I’m currently seeing the doctor for other problems but because of my worrying nature and I’d thought my heart had been racing I decided to put my Fitbit in to five me peace of mind with my heart rate...
well I’m laid here in bed and it’s currently 58 it’s been down to 55 - last night in my sleep it went to 55 which I believe is ok if your asleep but I’m just laid in bed. So I’m panicking and to be honest I’m scared to go to sleep... I’ve took my pulse against a stop watch in the hope the Fitbit is wrong but it’s not. I’m so scared. I’m 38
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Worriedlady2020
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Hi Worriedlady. Your heart rate sounds fine to me as long as you’re feeling OK and not dizzy. People normally have a heart rate starting at 60 (mine is quite a bit lower than that - albeit with meds that slow me down and into mid 40s when I put my feet up.) I’m otherwise fine and the doctor isn’t worried. If you have other symptoms then I suggest you talk to your doctor but a heart rate of 55 - as long as you’re otherwise OK is fine. Try some deep breathing or mindfulness exercises to take your mind off it.
When I wore my Fitbit about 6 months ago it never dropped this low. I’m not by any means a fit person but I’m not fat either. I have had episodes of light headed ness but that was before putting Fitbit back in so I do t know if that’s that or not.
I recently had a very short ECG at the doctor's as I could feel my heart racing - they said there was a mild abnormality but that can be normal for some people - something todo with sodium or something. I’m getting myself in a tizzy - I’ve been to doctors 3 times in past 7 days with a bad knee even had a blood test for DVT! If anything my heart should have a high rate with all the stress I’m under...
Deep breathing might make you less anxious. A heart rate of 55 or even lower isn’t a problem for someone in good health. And even though I’ve had a heart attack etc it would be high for me while I’m resting.
Mine used to be in the mid 40's in daytime and down to 37 when asleep and no problem but as I had 3.7 second pauses when asleep they insisted I needed a pacemaker.
I met someone whose rate was found to be 26 bpm when he went for pre assessment for a knee replacement and he had lived a normal life like that. They fitted a pacemaker before he could have the operation.
I have no idea if I have pauses or not. I’d only know if the doctor decided to investigate I guess. But as I don’t appear to be dizzy alongside I’m trying not to fuel my constant health anxiety
I’m not fit at all, I mean I walk the dog for 20 mins every morning and I’m in my feet most of the day - I walk approx 7000 steps a day so I’m not fit by any means. I’m such a worrier
Are you on any heart or blood pressure medications?
Well, Im at a loss for an answer. My heart rate at rest is 50-60, sometimes drops in to the 40’s when Im asleep but Im on a medication that causes it. I wouldnt stress about it but would mention it to your doc.
She’s getting fed up of me, she’s a bit useless to be honest. I went in a week before Christmas with stress I sat crying my eyes out and she just said pull yourself together you are worrying about things you can’t control. She doesn’t have much sympathy as doctors go
That is panic and stress. Our minds can convince us of just about anything. Tell yourself that you are reacting to your emotions, you can overcome that. Do you know any relaxation techniques like controlled breathing?
There isnt any reason for you to worry about the “ what ifs”. You arent drinking large amounts of alcohol or recreational drugs are you? How high does your rate go when you walk around?
No - none at all. It goes up in the 70s and 80s walking around during the day. When I’m rushing around getting my son ready it goes to about 110-115. I’m not running or doing fast stuff because of my knee.
It sounds like your heart is functioning normally. It speeds up like it should. You have a lower resting heart rate but nothing to obsess about. Get some sleep tonight.
I’m sure it was never like this before. I don’t think it ever dropped below 65 when I wore it before. I’ll try sleep - I can’t stay awake forever. Thanks for your reply’s - means a lot
I would be worried more about 105 than 55.Before I started bp meds my resting heart rate was 70-80 or so.Now it is often 55-60 and on a 24 hour ECG was registered as 47 overnight.It's OK to have a heart rate that slow if you are otherwise well.A friend of mine has a resting heart rate that is often in the 40s and her cardiologist seems fine with that.Have you been diagnosed with a cardiac issue? You seem very anxious.Anxiety affects me badly too and causes missed heart beats etc.I'm having CBT to address my anxiety which is helping and is free on the NHS.Perhaps it would help you.Hope you get the support you need soon.
Overnight it’s gone down to 50 whilst I was asleep. I am a very anxious person - feel like crying talking about it all. My doctor is useless. I had a short ECG at the doctors before Christmas and the nurse said I have a milks abnormality on the chart something dips where it shouldn’t do but he said that is normal for some people. But now with the low heart rate too - I dunno. If I didn’t have a heart rate monitor on wouldn’t know I guess. I only put it on because I could feel my heart beating at times (anxiety I was told) so put it in for my peace of mind but looks like I’ll be having to take it off for the sake of my mental health
To be honest I would take the Fitbit off and go back to a watch during the day only.It's very easy to become obsessed by health anxiety and that won't help your heart.Perhaps book an appointment with a different doctor or the nurse to answer your ecg questions.I have a dodgy ECG to due to my high bp and complications from that.It is worrying I know.Write down what you want to ask before you go and perhaps take a friend as a second pair of ears as anxiety causes selective hearing I find.I hope all goes well.🙂
i’m sitting reading in bed right now and my HR is 42!.. lowest recorded on my fitbit is 39.. i saw Cardiologist last week and forgot to mention the low HR thing lol.. last few days my dizziness has increased. not sure if it’s directly connected to the HR or some other cardiac problem.. currently awaiting appointment for an angiogram as recent ecg showed that there is a possibility i may have suffered a HA in the recent past.. don’t worry too much Worried Lady.. personally if my HR drops to 42 on a regular basis then i’ll definitely contact my GP
I am totally unfit and older and my resting heart is below 60 most of the time. It has been like this for years and I'm still here to tell the tale. I have in tbe past had issues ( oh how I hate that word) with health and social anxiety. Both are now very much in my control although part of my nature. Have a look at mindfulness and meditation, tbe brain body link is an amazing thing and something to be harnessed as it is very powerful.
7000 steps per day! I wish! Sometimes only 2-3000.
I don’t exercise, as such, and I’m sure I would benefit from being more active. My resting heart rate is generally 55 and drops lower while sleeping and this is with a pacemaker. Stop worrying.
Do you think you might have health anxiety? I suffer from that and I identify with what you've been saying. Sometimes you just have to tell the voice in your head to .....go away and enjoy the day instead of counting your pulse to see if you're about to ahem die.
Yes I’m always worried about something with my health but my head can’t be making my heart beat slow, or cause my knee to swell or cause my veins in my leg to be inflamed either. I tried to think logically
That would be low for me too, as I experienced that and as low as 33bpm was the lowest I recorded and it rendered me completely breathless and very unwell and could only lay down to recover. The slightest physical thing I did sent my heart rate too low. Aug 2018 I was fitted with a two lead pacemaker so everything got sorted, well, my heart rate doesn’t go below 60bpm now as the pacemaker has been programmed not to.
It’s worrying when it happens, but rest assured you’ll be okay once your GP/hospital sort it for you.
Yes, definitely. Some people can deal with lower heart rates, I couldn’t and neither can you by the sound of things. So yes, very important that you mention this ASAP. If you have your own blood pressure monitor make records of the results and what you were doing prior to your low heart rate (bpm) and take it to show him/her and he/she will see what’s going on and hopefully get you an ECG and other tests to determine what’s exactly going on. Good luck!
I was just laid in bed, when I moved it went up a bit then went back down. I’ve got up and come downstairs, went up to nearly 85 now I’ve sat down with a cuppa and it’s 64... because I’m thinking about it then I can feel my heart beating if that makes sense. But other than that I feel fine
It sounds to me like your heart is working fine. 55 bpm isn’t really that low and if you’re otherwise fine with no other symptoms then your doctor is very likely to say you’re fine, too. Why not keep a log of your heart rate and what you’re doing at the time to see what’s happening. If it goes up when you are moving about and comes down when you stop moving and goes lower when you sleep that’s what your heart is supposed to do.
My lowest has been ( sustained ) at 33 BPM and I don't worry about it. Think you will find quite a few people are on medication to bring it into the range you are quoting.
Out of curiosity how old is your GP ? younger female GPs seem to be a lot more aware of anxiety problems !!
Also it's a Fitbit not the most accurate device. Really they are just a comparison device between each day. I wouldn't rely on them as a diagnosis. Move them around on your wrist gets different results. On top or underneath the wrist, how tight it is, all make a difference to the reading.
That is reassuring. I mention it because I cycle and I have a Garmin chest strap hr monitor and a Fitbit Blaze. Many a time they are miles out. The Garmin one is usually correct, the Fitbit not always so.
Your resting heart rate is normal. My resting heart rate is 45-50 my husband’s is 75- 85 On a recent visit to his cardiologist he asked if his high rate was normal. He was told that a normal low or high heart rate has no effect on longevity. It is a normal variant like height.
My resting HR is normally 45 and my BP 120/70, what's your resting BP?
Low HR is considered to be good. I'm 72 and reasonably fit, my HR has always been low.
Please rest assured your heart will not stop while you're asleep, perhaps you should consider discussing this with your GP in more detail as it's obviously preying on your mind and could become an obsession, and dump the fitbit!
I’m worried about everything - I have currently a bad knee and inflamed veins in my leg as well as the doctor saying I have stress - my doctor is useless I asked for a 2nd opinion and I still got her.
Seriously, there are very effective methods for treating obsessive worrying, you must try and get some help to develop some mental calmness, yoga or meditation might help, but seems you might need a new GP.
My HR regularly drops to high 30's overnight and low 40's just sitting around. My cardiologist said it just shows how fit I am, and my Fitbit reckons I have excellent cardio fitness for my age. I suspect the medication may have something to do with it though! (Both my GP and cardiologist are perfectly happy with it)
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