Angelika_23 Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 Hi, The past few days I have been having "funny" episodes. Feel like my heart is beating too hard and get that feeling like an adrenaline rush. But when I took my pulse, it was irregular and in the 50's.That is totally unheard of for me. My HR is usually high all the time except for in the middle of the night. I have taken my BP and HR a few times and I'm getting stuff like 117/68 and my HR is always in the 50's. This is a big change, as my HR is usually high, like over 100.I called my cardiologist today, and he told me to start taking half of the Toprol XL that I normally take. If my HR is still down tomorrow, I have to go in for an EKG. The only things that have changed are that I am exercising some, and I have lost 30 lbs (I still need to lose more). When I exercise, I can still get HR's up in the 160's or so.I am very tired. I am guessing that is because of the slow heart rate. This is so confusing. And at a bad time. My oldest son is going to the homecoming dance this weekend, and two of my boys are in the parade, and it is such a busy weekend for me to feel so badly.Can dysautonomia "switch" on a person, completely changing the symptoms?Thanks,Angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia3 Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 In a short answer, Yes.But other things could/might/possibly/ maybe NOT going on. In other words, something so different for you, do not become complacent.Do not let the docs become complacent.I know it's a very busy weekend for your kids but we are talking an illness with gravity problems. Do you have a compression garment to wear under clothes? I wore one last week to hear a band and it helped me last 3 hr and 20 minutes on a day I felt "iffy" before leaving the house. Course I was seated with feet elevated the whole time, too. Can you do that during a parade? do you have a folding lawn chair? Keep us posted if you see the doctor and be careful with the busy weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valliali Posted September 27, 2008 Report Share Posted September 27, 2008 so funny you just posted this because i posted the same exact thing last week!like you, my heart rate has never ever been slow since being sick. for the past year, it has not gone below 85bpm that i know of, and at rest, is usually around 95. early last week, i had a similar episode that you describe. i had just eaten, and my heart started pounding really hard and i felt incredibly anxious. i thought that my heart was surely off to the races as it normally is when i feel that way, so i took my blood pressure and heart rate and it was 55. i was shocked. i thought surely something was wrong, but every day since then, my heart rate is now slow. it is in the 50s. i have NO idea why this happened. you are lucky that your cardio is taking this more seriously because mine told me that my chronically high heart rate every single day, every second for the past year has been due to stress. and now it's finally "normal" again. yea right. i tried to explain that i don't feel normal, in fact i feel worse, but he told me to keep taking the beta blockers and got me off the phone.i am still taking the beta blockers because i still have uncontrollable tachycardia and palpitations when walking about. but at rest, my heart rate is suddenly slow. i don't think that the beta blockers are affecting it at all. keep me updated if you learn any more about this. i am somewhat relieved that my heart rate is no longer too fast, because i worried about myopathy and such, but i am quite alarmed that this change happened so drastically. the morning that this episode happened, i recorded my heart rate several times and it was at its "normal" level of around 95. then just hours later it dipped into the 50s and hasn't gone back up since.so strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelissaCrystal Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 A lot of people who are put on beta blockers end up with a heart rate in the 50s, and the doctors are usually happy with that. Mine is in the low 60's after beta blockers, and it was previously always in the 90's. I'm not sure if I really like it and I don't think it does much good for me, because I still have tachycardia while standing, but my doctor is comfortable with it. Anyway, I know exactly what you're talking about though with your heart beating too hard and squeezing. Mine does that a lot, and I can't seem to get out of the episode when it starts. Nothing seems to help me. My heart rate is also low during those episodes. I think it's just called Palpitations and it's associated with that. Heart burn and stomach issues can cause your heart to go into that mode---at least that's what I'm told. I think it's pretty random myself, or if I over-exert myself. I would definitely make that a talking point with your doctors when you see them.And yeah, dysautonomia can totally change on a whim and give you all sorts of confusing symptoms that are not consistent. Your nervous system is just going haywire, and stress is a definite trigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelika_23 Posted September 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 My heart rate is usually much higher, in the 120's at rest without beta blockers. With, it stays in the 90's or so. That is why this sudden change to a much lower HR is odd. Who knows... Maybe I'm getting better! Wouldn't that just be awesome! It would be great to not have to take all these meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valliali Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 my resting heart rate was around 100, or in the 90s, and with beta blockers, the lowest ever was 85. the sudden drop seems really odd to me too, especially because i had not taken any beta blockers for over a month. i started them up again, and now my resting heart rate is back up to about 85. so what this is saying to me is that when on beta blockers, my heart rate is actually faster than off????the sudden change got me freaked too. was hoping i was getting normal too, but along with the other million symptoms, it's sure not seeming that's the case!! hopefully it is for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jump Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 Did you get through the weekend all right, and did your doctor shed any light on the situation?I just wanted to chime in that while the sudden change might be nothing, it also might be something. Make sure if this is still going on that your docs are paying attention to you!!!Having a low hr can make you feel really tired and also "weird," like brain-fog, difficulty concentrating, like you're moving in slow-motion, or like you have a head cold. Hopefully you're not still feeling badly!good luck,jump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelika_23 Posted September 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Hello,First, I have discovered that even though my HR stays low now, it will still jump 30 bpm (just for a second or so) when I stand. Then it drops way down again. So I don't think I am enjoying a recovery from POTS. Plus, I am having left sided chest pain and I am SOOOOOOO tired I can hardly stand it.I put in a call to Dr. Grubb's office. They moved my appointment up to the middle of October, but then called back later and had me leave a message with all my symptoms on the voicemail for a nurse. They said she'll call me back tomorrow and I may have to go up to see them sooner. I'm not sure what to think at this point.AckAngela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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