av heart block

[Laurenwhy]

I have pauses of around 77seconds And my heart rate drops to around 35 bpm when I sleep relax. A normal daytime around 50 70 . I have a loop device in and they don't seem worried but everytime I feel dizzy and check my heart rate to see it low I panic. I know they wouldn't leave me if it was dangerous but I just don't know why I haven't got a pacemaker when they were going to put one in immediately but another consultant done an ep study and becausebec it was ok that's it. Please tell me I'm not alone like this. Thinking is my heart just going to stop? Am I going to wake up tomorrow .

[Laurenwhy]

7 seconds not 77 🙃

[Andyman]

My heart rate is very similar. Been like that for years and I'm fine and healthy and don't see it as a problem. Doctors don't either and I'm fine with that.

[Scotsman53]

Doctors are up against health anxiety all the time, if you say how anxious your HR is making you it will go in one ear and out the other. When speaking to them focus on actual symptoms such as breathlessness, feeling faint etc. They actually pay more attention to that than even their own instruments such as ecg. I was already on the waiting list due to spells of low HR but it was going to A&E feeling breathless and weak that actually got me a PM within two days. Good luck!

[Alixia]

is there any history of heart issues in your family?

[EMBoy]

Did they tell you what level of heart block you have?

I have a Mobitz type 2 2:1 block which is one of the more severe types, and after about a year of feeling dizzy and breathless, it caused me to faint and get taken to A&E. I was fitted with a pacemaker the next day.

I'm sure your loop recorder will provide enough information for your cardiologist to decide on further treatment. Low level heart blocks (Mobitz type 1, Wenkebach) may be fairly benign and don't always need treatment, so please don't worry too much - you would have been given a pacemaker if they thought it necessary.

As a word of caution, it's probably not a good idea to drive if you are feeling dizzy. My collapse happened whilst I was loading some heavy supermarket shopping into my car. If it had happened 5 minutes later, I would have been driving home.