Fast heart rate

[southkorea]

Does anyone else have the occasional fast heart rate over 100 bpm but remaining in sinus rhythm ?

[mjames1]

Yes, I do. It could be several different tachycardia's including Atach,S VT or flutter.

Best to capture on an EKG because treatments differ. You can ask your doctor for a holter monitor, but if it only happens occasionally, a home ekg device like Kardia 6L or Apple Watch might work better for you.

Jim

[southkorea in reply to mjames1]

Thank you .I have Alivcor on my apple watch . That simply said High Heart rate . I will keep the recording next time!!

[mjames1 in reply to southkorea]

Yes. And show the ekg to a good ep. GP's and even most general cardiologist's will not be able to distinguish between the different tachycardia's.

Jim

[southkorea in reply to mjames1]

Thank you. Going to see one at the end of April so will show it to him!

[Paulbounce]

Hi Southkorea.

My HR does not go that high at rest when I'm in sinus, but it does when I exercise.

Rgds Paul

[southkorea in reply to Paulbounce]

Thank you. Both times it’s happened when I am out walking

[mjames1 in reply to southkorea]

FWIW the tachycardia episodes stopped when I started 120mg of Diltiazem ER (extended release capsules). My triggers were exercise and stress. How long do yours last?

Jim

[OzJames in reply to southkorea]

just curios how slow are you walking when it goes up to 100? i walk with my wife quite briskly in the mornings and my wife who has no heart issues regularly goes to 120 mine varies from 75-100 on brisk walks and i think thats normal i do take a very low dose of beta blocker

[southkorea in reply to OzJames]

I live in the Wye Valley so walk a lot uphill but not particularly briskly. My watch says fast heart beat but sinus rhythm

[OzJames in reply to southkorea]

well walking slow uphill can get heart that high. Why don't you get a buddy to join you that doesn't have AF and see what their HR goes to

[southkorea in reply to OzJames]

Good idea thank you !

[Karendeena in reply to OzJames]

I always thought it was normal for heart rate to increase like this when brisk walking. I must admit I never feel it and never monitor it, am I being ignorant or just plain stupid? I don't want to become paranoid

[OzJames in reply to Karendeena]

its normal for HR to increase when brisk walking or going uphill. Take a non AF person with you next time and see how their HR goes. What the original poster added in a later reply was that it happened whilst walking and they walk uphill which will elevate anyones HR. I think some of the other replies are thinking the poster is at rest and going to 100 HR as the original post never mentioned the walking

[HGates in reply to Karendeena]

It is normal. It’s also good for you - as long as it comes down again when you finish your brisk walk. An EP I saw via video (during Covid) told me that for joggers with AF it’s absolutely fine for the heart rate to rise to the 140 mark & that was factoring in taking a small dose of beta blocker. I’m not a jogger but for some reason he decided I was & didn’t want me stop just because I had decided to remain in permanent AF.

[southkorea in reply to HGates]

Very interesting thank you. Are you in permanent AF ?

[HGates in reply to southkorea]

Yes.

[southkorea in reply to Karendeena]

It just feels different! Agreed one must not get paranoid! Apple watches tend to do that to one!!

[Blearyeyed]

Sinus Rhythm with a heart rate over 100 BPM is called , Sinus Tachycardia. If it happens often or unpredictably, even at rest it can be a sign of Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia. This is quite a common condition at any age although under diagnosed because Cardiologists tend to dismiss it as not or concern or underrate it even if it can be symptomatic and a trigger for other heart arrhythmias.

Sinus Tachycardia happens most commonly during exercise or periods of Stress in generally healthy people.

[southkorea in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you for a comprehensive reply

[Chuyueling]

Possible SVT? My mum had it and it was (quite) successfully ablated.

[southkorea in reply to Chuyueling]

Thank you !

[bikerider00]

In one of your replies you said that it only happens when you are out walking. I'm not sure why that would necessarily be considered a concern. For example brisk walkng/walking uphill/walking while load bearing would all seem to me to be exercise sufficient to raise your HR above 100 in certain conditions. If I was walking uphill then I would think it normal for my HR to go above 100 and probably plus some.

That said, I see you have your age as 84 or similar, so I'm probably not able to comment.

If you are on rate control drugs like bisoprolol then that likely is a different issue.

[southkorea in reply to bikerider00]

Thank you . I live in the Wye Valley so walk a lot uphill and on rough ground. However these occasional bouts of fast heart beat feel different. It feels like AF but my watch says it’s just a fast heart rate.

[Karendeena in reply to bikerider00]

I thought the same. My heart rate always increases considerably when out walking especially hills but never thought it to be a concern

[JezzaJezza]

Hi similar to what others have said.

1. Although you sound fit, at age 84 walking uphill moderately briskly would not be that unusual to have a hr over 100. I’m 56 and do power walking but I’m on bisoprolol beta blocker 2.5mg so my hr will sit at 85-95 at fast marching pace. Before the beta blocker it would be circa 120.

2. It’s good you have captured it on your Apple Watch. I use an app called Qaly to analyse my ECG s - it can diagnose 20 different arrhythmias. It’s chargeable at for me €4.99 pm using AI diagnosis or €7.99 pm if you want human reviews.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes

Jezza

[southkorea in reply to JezzaJezza]

Very helpful thankyou. I will download that App

[southkorea in reply to JezzaJezza]

P.s just about to install Qaly. Is 40 pounds a year the right price for this App ?

[JezzaJezza in reply to southkorea]

Hi I pay monthly in euros at €4.99 so I would say £40 year is a good price.

J

[southkorea in reply to JezzaJezza]

Thank you !!

[bikerider00]

Interesting: in your reply upthread you have clarified that you mean fast HR that feels 'different' but is showing as NSR. Not just a 'normal' fast HR when exercising.

Answer to that is yes: I get episodes of that, though not that I've noticed when exercising. I seem to have then fairly frequently. I particularly seem to get it when I get up out of bed in the early hours (normally) e.g. to go to the loo. The early hours of this morning being one of them. I got up and quickly had sensation in my chest which was not normal (and lower throat: this is common for me), and my HR was in the 100-110 range for a short period. It settled back but still into the mid 90's. I felt my pulse and thought "I've gone into AF" - I could sense irregular / missed beats.

I got the Kardia out (having walked downstairs) and it gave NSR reading. Also the HR was settling down as I did this and recorded at 82.

What does that all mean? I don't know. Did I have a very short episode of AF? Was it some other arrythmia ? But had all cleared by the time I did the Kardia. Or was it of too intermittent in nature to get recorded as AF?

EDIT: OK, I've now gone back and looked at my Garmin watch HR record. In fact I had an elevated HR when asleep from about 1 hr before this. So likely answer is that I was in AF when I got up, but that I went back into NSR as I got to the Kardia.

[southkorea in reply to bikerider00]

How interesting. i am seeing a cardiologist at the end of April and shall ask him about it!

[Wolfwinter1]

Hi yes I was diagnosed with Afib two months ago and my heart rate goes to over a 100 every day, it goes back to 60 then can shoot up to 109 in seconds. It's very odd and having breathlessness is a nuisance. Cate

[southkorea in reply to Wolfwinter1]

interesting! I never get breathless tjiugh

[Confused01]

This? There is no reason when this happens, just happens (not exercising, sleeping etc)

Sudden heart rate increase .

[southkorea in reply to Confused01]

Mine does that. very interesting

[Wolfwinter1 in reply to Confused01]

I get exactly the same, even when I am sitting down, my heart rate goes up to 109 or higher no reason. It's very annoying.

[southkorea in reply to Wolfwinter1]

it is !!!!

[Jetcat]

sometimes my HR can go from 70s to 90s-100 for no reason at all.! It's always normal rhythm And definitely not my AFIB. It may last around 30 minutes and gradually come back down.

My cardiologist isn’t concerned as it doesn’t happen often.

[southkorea in reply to Jetcat]

Thank you!

[Confused01 in reply to Jetcat]

Mine isn’t often . I’ve ignored it. I’m diagnosed bradycardia and yes generally a little under 59, however Cardiologist is adamant I do not have bradycardia but failed to be clear on this in his letter to gp. It’s mad but draw back is bradycardia is stuck in my records. It has to be declared on insurances because of that.

[southkorea in reply to Confused01]

Best that you ignore it then!!

[Jetcat in reply to Confused01]

So frustrating when things like happen.!!

[Drone01]

Sinus rhythm over 100bpm is perfectly normal when exercising. You can work out your max heart rate using one of the algorithms based on age and take it from there. For comparison, lenient rate control in AF patients aims for a resting heart rate below 110bpm.

[southkorea in reply to Drone01]

Thank you . Useful information

[Jeffarmst]

Hi. I have the occasional high heart rate when asleep, but the palpitations soon wakes me up.My heart rate can go up to 110 and stays there for a few minutes and if I keep still and calm it eventually goes back down on its own.

A holter monitor called this non-sustained atrial tachycardia ( NSAT ) and I also have sleep apnoea which doesn't help my situation.

[southkorea in reply to Jeffarmst]

Very interesting.

[southkorea in reply to Jeffarmst]

Interesting !

[Buffafly]

Frequently, but not for long except after an episode of AF.

[Halfheart]

Are you sure it's sinus rythm? Atrial flutter can be very regular and fast, but there are no p-waves. If can feel a bit like afib, but your apple watch or whatever will tell you you are in sinus, but you are actually in flutter. Just a possibility to be aware of. If the rate is around 150, 100, or 75, then that is a clue.

[southkorea in reply to Halfheart]

The rate was 102 and my watch said fast heart rate!! It felt a bit like AF though

[southkorea in reply to Halfheart]

Thank you

[PurpleGirl05]

Since my ablation, I've found that I can get sinus tachycardia if I'm dehydrated.

[southkorea in reply to PurpleGirl05]

Interesting. I must drink more water !!

[HMitchell64]

Yes, I do and for no apparent reason which is very frustrating.I just monitor it and let my heart nurse know

[southkorea in reply to HMitchell64]

Strange how we all differ. But is only this year that I have had a high rate whilst in Sinus Rhythm

[pickleball1]

When I first start walking my heart feels weird and my HR shoots up to about 120 - my husbands is normal. After about a minute my HR goes down even lower than my husbands and is fine the rest of the way. I try to get my heart rate over 100 when walking because I think its good for the heart muscle to exercise it. I don't know why my heart does this when first starting my walk.