Can anyone help here please? 
My resting pulse rate lately is at many times 80 -85, can anyone tell me if this tends to be the norm after an ablation, a year later at that? I too at times struggle with very low blood pressure?
Thank you so much!!
It’s common for the heart rate to increase after an ablation as mentioned in the AFA factsheet, link below but it’s not normally high for a year. It would be a good idea to get it checked, particularly if your blood pressure is lower than normal…..
api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
Okay Ty! Do you happen know if it is common for it to fluctuate, say between 65 - 85 throughout the day, every day?
Normal. My heart rate can be between 50 and 80 throughout the day and higher when I exercise.
High heart rate post ablation is not only common, but is associated with more successful ablation outcomes. Hopefully that is your case. The high heart rate can last up to a year or even more.
Jim
Okay do you know if it is common for it to fluctuate, say between 65 - 85 throughout the day, every day?
65-85 is within normal range. Is that resting rate? Or an average throughout the day? How are you taking your HR?
My average HR for today was 64 but my range was 60-118 (the higher rate was when exercising).
I take it from either a oximeter or a blood pressure cuff. Yes at times lately it has been at around 80 resting. Seems a bit high for resting. This morning it is back down to 65 resting. Hoping it will behave normally today. The only reason I have been checking it this past week is because I feel off and my blood pressure has at times been real low. Hopefully this too shall pass. I don't want to have to go to the doc but will if need be of course. Ty!!
Daily fluctuations are quite normal. For example, after eating or even drinking a glass of water, the pulse will go up. Same with even mild exercise like walking around the house. I assume the 65 to 85 is higher than your range prior to the ablation. Again, if it is this is positive news in terms of the ablation holding.
Jim
What do you call ‘low BP? I used to have very low BP - I struggled to maintain 90/60 and it was often below 90 systolic - I always then had high resting rate of around 80. Once my BP became stable, HR settled down, resting HR averages about 65.
I think a year after ablation, one would have expected things to normalised - but that begs the question - what was your norm prior to ablation?
My norm before ablation was generally around 115/65-70. When I am talking very low it is approx 85/56. When this happens I too have a heart rate that is 80-85. The times that my blood pressure is higher than 90/60, my heart rate lowers to more that I consider closer to normal and resting rate also 65. If I may ask one more question please... When my blood pressure is very low, I don't feel up to par with often my neck achy. Have you ever had this symptom when your blood pressure was low?
Are you taking any medication's that may be lowering your bp? Are you staying hydrated? Has your doctor ordered an electrolyte panel? Sometimes blood pressure will drop if electrolytes are off and some are therefore advised to increase their sodium intake. You might try an electrolyte drink like Gatorade during these low periods to see if it makes any difference.
Jim
No I take no meds!! I drink lots of herbal teas, eat fairly healthy, exercise. And yes I have had all the panels done but it has been a while. I also drink a quality electrolyte called Re-lyte by Redmond Salt. Its wonderful! And I consume a lot of liquid, always have, so I am for sure not dehydrated. I did make an appt with my electrophysiologist. I have an appt tomorrow. Although it is with his NP. He is full up until the end of Dec. Hopefully I find out something... Ty Jim!!
Good suggestions from Jim. Systolic less than 90 would mean you are not getting enough oxygenation so that would explain the higher HR and the symptoms. I struggled to maintain consciousness at my worst & spent 3 days in hospital because BP bottomed, HR climbed & I couldn’t lift my head from the pillow without blacking out.
My BP was stabilized by a medication prescribed for anther condition & it was entirely accidental that I noticed BP stability coincided with starting these meds. Electrolytes are incredibly important so I was told when in that state - eat a salty snack and drink water & feet higher than heart.
The valsava maneuvers such as crouching and pushing down (as you would on the loo) also helps raise BP as does gentle exercise but be careful. Bisoprolol was the WORST med I ever took, especially for sending my BP out of kilter but initially it helped.
Are you hyper mobile? Is the low BP a novel phenomenon?
It may be worth talking to a cardiologist who specializes in Autonomic Dysfunction - they seem to be the ONLY medics who join up the dots. Good luck
HelloI am a year on from my RF ablation. I would say it's perfectly normal. I have the same higher fluctuating HR too. I think we are over tuned-in to our hearts after an ablation and notice everything. I often have a resting HR of 80 bpm. It doesn't bother me as I assume it goes with the package of my ablation. I also get more SVT's now than before the ablation that last a couple of seconds.
Anyway my advice is enjoy being in NSR ! 🙂
Take care.
Thank you so much Lilypocket! I too get more ectopic beats than before ablation it seems..
I don't think you have anything to worry about and I doubt that what is happening is of much if any consequence. That said, I don't think, as some have suggested, that this is entirely normal, in the sense of being something a normal person would experience. You surely wouldn't have only recently noticed it and felt impelled to write in if it was, after all.
My thoughts are that people vary in how much they notice a slightly raised pulse but you have noticed yours and linked it to lowered BP. You don't give your age or if you feel other symptoms but I can relate my own experience which is perhaps similar to your own. My heart rate and BP initially settled well after my ablation in June 2019, when I was 65 and for atrial flutter. However, about eighteen months later, I found my pulse started to feel too high for comfort. On one occasion this happened while I was bending and helping my son and his family move house. I found it rather frightening and noticed my pulse was around 125bpm. Of course, this might have been at least partly anxiety related. My GP told me to take 1.25mg bisoprolol and, sure enough, that settled it within an hour or so. My BP was normal, however, and remains so.
Following that, I started to get a rate of around 85, sometimes a little more, just sitting eating breakfast. If I did anything energetic at all, it would go up to 100-120bpm and certainly didn't feel normal although, symptom-wise, there wasn't much, with perhaps the feeling of needing to breathe in more deeply occasionally. It was different from normal, I was sure, as it stayed high for too long, when I felt it ought to have dropped. Perhaps this is how you feel?
Eventually, I started to get occasional AF (with no return of the atrial flutter) along with the higher pulse. I saw a cardiologist but he was happy with things and didn't even feel the bisoprolol was needed. I pretty much settled after that, suggesting anxiety played its role, but the AF did reappear randomly now and again lasting about an hour with a fairly low heart rate of maximum 130bpm. Since then, I have had two occasions lasting over an hour with higher rates of 150-180, but, again, anxiety likely played a role. I was told by my GP to take the bisoprolol daily which I have since last March and all has remained stable since then except for bouts of ectopic beats (PACs and PVCs).
Steve
Thank you so much Ppiman for your own story! I am a 63 year old woman. What actually started my concerns, about a week now was that I felt fatigued, achy neck, a bit of tingling in my left arm and a lot of ectopic beats. (as weird as it may sound I had an achy neck before my ablation, I feel that it is somehow connected to my heart issue🤔 ) That is what led me to check my blood pressure which was real low and my pulse rate high. I'm praying that it is just a fluke and will pass. Thank you again for your help!!
I can certainly relate to odd symptoms. My GP put my atrial flutter down initially to gastric problems as I also have acid reflux and a small hiatus hernia. With both, and nowadays with the ectopics and occasional AF, I still get chest discomfort under the left ribs spreading into the back and even neck with some mild tingling. I think the diaphragm and phrenic nerve might be the cause but can’t be sure but both surely are linked to the heart. Did you contact your own family doctor? I would as he or she knows your full medical history and can weigh up symptoms properly.
Steve
I was told to only be worried about resting heart rate if it was above 100 for a prolonged period of time. All sorts of things can cause your HR to rise a little - movement, digestion, recovery from exercise, an infection, a virus, worrying... as long as you're in NSR and you feel comfortable then I wouldn't worry about having RHR at 80+.
Whereas it’s not unusual for your resting heart rate to be higher after an ablation (it usually settles back within a year) and any rate between 60 and 100 is considered within normal range, and even some variation during the day is normal, what stands out from your post is that as I understand it, your rate varies significantly during the day at rest and this correlates to changes in blood pressure. I suspect the increased heart rate is in response to low blood pressure as the body tries to compensate and increase the flow of oxygen. The issue you should therefore be focusing on is the blood pressure and if as a result of low BP, you feel faint or your activities are compromised then you need to get this checked out, it’s not normal and it’s potentially not safe and there is likely an underlying cause. Are you taking any meds that could impact? Beta blockers / calcium channel blockers or anything unrelated to AF? It could be related to lifestyle, drinking more is often recommended for low BP.
If nothing else, at least you needn’t hold back on putting salt on you food 🤔.
Hope all is resolved and please feed back so others can share your experience.
I am on no meds! I well hydrated, consume quality salts as well. I agree, when my blood pressure drops that is when I don't feel too great. I am getting in to see my doctor tomorrow. And yes I will leave an update. Thank you Speed!!!
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