When I get up in the mornings my heartrate spikes several points usually by30 beats to this mornings high of 156. The highest ever. Resting after getting up has been in the 50s.Any ideas? POTS? Doesn't do it all the time mostly in the mornings. I'm scared to even move. 😑
Heartrate spike from 60 to 156 just g... - British Heart Fou...
Heartrate spike from 60 to 156 just getting out of bed?
35 Replies
•
Smart watch.
Hi Autumn82 i posted a similar post to yours earlier where my heart rate seemed to increase whilst still sitting down which i noticed on my smart watch do you have any symptoms when it happens or wouldnt you know without seeing it on your watch ? I ask this as i wasnt aware mine had gone up at all .
This happens to me in the mornings too. As soon as I get up out of bed. I take a beta blocker atenelol well i cut it in half as I don't need a whole one. I have had this electrical problem for years. I used to panic but I have learnt not too because the anxiety makes it worse.
• in reply toAztec632
I agree! Definitely makes it worse. I have been dealing with this electrical thing for 7 years. 3 cardiologist later says..electrical.Heart muscle is good. No sign of blockages from the test they did.
Echo, Holter monitor 3 times 30 days each time. Nuclear stress test twice. I still find it very distressing and wonder if I should stop wearing the watch.
I still have skipped beats and once in a while the Fluttering and racing. The beta blocker..I was like you on a small dose.
Metopralol succinate..switched to Metopralol Tartrate..I just stopped taking it. Didn't see where it was helping. When I was on it heartrate still went up in the mornings and MORE skipped beats. Ugh!
Aztec632• in reply to
If I was you I would stop wearing the watch.I get skipped beats and flutters too. I think that being tuned in to your heart causes the anxiety and in turn the anxiety makes the sensations worse. I was told years ago that my heart is of normal structure too. Its something I have learnt to live with. Not nice I know. Maybe you should try Atenelol ??l It's my pill in the pocket and has been for many years.
I have other medical issues (not heart related) and I have always been an anxious person 🤪
• in reply toAztec632
Yeah probably gonna quit wearing it. I'm anxious too. I have a friend that took Atenelol. I just have a low HR. To begin with.
Aztec632• in reply to
That's why I chop the tablet up. If I had a whole one my heart rate would be too low. Its strange but I need to take it otherwise I can't get on with my day. It's as if my body has too much adrenaline in the morning. If I am having a particularly anxious day then sometimes I need to take a bit more of the beta blocker later on in the day.
Same here. I don't feel any different. What's strange is it just happens in the morning when I get up. I had it happen once unloading the dishwasher.Also I can go for a walk..rake leaves..lift and move heavy containers and my heartrate mildly increases. I have noticed it going up when just sitting around but not that much usually. I was on a beta blocker for some episodes of PSVT..and skipped beats. It helped some with the PSVT, although it seemed to make my heartrate lower and seemed to increase my skipped beats..a lot.
Good idea! Thank you.
Bet it’s a smart watch. They’re not always all that smart. They often give these weird readings. If you read the small print they even say that they do.
I stopped wearing my smart watch - it was ruling my life and making me paranoid! I feel much better without it.
I stopped the heart rate function on mine too, I was getting paranoid about it !
exactly - so was I! My cardiologist also said they are not medical grade and therefore their accuracy can’t be guaranteed. I was checking my Fitbit more times a day than I can remember and I’d always have a feeling of dread before I did. One say I decided this was no way to live and that was it! So it’s now languishing in a drawer somewhere.
potsuk.org/I would suggest you look into POTS. Having had similar symptoms to yours I 'discovered' POTS 2 years ago and started taking both pulse and BP measurements, particularly first thing in the morning. (I had investigations several years ago similar to yours - and nothing showed up.) When I sent my readings to the cardiologist after a telephone appointment (I still haven't managed a face to face !) they agreed that the readings were highly suggestive of POTS and prescribed 1.25mg bisoprolol uptitrating as tolerated and necessary t.ogether with advice about how to manage symptoms.
I must say that I have found the bisoprolol a very mixed blessing. It reduces both BP and pulse and I feel as if I can't get the systems moving to allow any significant exercise - heavy legs and wading through treacle! During hot weather in particular my BP was dropping to very low levels (worst was 77/53) with accompanying feelings of very light headed and wobbly. I am actually trying without at the moment and exercise tolerance is improved. In many ways I feel better but the racing pulse particularly in the morning is a trial. So beware bisoprolol - a mixed blessing.
heartrhythmalliance.org/sta...
These are sources of information I came across. Good luck
when you say it happens when you get up in the morning. Is this after you have bent down to put your socks or shoes on or similar? I ask this because I had svt and it would kick in if I bent down. I learnt to sort of crouch but keeping my back vertical when doing laces, looking in low cupboards etc. I found I could reset my high hr by lying down on my back for a couple of minutes. I eventually had an ablation so no more episodes.
Hi I was exactly like this with atrial flutter
Have you got a kardia to do an ecg?
• in reply toETHEL103
Yes and had 2 echos. They say all electrical
The is a possibility of POTS , but if this happens more often in the morning or after sitting for sometime it is more commonly a type of Orthostatic Hypertension or Hypotension.You need to look at both your heart rate and blood pressure readings when you assess this and a Smart Watch is not accurate for Blood Pressure , especially if you get spikes if heart rate on movement or as part of a cardio condition.
The best way to assess this is to get a basic blood pressure monitor with cuff and put it on take a reading while you are still lying down then reading it again on one minute and two minutes standing by the bed without support.
Swings if heart rate of over 30bpm can be a sign of POTS , or, Orthostatic Hypertension or Hypotension if your BP figures also rise or drop with the heart rate change.
Write down the results for each over a week , and list your symptoms while you have this heart rate change to show the GP.
If you have an Orthostatic issue the standard BP and heart rate check at the appointment desk will not be show up the issue. As you have walked from one room to another and got up and down from chairs then sat with feet down the Orthostatic spike will have already occurred so appears normal in one test.
The best thing you can do is to request a Holter test to be done by your surgery over 48-72 hours. This will show any big jumps that could be POTS or OST in normal circumstances. You need to keep a good diary when you do it marking the times you get up and move about and times of any symptoms. Take your own cuff readings at times like getting up and during incident and write them on the diary too to help with a comparison of your results and the Holter.
All GP surgeries have these units and the ability to do your Holter test and send off for results , or you can request your Cardiologist to send a message to them to organise it.
It's also helpful to do a " Poor Man's" tilt table test at home , at a specific time in the day while wearing the Holter. Choose a quiet half hour . Lie down on a low bed or floor for ten minutes , mark the time you start it and wear your own blood pressure cuff. After ten minutes , stand up , at one minute take your own cuff reading and write it down. Do the same still standing still with no support at 2 minutes , 4, 5,6,8and 10 minutes. If you have been suffering symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness have someone there with you for safety.
At ten minutes lie down , then test with your cuff again at 1 minute , 2 minutes , 4,5,6,8 and ten minutes.
Write the BP and Heart rate times and readings down on your Holter diary as well as the time the test began and ended so the examiner can compare your results to those of the Holter.
Before getting up again , sit up on your bed have a good , quite quick drink of water before getting up again as if you have POTS or OST doing this test can make you dizzy.
Request an appointment with your GP or a Cardiologist to work with these results.
If you are on any medication at the moment nite what it is as some medications can cause more orthostatic symptoms so doses or types of medication for your other heart issues may need changing.
In the meantime , move position more slowly , especially in the mornings to reduce the symptoms and HR spikes.
A POTS and OST self care technique , especially in the morning , or after sitting for some time us to drink cool water quite quickly before you get up , then pause drink again quite quickly and then move away. The drinking distracts the autonomic nervous system which is partly responsible for changes in heart rate because of movement and helps to reduce the spike and symptoms that come with Pots and Orthostatic issues.
Hope you get answers soon , but be prepared, few doctors , even Consultants have a lot of knowledge of POTS, Dysautonomia conditions or the importance of the type of testing and heart rate measures done to assess POTS. Sometimes , it can take seeing a few different people , or having enough evidence of the recurrence if symptoms before this is diagnosed properly .
• in reply toBlearyeyed
Thank you for all the good info!
MummaSoap• in reply to
I agree with Blearyeyed regarding moving more slowly. Since my teens I’ve experienced fluctuations with both my HR and BP when moving from lying/sitting to standing after a sustained period of time.
My physio told me that it was to do with my blood “pooling” in my legs and so I will tap my feet, do ankle rotations and gently swing my legs before rising and moving off. Obviously, as a self conscious teen I was too cool to let my friends seeing me do that and clearly almost fainting was far more socially acceptable 🤦🏻♀️ thankfully I learned my lesson although I can’t confirm whether I’m wiser 😂
I hope that you can find some solutions that work for you and now I know about the cold water trick that Bleareyed mentioned I shall be adding that to my box of tricks 😁
Best wishes
Soap
I totally agree with having heart rate on smart watch for years I think you can get obsessed with heart rate mine has been up lately according to the watch but I find myself keep looking at it during day. This is not good.
I bought an Apple Watch shortly after my heart diagnosis thinking it might help me feel “safer”. The thing lasted a week, it created more anxiety and kept telling me there were anomalies which were my ectopics that I get now and again in the day; so I sent it back and got a refund - in my opinion that was the best thing I did with that money!
Now I’m a couple of years down the line, I have been considering getting an app or something you can wear to get readings whilst exercising but I think I will give it lots of consideration before making another purchase 🙂
I just blink my eyes at the moment and feel my heart rate goes crazy so I dont look too much at this UNLESS my heart palps are going crazy!
I keep a spray bottle of cold water on my bedside table and find that a few shots of cold water directly onto the face when I first sit up in the morning helps calm the heart rate. Like a shock . Not so pleasant in the cold winter mornings though 😄 I also sip cold water before getting out of bed.
I have had several wristbands/watches over the years and use them mainly for mountain biking especially since my STEMI Heart attack 20 months ago.
I have found that for them to work properly you need to keep the rear of the watch where the sensors are located scrupulously clean and if you have hairs on the back of your arms shaving the area you wish to put the watch on is essential.
The watch should also be worn at least one inch above your wrist bone.
I find the strap should be just tight enough to allow gentle sideways movement but will be a matter of try and adjust.
Liquid soap and water or lens cleaning fluid are best and safe for cleaning the watch.
In the 2000 miles I have completed in the last 20 months usually in harsh mud/cold/snow conditions I rarely get an incorrect reading. You can spot this from a mile away as it is usually well out of the normal heart beat range.
So climbing out of bed shouldn't be a problem for the watch!!!
I am currently using a Fitbit Charge 4.
Hope this helps someone out there.
john
• in reply tojrcsheffield
Thank you! Keep up the good work!
• in reply tojrcsheffield
Was you biking like that before your attack? I would think you would be in amazing shape!
• in reply tojrcsheffield
Oh I See. I read your bio. You are incredible!! I so admire your dedication to being healthy. Again...KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
jrcsheffield• in reply to
Unfortunately I fell of the mountain bike last Friday and have broken my collar bone ...so will be out of biking for many weeks. Would like to tell you I was speeding down a rocky mountain section or some other daring do. but no, I fell of in a Railway Station flat car park!Because of the heart meds I can only take paracetamol for the pain which doesn't work for me...the collar bone really hurts with a bruise the size of a dinner plate! 🤔🚳
• in reply tojrcsheffield
Do you read? If so time to enjoy a good book..if not think of taking it up. Really makes a bad day much better.Real sorry to hear of your incident. Just keep on keeping on...I know your strong will. You will be out and about again soon!
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