Peoples experience of meds or no meds when have low resting heart rate when not in a)f

[Lizziedoodle89]

Hi Just wondering if anyone else has this dilemma, diagnosed last summer with paroxysmal a/f and because chad score 2 cardio guy said I was in a grey area and up to me if I took antico agulants and or beta blockers, but he wasn't keen on the beta blockers as my resting heart rate is low ,can be 46-49 at night sometimes

I do walk regularly and try to keep fit and have healthy BMI

I've had a very stressful time just recently and an a natural stress head at times, I try not to be and I find the a/f very worrying and makes me feel anxious when it happens,the GP s asking the cardio team if I could have pill in the pocket, as I'm still waiting for a NHS cardiology appointment as I had my diagnosis private but too costly to keep going..... sorry for the long post

[Squeak3]

My resting rate is in the high 50s and I only take a beta blocker as a pill in pocket as it lowers my rate too much to take on a regular basis. It also greatly lowers my tolerance to exercise.

[HollieAdmin Administrator AF Association]

Hello,

Thank you for your post. It is completely understandable to be experiencing anxieties. AF combined with stressful life events can cause various emotions to arise so it is important to be kind to yourself.

I would like to direct you to our AF and You Booklet. It contains supportive information that I do hope you find helpful: api.heartrhythmalliance.org...

If you have any concerns regarding medication and heart rate, please do reach out to your Doctor as they have full access to your medical records and will be able to advise you personally.

If you would like any support, advice or further information, please do reach out to our Patient Services Team via Patient Helpline or via email, please visit: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

We are always here if you need us.

Kind regards,

HollieAdmin

[mav7]

Are you monitoring your afib events with an Apple Watch, Kardia or other device ?

Would be good to monitor your afib events, heart rate, and blood pressure and report same to your GP prior to your cardiology appt (which hopefully will be soon).

[Thomas45 in reply to mav7]

In a previous reply to another post Lizziedoodle89 has told us that s/he has a Fitbit Inspire 3.

[secondtry]

More information needed to comment fully on ACs.

However, I would say the biggest reasons to consider starting them are frequency and length of AF episodes and any comorbidities you may have eg high BP.

Re BBs I would avoid unless your AF episodes produce HR above around 130; my cardio agreed to give me PIP just in case but have never taken any.

Keep a diary of events to discuss at your cardio appointment.

Re stress, this is v important not only can it for some contribute to more AF but it can also develop other issues. So do make space now in your life for the inevitable stress coming from AF, tests and appointments with medics ie take positive action to reduce other stress areas wherever it occurs or if really not possible then other actions to counter it; re the latter I have found prayer, an enjoyable volunteer role, daily early walks in Nature and a new interest/hobby the most effective eg currently I listen to no national news or phone after 6pm and instead hugely enjoying my old vinyl collection of music from the 70's 😃.

[Thomas45 in reply to secondtry]

In a previous reply to someone else's post Lizziedoodle89 has stated that they take Ramipril for high blood pressure. Because I am also asthmatic I was never prescribed a beta blocker until a few years ago. When I was, because of unacceptable side effects, terrible urticaria plus an exacerbation of asthma which was so bad I was taken to hospital by ambulance and was admitted, (fortunately sorted after 3 days), I was taken off all beta blockers.To me a chads score of 1 indicates a person should consider anticoagulation. A score of 2 or above indicates a person should normally take anticoagulants. Normally in this context means unless they have any other chronic conditions which have been proved to interact badly with anticoagulation.

[Lizziedoodle89 in reply to secondtry]

Hi Thomas45Thanks for your reply,very interesting

I am keeping an eye on the frequency and HR

The cardiologist I saw last September privately for diagnosis said he was reluctant to give anti co agulants at this point and no BB s due to low resting hr

My BP is border line normal/higher

Will see what the NHS cardio team suggest

I do walk my dogs everyday and do agility training with some and go to competitions in the spring and summer

I too love watching the wildlife and must make more effort to connect with nature

Wishing you well

[Cliff_G]

I have a naturally low heart rate and any med which slows my rate further, beta blockers or calcium channel blockers, make me more likely to go into fib and/or have ectopics. This is the "vagal" influence and has always been with me. Anything that slows the heart: sleep, after food, recovery after exercise, changes the autonomic balance and can set off an AF episode. Anything that asks your heart to slightly increase its rate, such as climbing stairs or a brisk walk, can ward off an episode, or with me even terminate one.

Plenty of info if you search for "vagally-mediated atrial fibrillation".

Good luck

[Lizziedoodle89 in reply to Cliff_G]

That's interesting, thanks will look at that

[Ppiman]

With AF, given that the condition itself, unless there are complicating factors or other issues, is doing little harm to the heart, even long term, it is the level of symptoms it causes that matter. Do your symptoms put you at risk, say from falling or fainting? Do you think anxiety is making the symptoms worse than they physically are?In the past, mine most certainly have been made much worse by my anxiety but that seems not to bw the case since my MRI scan convinced me I wasn't about to peg out!

I was told by my specialist that the problem with a beta-blocker as a PIP is the time it takes to act - around an hour or more. This might be okay if you are in a safe place when the AF strikes, and if the AF tends to last longer than a short time.

I find the effect of the beta-blocker dosage on my heart rate varies. Sometimes taking an extra 1.25mg on top of my regular daily tablet has no discernible effect, but sometimes it drops the rate down to the low 40s. My current symptoms aren't too bad for me. So, once again, it will depend upon that.

Steve