medication it mostly went away.

[Jonathan_C in reply to Treschere]

The only meds I take are anticoagulants (Xarelto is the brand name here in South Africa).

I looked up bendopnea - the symptons described fit my experience. So I think my a-fib explains it.

I will watch my girth too

Thanks everyone

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

I suggest that you might have an enlarged heart which I have.

Bending over like you is so uncomfortable.

I meant to ask the h/specialist but it's my list for December. My new Dr is going to do a new ECHO as the last one was done 3 years ago plus.

It will be interesting to see if I still have an enlarged heart as since Dec 21 I have had AF under control.

Like you I have Persistent AF. Astroke in 2019 with AF and Thyroid Cancer discovered.

cheri JOY 74. (NZ)

[Soundmike]

Hi ,I'm the same,in permanent A/F and any exertion like getting up from the floor quickly or out of bed makes me very dizzy. Not sure if this is heart related or blood pressure problems which I also suffer from ,but even though my pressure is OK at the moment I still get the dizziness,I've learned to live with it and just take things more slowly .

[Prettyorchid]

Google positional ortho statis

[Gulmarrad]

I had a similar thing. Every time I got off the bed or from a chair my head would have a really heavy feeling g , not dizzy though. I would have to hang on to a bench or wall , whatever was closest. Finally my GP got me to lay on his bed with look pressure monitor on for 5 minutes then stand up. My pulse rate went from 45 to 98. Postural hypertension! Changed blood pressure Ed to lower dose , good as gold.