Heart rate dropped.: My Samsung smart... - British Heart Fou...

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Heart rate dropped.

JKFib profile image
24 Replies

My Samsung smart watch has picked up that my heart rate has dropped into 30s about 4 times in the last 3 months, I haven't felt any diff while these events have happened and I don't think they last for more than a few seconds, but its still very worrying to me as I'm new to all this, been on bisoprolol 1.25 for 3 months but GP advised to stop on tues because of these episodes. Could this be the bisoprolol? Or has anyone else had this and no the cause. Due a phone consultation on thurs with cardiology so will express my feelings and worries. Getting a bit depressed and worried about the whole thing if I'm honest.Thanks

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JKFib
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24 Replies
JKFib profile image
JKFib

I don't think googling is helping my situation either, worrying about cardiac arrest

damn smart watches. I bought one after my HA and I then started monitoring such trends.

I was horrified that sometimes it went below 50, at night during sleep I once had a 130.

I asked my doctor if I should be worried. He said no, if your not feeling anything and it's a rare event then no but he did say smart watches cause more anxiety in heart patients as we are always looking for trouble.

My advice would be speak to your doctor, tell them the frequency and or if any symptoms occur and they will know what /if anything needs doing.

JKFib profile image
JKFib in reply to

Thanks for that mate, I do check my watch alot I think I just need reassuring sometimes.

in reply toJKFib

but do ask your doctor if it worries you, even if it's a little

Pouchielou1972 profile image
Pouchielou1972

Bisoprolol does cause the heart rate to slow right down. I was on 10mg and my heart rate was going into the mid 40's, so my HF nurse reduced it to 7.5mg which has resolved the heart rate issue and also the extreme fatigue. As I was on the highest dose, it made sense to lower it slightly, but you are on a very low dose, so best to see what your cardiology team say rather than your GP as they are the specialists in that area.

Sb1171 profile image
Sb1171

Sometimes I think the extreme outliers in terms of watch detected heart rates can be false readings. I have “caught” my watch displaying 190 while I was at rest and a quick feel of the wrist confirmed I was ticking over nicely. The watch corrected itself a few seconds later, but still reported my max that day as 190.

andrew290171 profile image
andrew290171

I had stent in my lad last year. My heart rate is usually quite low, as I am quite fit. Heart rate was in the 50's. However when I was on 1.25 bisoprolol it went down to low 40's and sometimes 30's. Didn't feel great so I came off them and have felt significantly better. Also used to have some chest discomfort which seems to have settled better since came off bisoprolol

Ewloe profile image
Ewloe

take off your watch and go with how you feel. I do have a watch but only trigger it when I’m symptomatic. Live your life.

JKFib profile image
JKFib in reply toEwloe

I've thought about doing that,just haven't been brave enough. A good friend who's had a triple bypass has said I need to live my life.

It depends what your heart rate usually is when resting. I have a low heart rate always had it and it goes as low as 35 when sleeping. I am very active and before my bypass it was the same. My last ECG my resting heart rate during the scan was 48.

All the medical professionals said you must be really fit. So I worry if it's in the normal range because that happens when I am not healthy.

I came off the beta blockers and now the amlodipine.

JKFib profile image
JKFib in reply to

When resting on the bisoprolol it's low 50s . When I wasn't on them it was anything from 60-75bpmI told my GP since starting the tablets I've felt more ectopics than I did without then.

See the cardiologist on thurs.

in reply toJKFib

Good luck, I came off the bisoporal because of the side effects, cold hands and feet after my 5 month surgeon consultation.

I find the gp's aren't the best to give medical advice so everything for me comes from my surgeon or cardiologist.

JKFib profile image
JKFib in reply to

I'm glad I'm seeing cardiologist on thurs, I also get cold hands and feet.Thanks for the comments

MWIC profile image
MWIC in reply toJKFib

Got exactly the same when on Bisoprolol - my normal HR in 50’s and it brought it down too low for me and when I say that I mean I don’t feel good - everyone’s normal HR differs so I think the key here is how you feel rather than just the number - good luck mate !!

Billius_Maximus profile image
Billius_Maximus

Had 2 stents in LAD in June 20. Initial cocktail of usual medications included 5mg bisoprolol. I was a regular park runner prior to this and my normal resting heart rate was high 40s low to 50s. Wore a Garmin running watch before hand, 5mg lowered my heart rate to mid 30s and I was light headed when I went from sitting to standing, they reduced dose to 2.5mg then 1.25. Cured light headedness but heart rate still goes into high 30s when resting. Can't adjust the alarm on my watch lower than 40!

No longer get concerned. I got a pulse oximetre and that shows the same heart rate, blood pressure machine as it won't give a reading if pulse below 40.

That's now my new normal. When I Sammy Doctor he phoned the cardiology team and took advice from them.

Still a happy park runner.

Em1380 profile image
Em1380

hey JKFib!

Sounds like the bisoprolol could be the culprit.

I was on 1.25mg bisoprolol for a year, which I ended up cutting in half. I found it regularly dropped my HR down to the low 40’s (several times a night) I wasn’t really finding any benefits from bisoprolol so the GP advised I came off it but said I can use it as and when needed instead of daily.

I’m glad you have a cardiology appointment coming up, they’ll be able to give you the best advice on your symptoms and the meds.

All the best 🤗

fishonabike profile image
fishonabike

apart from all the potential physiological causes of this sort of smartwatch reading there are technical reasons

smart watches do not count your heartbeats accurately - they rely on different ways of estimating them - for example, some measure the time-lapse between two beats and calculate the average number of beats per minute from that

this means that if your heartbeat is occasionally irregular (as everybody's is) you might sometime get false low or high readings - these can usually be ignored if they are infrequent and brief - if they are frequent (a lot more the 4 times in 3 months) and/or last, and/or cause symptoms you should monitor them and report the pattern to your doctor

KingChanterel profile image
KingChanterel

I was also on bisoprolol 1.25mg, I was given the lowest dose as I have a naturally low resting heart rate, but around June last year it was dropping into the 30's quite regularly so my GP took me of the bisoprolol and I am now back in the mid/upper 40s. My cardiologist when i saw him late last year was not concerned that I had been taken off it and said it was the right thing to do.

Bluelobby profile image
Bluelobby

I had an ecg done at the docs as I'd noticed mine was going into the 40's once a day , I never notice it unless I look at the data , it was picked up on the ecg and he says its probably the bisoprolol but as long as its causing me no issues to carry on , I'm also on 1.25mg . As you can see from the attached pic it did it just after 5am this morning

Screenshot
ChristianeL profile image
ChristianeL

I had the same issue with my Apple watch and I could feel my heart for a second when it happened. I got a holter monitor, it happened again, I could tell them the time. Reason was, my heart does an extra beat from time to time but the Apple watch doesn’t catch it. The holter monitor did. I was told I don’t need to worry. For me, it’s an extra beat and a short break afterwards. The watch thinks it’s a long break between beats.

JKFib profile image
JKFib

Thanks for all the replies and comments

JKFib profile image
JKFib

Day 4 off the Bisoprolol, felt great until today, HR going up quickly when just walking at work, felt a bit fluttery,but comes down just as quick to about high 60s low 70s when resting. Can't wait to speak to cardiology on thurs, bloody fed up☹️

JKFib profile image
JKFib

So for nearly 2 month now I've been on bisoprolol 1 every other day as advised by my cardiologist and felt alot better, 44BPM lowest recorded. In general felt good apart from the odd chest niggle, and very odd flutter, feel these flutters more on the days when I've taken the tablet. See cardiologist Tues 7th for holter monitor to reassess. Jk

JKFib profile image
JKFib

Also stopped being so reliant on my watch, was constantly looking and checking for things.

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