Random heart rate spike but no missing beats

[Sweet-Potato]

Hi, does anyone else get random heart rate spikes for no reason which come straight back to normal range? My resting HR is 60, I was just brushing my hair and it spiked to 130, I felt dizzy, could feel my heart pounding in my throat. I couldn't feel beats missing when I felt my pulse. Blood pressure is normal. I've had a few AF episodes and thought this was another but it came straight back to normal. I was out walking up hills yesterday, slightly out of breath and it didn't go past 115bpm. Does anyone else have this happen?

[BobD Volunteer]

It could be atrial tachycardia as that is a typical rate for it but unless it lasted for 30 seconds or more it won't have a name! As we were told at Patients Day that is the general time taken by most devices so considered the norm. I used to get a lot of A tach until that was ablated in 2019 but hard to catch unless you wear a Holter monitor for several days.

[Cabinessence in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob,

Do different parts of the heart cause tachy than those which cause Afib then? Where do they know where to burn for each?

[mjames1]

It could be something or nothing, like so many things with the heart But the only way to know is with an ekg.

Because the events appear short, a 7-14 day ekg patch might catch it. Or, if you're quick on the draw, a home ekg monitor like Kardia or Apple Watch could also generate an ekg. I recommend either of these devices to anyone with an arrhythmic problem as they can save a lot of guesswork by both you and your doctor, which for me at least, translates into less stress.

Likely suspects are aflutter, Atach or even Afib. You should know that even with an ekg, the three suspects can be mistaken for each other, especially on a single lead ekg, even by the best ep, but the ekg is a good start.

Good luck and let us know what you find out.

Jim

[Rosie1066]

Yes, it’s started happening to me almost everyday. I was fitted with a pacemaker back in June this year for Tachy / Brady syndrome but I now seem to be now having this problem, too. I know that a pacemaker only controls the low heart beats and not the high ones.

[Sweet-Potato in reply to Rosie1066]

It was so strange. Is there any pattern for you to suggest what is triggering it?

[Rosie1066 in reply to Sweet-Potato]

No, Not that I can think of. Although I have a pacemaker, which is set to 60 BPM, my heart rate almost very day goes as low as 50 and sometimes in the 40s and can spike as high as 165. I have to got back to pacemaker clinic In February so will know then if it’s a problem or not. At the moment I’m just ignoring it!

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Rosie1066]

Yes my husband has exactly the same we’re awaiting an appointment at arrhythmia clinic after his AF caused a stroke nearly four months ago

[Tapanac in reply to Rosie1066]

Are you raising your left arm and stretching too much? Perhaps get on yo your paving team if you have a monitor beside your bed recording your PM. They can look at their computer and see what is happening

All the best

[Rosie1066 in reply to Tapanac]

No not unduly raising my left arm. I don’t have a bedside monitor, I just use my Apple Watch. Anyhow, not to worry!

[Tapanac in reply to Rosie1066]

Oh we snd every one I know has a bedside monitor which reads our pacemaker all the time and sends it to a big computer type monitor direct yo hospital snd they phone if they see anything amiss as computer automatically picks it up

Anyway all the best

[Rosie1066 in reply to Tapanac]

That sounds brilliant, unfortunately my hospital never offered that service to me. I certainly wish they had.

[Tapanac in reply to Rosie1066]

As I think you said you only had your PM in June, are you in England if so perhaps you could ask your doctor next time you see him. Trevor’s monitor is fairly big but mine is only the size of a mobile phone so doesn’t take up any room on bedside table and literally just plugs into an electric socket. Does give peace of mind.

Best wishes to you

Pat

[Wales99 in reply to Rosie1066]

I’m the same. I was fitted with a pacemaker last week for tachy/brady after a cardio version for AFIB. It now seems to be that my heart really speeds up on very little exertion & I’m still getting ectopic beats but nowhere near as many. I’m really hoping to go back to the gym & run again in due course.

[Sixtyslidogirl]

I get spikes like that, randomly, day or night. (I use FrontierX chest strap). I thought it was AF but cardiologist says atrial tacychardia. In my case HR is not so high. I get more when I have been doing too much, but sometimes for no reason… Cardiologist didn’t seem too bothered about them. More interested in ventricular ectopics which I get on exercise. I am allowed a few apparently but not too many and not in a row.

[jayjay10000]

Hi There. Iam sorry to hear you are having heart problems. Nearly everyone on here experience fast ❤️ rate for no explanation, mine is around 125 BPM Upto 220 BPM and usely last for around 2 mins. The best thing is to try not to worry, easy said and done, and try and get on with life until you see your Cardiologist team again. Iam not seeing mine for the first time until the end of March 2024, I have been waiting to see them since my first echo cardiogram done in March 2023. Keep us all posted.Take care.

[Sweet-Potato in reply to jayjay10000]

I was only diagnosed with AF mid September, had further tests and have just been referred to cardiology. I thought I might get in to see them soonish but it would appear most on here have had a long wait. In uk so it's an NHS appointment.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to jayjay10000]

Hi , out of interest was your eco cardiogram ok . We were shocked to find my husbands left ventricle running at 33% although he has hd a stroke as I said above which caused a stroke . It’s the fast heart rate that worries me as it puts the heart under strain

[Sweet-Potato in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Echo came back as satisfactory, just one mild leaky valve, everything else was fine.

[jayjay10000 in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Hi there. My heart is intact. But the Arotic root dilation is already at 4cm. I get alot of chest tightness and discomfort, it worries me most days especially at night when iam trying to get some sleep. I find it difficult trying to relax most days.take care.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to jayjay10000]

Yes it’s really hard not to get too stressed . I think once we find out what they’re going to do with his heart we can relax a bit but the never ending wait for an appointment is stressful . We thought it was six weeks but that’s for the heart function clinic , our arrhythmia clinic appointment was cancelled for the 30th they are booked for the next six weeks apparently so more waiting . Take care

[Ppiman]

How long does the spike last and how are you measuring it? My Apple Watch suggests odd spikes just as you describe but I don't have your symptoms (which would need a prolonged spike). I've put mine down to a glitch in the Watch software, but yours sounds different as you have symptoms. If you have a run of ectopic beats (PVCs in this case) this is called non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. I do get this and that does make me feel a bit strange although some of that feeling could well be from the anxiety it induces.

Steve

[33peeler in reply to Ppiman]

I have these random spikes on my Apple Watch and do not feel anything. Just figured like you it is a glitch in the watch?

[Ppiman in reply to 33peeler]

Hi Peeler

I read it somewhere that it happens because the app occasionally doubles the beat it counts; that seems about right. Like you, I now ignore it.

Steve

[PleasantPink2 in reply to Ppiman]

Just an FYI here. I know someone who was getting rather low heart rate readings on their Apple watch & also figured it was a software error because he had no symptoms. He had planned to take it in for repair the very week he had a stroke. Turned out he was having slow brain bleed that resulted in a stroke. Later found out the increased pressure in his brain was causing the low heart rate.

I don't say this to frighten anyone. Just to caution you to not disregard changes that your watch is showing. Have your watch checked or check yourself with another method & compare, even if you are not having symptoms. Can't be too careful.

[Ppiman in reply to PleasantPink2]

Oh my - well, there's a salutary warning. Poor chap. I hope he's on the way to recovery.

If ever I feel my heart doing this or that, I use the ECG app as this is far more reliable than the heart app, I suspect not least because Apple had to achieve FDA approval for it. It also uses different hardware from that of the heart app.

Steve

[PleasantPink2 in reply to Ppiman]

Glad to see you follow up with an alternate device. I do the same using the Kardia monitor. Thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately the guy I referred to sustained permanent brain damage. He has a young wife & two toddlers, a sad scenario as recovery is limited.

[Buffafly]

Yes, but no symptoms normally, I only know about it because my watch tells me!

[Jeep2021]

I have been dealing with the same thing trying to get answers. Newly diagnosed in September and on Diltazem. My heart rate will spike up to 130-140 when I get up of a morning just getting ready. No symptoms and it’s usually only in the morning. It goes down once I sit down. Asking the cardiologist tomorrow. My blood pressure is low too.

[Sweet-Potato in reply to Jeep2021]

I've noticed a few have happened during sleep. This latest one happened after I'd had a shower in the morning. Seeing my GP tomorrow so I'll mention it to her.

[PleasantPink2]

Yes, I have experienced the same. On the Holter monitors they detected it & EP cardio says it is Non sustained supraventricular tachycardia (NSVT ). If the rate returns to normal under 30 seconds they were not concerned. There is a similar rate called Sustained ventricular tachycardia ( SVT) and that is exactly what it implies, the increased rate generally above 100 for over 30 seconds. So these are spikes you cannot account for with activity or stress.

If you have this spontaneous rate increase without symptoms and it returns to your normal rate under 30 secs. you shouldn't have a worry. If it's over 30 seconds and you are dizzy or feeling faint or unwell, then by all means your cardio should investigate. The transient dizziness you mention seems secondary to the sudden change rates.