Simply that. I bought a new Fitbit Charge 6 last week to try and eradicate the weird 'peaks' and inaccurate HR readings of my old Luxe. I've had a week of cheerful accuracy, until today. 209bpm, sitting quietly at my desk?? And 52bpm either side seems odd, it's not that low during sleep... I didn't feel anything unusual. Surely you'd notice if your heart really was running at 209???
I did an ECG about an hour before this reading, and since, and both said NSR.
Sorry to freak out at you all. My husband is away on business and I'm stuck bouncing off the walls alone at home 😭
Point of clarity - the other peak before 20:00 was my cardiac rehab class, 20 min warmup, 20 min vigorous exercise and 20 min cool-down. And I felt my HR was raised then!
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I would guess that your heart just put in an extra beat and that's what's been recorded. It's a fact that even people with normal heart rates can have the occasional extra beat. To be reassured mention it to your GP as I'm not medically qualified. Jean
Thanks JeanJeannie, I did wonder if it might be that - I had OHS 5 months ago and my heart is healing and changing shape as it does so, so extra beats are you be expected. I was a bit thrown by the apparent episode lasting 10 minutes and me not feeling a thing... I'm seeing my cardiologist next week and will add it to my huge list of questions!
There are, unfortunately, no fixed rules. I have AF at night, which used to have some symptoms, but now I have absolutely no symptoms when in AF. You are young and probably with not much knowledge and experience with arrhythmias, but they come and go, last for unpredictably period of time, switch from one type to another one without much rules... When in SVT, the heart pumps the blood less efficiently, so people feel lack of oxygen, have problems with physical exertion etc. If I were you, I would not exercise for some time. After OHS and the heart inclined to go into arrhythmia, give it the time to heal. You will exercise later, if you feel like this and are capable of. Good luck!
After my OHS I had atrial flutter for about 2 months (I think) before the cardioversion sorted it out (fingers crossed!). It was surgically provoked and my heart is possibly still healing / changing shape.
I didn't realise there had been this peak until late evening yesterday, by which time I'd already been to an exercise class and felt OK throughout - certainly not unduly breathless. I'm limited more by muscle fatigue than cardiovascuar endurance. I'm almost 6 months post surgery and fortunate enough to have the support of cardiac rehabilition trainers as I seek to return to fitness. I'll definitely talk to my cardiologist though on the basis of this, and I may skip today's run!
If you look carefully at the posts in this forum, you will see that there is nothing but runners, cyclists, rowers, weight lifters and similar. If you look at who was dying in the playing field from sudden cardiac arrest in the past, but much more frequently in the last 2 years, these are footballers (runners). The medicine knows amazingly little about the influence of physical activity on human body. With the best of intention - be very careful with the exercise, but best would be to stop it completely, at least for a while, until the things settle down.
The thing is I don't think there is anything *to* settle down, if that makes sense? The consensus here is that this is more than likely to be an anomaly with the device. I'm supported to exercise and do so on the recommendation of professionals who know a lot more about cardiac recovery than I do. I feel that all I can do is to trust in their expertise.
These devices can throw up glitches. It’s possible that your device caught an ectopic at the time it did its reading and it’s equally possible it could have picked up a compensatory pause after an ectopic at another time. We can have short runs of ectopics that only last a few beats. You should bear in mind these watches and wearables not calibrated medical devices, they’re consumer devices intended for recreation and personal fitness. They are useful but they aren’t perfect. You might also find it throws up low O2 saturation readings here and there which couldn’t possibly be right otherwise you’d be in trouble, and you’d know it. Chances are the device wasn’t perfectly in the right spot or you moved when it was taking a reading. These are just artefacts and probably best ignored.
Thank you, that does reassure me a lot. I'll continue to keep an eye but not let it rattle me (at least, not much more!). It's impressive how much these devices can do, but you're right, they're not medical devices.
I once had a problem when I was in a PAF event. At the time I was playing in a bridge competition (which we were winning) and my partner put me into a dodgy slam contract. Lots of pressure. My cycling chest band/watch recorded a HR of 217 bpm. I then realise I'd had an adrenalin rush due to the situation. Without the watch I would not have known my pulse was so high.
I absolutely love bridge but needless to say I no longer play that level of bridge.
PS: We did win that area championship competition. Yippee
Wow, that's quite a peak! Who knew bridge could be so thrilling! 😆 Adrenaline is a good explanation. Shortly before that peak I'd recieved a job offer but that wasn't much of a surprise and I'd opted to sit and finish what I was working on rather than jump to accept. I wonder if it had anything to do with it. I suspect this will remain a mystery. Congratulations on that championship though, sounds like it was worth it! 😊
Hi! What's interesting on the diagram, is the other spike, at about 19 o'clock, going not so high (140-150 bpm). When the HR is jumping from bradycardia (52 bpm) to tachycardia (usually 130-140 bpm, rarely over 200), people call it here brady-tachy syndrome. In such cases, increased BPM may last from several seconds, over several minutes, up to several days. These should be bursts of SVT, changing with bradycardia. Did you feel any sensation about 19 o'clock, to can remember it? Did you feel breathless or similar?
Ah yes, that was my Thursday cardiac rehab class and I was doing a vigorous workout under the supervision of a trained professional, while I was also watching my HR to make sure I wasn't overdoing it (easing up around 160bpm) and I felt like I was exercising.
If the 4pm episode was brachy-tachy, I didn't notice a thing - would you expect to have a sensation or sense that your HR was fluctuating?
I think some people are much more sensitive to their hearts’ irregularities than others so yes I do think it possible to not sense anything as it was only a momentary spike.
I have experienced spikes in my Apple Watch - usually caused by poor momentary skin contact so if you didn’t feel anything - that’s a good sign. The cause could also have come from an unknown EMF in your environment.
When we rely on these electronic gadgets I think we can get too focussed on the detail which is not always completely accurate. What they are very good at is giving averages and showing trends.
I would trust your body over your gadget however if it starts to happen regularly and/or you have unusual for you symptoms don’t hesitate to see your doctor.
Thank you so much, this is really wise advice. I'm frustrated that I didn't see it at the time as I'd have been able to take my pulse to verify, which I had done on the old Fitbit to confirm it was an anomaly. I'll mention it to my cardiologist next week. I doubt she'll suggest a holter on that basis. I may never know what it was!
Some of us still do without them! I don't even bother using my Kardia anymore when in afib. It just made me anxious. I wear a watch to tell the time when I go out. It was a present from my dad to my mum and is older than I am.
I've always felt like the poor relation because we can't get these Kardia gadgets here in South Africa and I can't be bothered with these fancy watches. I have a BP machine, but can only manage a wrist one which is pretty hopeless anyhow, although it does take your pulse rate pretty accurately. Now I don't feel so much of an outcast !
I found a rogue 172 in my historic iWatch data. Like yours, it was there, then it was gone. I could track back in my diary to what I was doing which was definitely nothing out the ordinary. I felt fine, it’s never recurred and if I hadn’t gone looking at historic data I’d never have known. I’d suggest it’s only relevant if a pattern starts forming over time & we feel poorly. I agree the devices can cause lots of unnecessary stress - note to self!
Agree with Bob and CD, when I first had my Apple Watch, I would get hung up on these individual beat to beat spikes. After some googling realised I wasn’t the only one and it can be a limitation of the Green Light Technology (the optical sensor on the back) looking for blood movement under the skin. I think of it as if it sees a pulse of blood flow then doesn’t it will see a single pulse split in to 2 or maybe 3 just for that beat. Looking at when your rate was actually raised while exercising the wave is wider showing the gradual rise and fall. Same technology on Apple and Fitbit. The electrical pulse sensor used for ECG if you have that is more accurate. I wouldn’t be without my gizmo but you do need to learn their limitations or they will cause more anxiety and we all know where that leads.
Thanks Buzby, it's reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one who has seen these odd spikes, because that's evidence that these anomalies can be the tech and not the heart itself. If I'd spotted the spike while it was happening I'd have run an ECG on the Fitbit right away. And you're right, anxiety helps nothing. Thank you for stepping in with your experience.
I can't speak for a Fitbit but my Apple watch is prone to the occasional random very high peaks of up to 200+ with no explanation. I think it's a glitch in the machine and have come to ignore them. If you didn't feel anything and it was one singular peak like that it's unlikely to be anything to be concerned about, in my experience anyway.
Thank you! Further evidence that my heart isn't exploding without any symptoms. I really appreciate you sharing that this has happened for you as well.
I am amazed sometimes to see on my fit bit that my heart rate peaked at a time when I wasn't doing anything strenuous. when I go to the gym I watch it closely and always try to keep it under 130 preferably under 120 when exercising but then found one moment of 160 a couple of weeks ago - coincided to just after I had got up - maybe I had to run to the loo quickly I can't remember doing anything strenuous or feeling any different but there it was.
It's very odd, isn't it? I guess the tech isn't foolproof and, as others have said, better for looking at long term trends than capturing every heartbeat accurately! The new Charge 6 has an 'elevated HR' monitor that flags if your heart is running at 100+ when you appear to be sedentary, and yesterday's episode doesn't seem to have triggered this. Blinkin' tech!
I wouldn't worry about it. I have a FitbitSense, and I get those anomalous high HR blips quite frequently-they are isolated and don't correspond to any activity or feeling that I had. When I am in fast afib, there will be numerous consecutive high HR peaks, for as long as I am in the episode. Single blip with no explanation-no worries.
I have a Fitbit Versa 2 and it took me a while to realise, as I wear it on my dominant wrist, it records high heart rates if I'm beating an egg, cleaning a worktop or washing my hair. It was driving me mad trying to figure out why I was getting these surges, but not noticing. My pulse was actually fine but the hand movements were what was causing the peaks.
It's even recorded a pulse rate of over 100 whilst it's been static, on the table charging!
I think they're good as a rough idea but not an exact measure.
Yes you can have a high heart rate without being aware. The key is how long it stays at that rate.
When I wore a Zio Patch (medical device) my heart rate was recorded as high as 170 on 2 or 3 occasions but only for a few seconds. This was during the evaluation period for afib and I was not under rate control medication. I was not aware.
Ask your doctor to wear a holter monitor for an extended period if you choose to provide an accurate rating. If you have a pattern of high heart rate he may alter your medication.
Very sound advice by all above in regards to Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc.
Thanks Mav - that's interesting to know. Did you seek medical follow-up and did they want to treat that peak? I suspect even if my peak were genuine, it might not be worthy of upping any dosages, especially if NSR persists.
I'll see what my consultant says next week, thanks again for your insight.
This was during the initial evaluation period for afib after I had experienced afib symptoms, including a near fainting spell. An EKG had shown afib but the Zio Patch was worn to determine exact heart rate/condition.
Cardiologist called me at home at night after receiving results to insure I was taking rate control and anticoagulant. I had not yet began rate control because my heart rate was normally 55-60.
Did not mean to alarm you, just wanted to emphasize that increased heart rate and afib can be silent especially intially as in my case. Difficult to remember, but one of the occasions of high heart rate was during sleep. The other I was under stress as I recall but not aware rate was that high. No real symptoms.
As mentioned above, your spike was most likely due to the watch not making contact or another error. Consider asked consultant for a holter monitor to put your mind at ease.
Thanks Mav, don't worry, you didn't alarm me. It's all data from other's experiences and helps me plan. My Fitbit says I'm in NSR so I'm fairly confident of that fact - when I was in flutter it was clear on the trace and I couldn't take my own pulse.
My instinct is to talk to consultant next week and say I've had this one off and if it happens again could I come in for a holter - I normally email the ACHD team and they call me in, I only live down the road so it's fairly easy to get a tape sorted.
Blimey, that's a scary thing Joy, I hope you're doing as well as can be hoped, and that your AF isn't causing you too much trouble too.The fact that I didn't feel any different does reassure. If it is a bump, I think this is due to my heart remodelling after surgery - I was told the dilated chambers would shrink and this can effect the electrical pathways.
Very successful and last Tuesday I was told that I don't need the sling all the time. So I've been without it for 3 days and nights. Freedom to use my fingers!
Also all the exercises!
Thyroid removed with 12 lymphs(2 affected). I was lucky. Operation February 2020.
I had rapid and persistent AF for 1 year 4 months when I demanded a heart specialist. Changed from Metoprolol - giving me pauses at night, breathless on exertion and fatigued, to Bisoprolol. Dropped 30bpm to 154.
Left uncontrolled so I visited my locum's private specialist. He introduced me to CCB Diltiazem and within 2 hours my H/R dropped to 51 on 180mg!
Tweaked to
CCB Diltiazem 120mg AM
BB Bisoprolol 2.5mg PM
A year later..
110-130. / 69. and 60s H/R. Day and staying 47 avge H/R Night.
I'm settled but I still need to stop when walking on elevated grade. No fast walking.
My heart is not structurally normal so I need to depend on meds.
My am starts with Synthroid 125mg, wait an hr then Diltiazem 120mg, then wait 1/2-1 hr for breakfast.
I have learnt to ignore peaks like this unless frequent. I don't know if Charge 6 is like charge 4 but when using on workout settings walking or classes it will show rediculously high readings.You only need to feel your pulse to know.
You're right, I've definitely had readings out of step with my pulse before. I'd hoped a new Fitbit would be better / more accurate than my old Luxe, but I guess the tech is still the same and can only do so much!
Hi, when I was first diagnosed with AF, it was after being at the gym where the cardio machines showed my pulse at 190 in warm up. I only felt a bit tired, no palpitaions etc and still did some weights. I rang 111 when it wouldn't go below 140 and they advised A&E where AF was diagnosed.
That was 10yrs ago. Even now if I go back into AF I only feel washed out and when I check my pulse it is too fast to count. I've never used fitbits etc cos I feel they would cause me more worry and anxiety when there's probably no need.
Hi LadyZ13, yes it can be wrong and it's difficult to pinpoint why.A cardiologist I spoke to said throw the watch away! But not all cardiologists are the same.
I have an implanted ECG device called a LINQ reveal. It logs my HR etc 24/7/365 which is analysed remotely.
My watch has recorded some spiky episodes which I have been able to link to specific activity events. I have an external dongle which I can use to mark on the trace any times I feel unusual etc. although the spikes were linked to events while running, I didn't see the HR profile until after the event so I was unable to mark them.
I was sufficiently concerned to run my own check so went out on a run with my eye constantly on the watch. After a couple of runs I had a similar set of physical symptoms and a high HR of 184 which I marked. I then contacted my monitoring team as I hadn't had any feedback for 6 months. They looked at the event I marked and said my HR has never been above their alarm set of 158!
This morning I did my Parkrun and for the first 1.5k I was heavy legged and breathing harder than normal, then everything settled down for the rest of the run which was comfortable. On examination my watch shows a trace of 181 for the 1.5 k and then a steep drop off to circa 135-140 for the next 3k. I'm sure it's recording something with my physiology but the actual number is incorrect. There can be so many issues with the way the technology works, not least if you start cold and the circulation system is already shutting down circulation to the periphery.
Take the watch as a guide. If you want a more accurate record carry a Kardia pocket ECG device which is considered more accurate and was recommended by my GP.
Thank you so much for sharing this, your experience is really interesting. I have similar - while I'm doing couch to 5k I find my HR goes very high (according to the watch) on the short runs whereas when I was running regularly and for longer time periods before surgery it would peak and then drop/plateau.
I'll keep an eye on things but take it with a pinch of salt - I've felt normal throughout so perhaps it's nothing to worry about. And well done on your Parkrun this morning! I'll feel amazing when I'm able to run a full 5km again!
I have a Garmin vivosmart 4. I have had similar high peaks. They only occur during winter months October to February and always at night. I have the thermostat for my wi-fi controlled boiler in my bedroom. I'm wondering if this is somehow interfering with the watch. Thermostat sending signal to boiler to start up.I do not have any symptoms when the supposed high pulse rate occurs.
This is reassuring to read, thank you. Sometimes the tech can behave unexpectedly and for reasons we may never know. And as long as we feel OK, I guess it's not a cause for concern. It just threw me at the time!
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Hello, can I please join you all.
heart flutter compared to Af or is it the same and a feeling if suffocating 
One for the ladies - can you have Botox? ( SVT - not sure if i am AF awaiting investigations) 
Thank you for your support
A silly question perhaps, but you have an Afib episode without the palpitations?
