Hello there! Just wondering if anyone else out there has experienced fear of their fit bit since having high heart rate? When I got my fit bit in July I used it all the time....til one day I discovered my heart rate was at 165 while walking.....another day it was at 170 so it was off to the docs for me! I've been put on beta blockers but all my tests have come back normal so the doc reckons it's down to anxiety and I suppose he's probably right. Anyone else have experience with now trying to avoid their fit bit like the plague??? The doc wants to take me off the beta blockers soon as tests cane back just fine and heart rate has setteled but I'll be wanting to check my heart rate again once I've come off them....so I guess I'll have to get over my fit bit fears!!!! Any thoughts?
Is anyone else afraid to use their fi... - British Heart Fou...
Is anyone else afraid to use their fitbit after experiencing heart problems?
Hi dagger, I didn't actually get mine until post heart attack and have used it ever since. I did used to check it every time I got puffed out or had a pain but now I'm a little more relaxed 10 months on, just thought it's nearer 11 months now how time flies. Like most things like this it can be shocking at times if you're unsure but you seem to have done all the right things
Thanks Skid!! You are my absolute hero for surviving a heart attack and getting back to life! Having one is one of my greatest fears and you've lived through that!! Hopefully I can help not hinder myself and look after my heart health for the future 😊
You did the right thing in getting it checked out. Good news it doesn't look like heart issues so now you have to work in your anxiety
Hi Dagger blaze..... I checked my heart rate via a blood pressure machine .... I did a morning... lunch time and evening check. Always do before eating and not after any exercise... which will then give you an idea of your "at rest" heart rate... and you can check your blood pressure too. I did this prior to an op I was awaiting... and it really gave me re assurance that things were OK... without having to always dash to doctors. And made me feel in control and reassured. The machine costs about £20 and is very easy to use. It also helped my doctors to have a record of how I had been keeping.
Hope all stays well for you x
Thank you that's a great suggestion for me 😊😊😊 Thanks very much!!
Hi, I had an ICD fitted last October following a collapse after my 3rd hill walk in 5 days, it was then discovered that I had had heart problems for years and never knew it. The collapse was caused by an arrhythmia, my heart rate was at 230 and was caused by excessive exercise. I bought a FitBit and later sold it as I couldn't get on with it and went back to the old fashioned chest strap heart rate monitor.
Unfortunately this is now causing me some concern as, after I have walked for a while, it's showing my heart rate at anywhere between 160 and 220 and was told in the hospital not to let it go above 120. The real problem is that I don't actually trust it, but it is causing me a bit of concern.
I have my 9 month review appointment next week so I'll see if the ICD has picked it up or not.
You have my sympathy.
Wow best of luck with everything!! Sorry I don't know what an ICD is....is it a pacemaker? Best of luck with your review and I hope they can move forward by helping your heart rate be more balanced and relaxed!
Hi Dagger,
I also got my Fitbit following 2 heart attacks and wear it religiously night and day.
I also get frightening peaks during the day (some days, not every day and sometimes 190 +) caused by Supraventricular tachycardia. Indeed it was my Fitbit that highlighted what was happening and acted as the proof necessary to fast track me to the Cardiologist. He then followed up with a seven day trace.
At the end of the analysis he decided that as these weren't causing me any real issues, apart from anxiety, it was fine to leave things as they are. When it happens I just stand still till the moment passes.
He did say that if it worsened there were drugs I coukd take or a procedure they could do, but as the condition is not usually life threatening he was comfortable leaving things alone right now.
Please don't be frightenened of your Fitbit. I consider mine my friend. It tells me if my resting heart rate is rising, so that I can think about my general stress levels, tells me if I haven't been getting good sleep, reminds me to get out and walk and tells me to slow down if I have an SVT.
Wow thanks Carokai for your awesome and detailed reply!!!! I think I have the fear of the fitbit because if I see that my heart rate is high by looking at it then I panic and that drives it up further!!!! I'd really like to start using it again though. Could I ask you about SVT's as my aunt has had the same experience as me my whole life and asked me 'Have you had an SVT yet?' I said no what is it and she said don't worry you'll know when you get one! It left me feeling helpless and scared. She told me that I'm at a good point in life though, (I'm 33, she got her first SVT in her 40's). She said if I make my diet perfect and excercise a lot I will minimize chances for SVT. I find all of this really terrifying and I have general anxiety disorder too so at the moment life is quite scary overall for me. It gives me hope to hear you've 2 had two heart attacks and SVT and you're still trucking!! You're amazing!! 😊
Hi dagger,
I understand your anxiety but hope that in time you can relax more into your situation.
This link explains SVT's better than I can nhs.uk/Conditions/supravent...
I think your aunt is right that good diet and consistent exercise help. Your heart is a muscle and both diet and exercise help keep muscles in good condition. I certainly try to eat healthily and I exercise every day to the point where my body tells me enough.
Two HA's have taught me to really listen to my body. If my heart races, I slow down and if I get chest pains I check first that it is not gastro or because I am overdoing it or getting stressed Usually that resolves the situation but if in doubt I get it checked out.
Hello again and thanks for that reply, it's helped me to feel more relaxed around it. I have anxiety disorder so things sometime overwhelm me and cause me to find things harder to deal with overall. The link was very helpful thank you! 😊
Love my Fitbit! I'm in week 15 post totally unexpected quadruple CABG and monitor my recuperation constantly. Comparison of Fitbit with heart monitor I use in my cardiac rehab classes suggests it's about 5% inaccurate but it's consistent and a good guide. I've progressed from short walks initially and now regularly walking 50+ miles per week, am mountain biking again and today completed my first 18 holes of competitive golf (on foot). All monitored on Fitbit on which I have set my upper and lower heart rate band as recommended by by my cardiac rehab class. Great information which gives me a lot of reassurance. Don't be scared of your Fitbit.
Hi BAGS. So good when technology works so well, gives you power to take control of your situation and reduces unnecessary anxiety. You've made so much progress by the sound of things. Well done! I love my Fitbit too, was trying to persuade my consultant to give me more accurate "heart zones" but he said he didn't believe in monitoring heart rate (maybe because I have a pacemaker? not sure) and wouldn't tell me anything. Boo 
I still get a lot out of my Fitbit in terms of motivation, though.
DaggerBlaze, would be great if you were able to view constant heart-rate readings as reassuring rather than worrying, but I appreciate it's hard to change your mindset about something like that. Just because it works for others doesn't mean it will work for you. You probably know best whether it's worth persevering with it. Good luck x
Don't know which consultant is not providing you with the info you want but You might get more from your cardiologist rather than surgical team. If you attend cardiac rehab they also might be more communicative. I've certainly never been short of info, data or support from any of the entire team that I've been supported by. The team I've had have been absolutely amazing which has made my recovery so much easier and so much more successful. Stick with it, I'm sure your commitment will be rewarded.
Thanks, Bags. It is my cardiologist who doesn't believe in exercising to specific heart rates. He thinks it's safer and more effective to judge exercise by how it makes me feel. I know where he's coming from (and like I say, I do have a pacemaker, so my heart rate is not that "real" anyway) and agree with him, but I always work much better when I have specific goals to target and things I can tick off a list.
As a heart failure patient, I'm not eligible for cardiac rehab. Similarly, not eligible for any discount on gym membership through the NHS. [I do get a discount now, because I receive PIP.] I've never understood why a hospital-led rehab is not offered to heart failure patients, as every medical professional you talk to will emphasise how important exercise/activity is to manage the condition. I've tried to get practical support from various sources over the years, to no avail. It's very frustrating when you are willing to put in the work but don't really know the best way to go about it. I've recently found out that my local council-owned gyms (in Glasgow) run a scheme where they have some staff whose job it is to work with people with specific needs, any medical condition that might make the one-size-fits-all approach to exercise unsuitable. They'll work with you to set up your exercise programme and monitor you during workouts until you feel confident you have the right balance in place. You have to be referred by your GP in order to use the service, so I'm going to stop by the surgery later today to ask if they will do that. I'm sure they will. Hopefully that will be a happy conclusion to my six-year search for help!
Good luck with that. Six year search, phew! I probably shouldn't be frustrated with my progress as it's only been 15 weeks. Having said that I'm in a great place after weeks as a result of effort, commitment and a great support team.
Hello, I would just like to add may be of interest
My wife has heart disease with this an abnormal arithmia heart beat. I purchased the fit bit charge at first it was great my wife loved it measuring her steps and monitoring her stats after a while wearing the watch my wife started suffering from a series of daily pulpatations up to 4 a day . We’ve been to the doctors and hospital for check ups
In the mean time we have looked at what might have caused the pulpatations and 1 by 1 we change things like foods , and routines
To no avail , so by chance my wife took off her Fitbit charge 2 , since doing this she haven’t suffered from 1 palpitation just a coincidence Seems not any reply’s welcome
My husbands Dr says a Fitbit will CAUSE a fib-get rid of it!!
yes! I had an Ulta and decided to upgrade to an Inspire. I have been experiencing terrible rapid heartbeat for about 7 weeks. I honestly thought I was going to die at some point. I wear mine to bed. I thought about it last night...trying to figure out what could be the problem because I am a very healthy 57 years old ..I took the fitbit off... and my heart rate went back to normal within an hour! Now this is only the first day without the fitbit..I currently have no palpitations or rapid heartbeat. I will check back in soon.
I just want to thank you for and others for validating my concerns. I bought a fitbit sense for my birthday and wore it for 4 weeks. I'm 55. I run. I got it just to not have to track my runs with my phone. It was the worse 4 weeks. I thought I was having heart attacks. I didn't know what was going on. I even went to the doctor and hospital after 4 weeks. They told me it was anxiety, but I knew it wasn't. I felt like my heart was being shocked constantly. When I was at the hospital, I took off my fitbit and just left it off all night. I realized the next day, a major different. I felt so much better. It has been 3 weeks and every day is better. I'm hoping that I didn't do any long term damage! I will never wear one again!
My husband was told to throw away his Fitbit as it was the CAUSE of his newly diagnosed Afib!!
Fit bits cause Afib-throw it away!!!!!
I had paradoxymal Afib episodes for over 20 yrs. 3 ablations and a mini-maze plus 30+ cardioversions. Five years ago I had an LAD heart attack and had a stent installed. My Afib stopped except small runs rarely.
I got an android fitbit for xmas. Wore it 5 days and the last day, I had 3 hospitalization required Afib episodes in 24 hours. Very intense and erratic. Took off fitbit and no more Afib.
Wondering if my rewired (3 ablations and mini-maze heart's electrical system was triggered by fitbit?
If this can happen, we will hear more about it incoming months.
Yes I am grateful to be alive. Very grateful.
For your Fitbit to work accurately it needs to be tight and flush to you skin at all times - if it is loose it will miss read and give a very high reading. Mine regularly gave 138+ when walking but was wrong. I changed the strap and now get a reading within 2 or 3 of the monitor.
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