How Does Your Hr Vary?

[avidita]

Hello!

My health has been on a roller coaster lately.... The arrhythmia I started getting a month ago is pretty bad at night; started getting some weird involuntary movements in my neck and arm when I try to go to sleep and of course the always-there non stop lightheaded feeling....

The question I have this time is related to my swings in HR. It's strange, really. I have days where my HR is completely normal (55-65 laying down, 65-75 sitting, and 80-90 doing light stuff while standing; 100 walking and 115 on the elliptical). Then I get days where my HR is high in the morning (75 laying down, 120 doing light stuff while standing) and then in the afternoon it will go to normal or even lower (60 sitting; 75 standing). I am genuinely puzzled. So I am wondering if there are other POTS people out there who have days where their HR is totally normal? I haven't seen a connection with my symptoms yet. I seem to get them regardless of what type of day I am having.....

As always, thanks to all who reply!

M.

[flop]

Yep, me too!

I have days where consistently my HR elevates when I am upright, but other days it only goes up a couple of points. Sometimes when I feel my worst my HR is only about 100.

Flop

[lauralulu]

This is interesting to know because I'm in the process of monitering my own heart rate day to day, because I suspect I may have POTS and am currently seeing my GP about my symptoms- am not sure where I'll be heading next- referral to a local cardiologist perhaps. I have found variations like this- one day my hr was in the 120's when I was moving from room to room, the next day it was above 130 doing the same thing, the day after that it was about 100 when standing and one day was even dropping down to 85-95, but then climbing up again slightly. I couldn't be sure if this was 'normal' for POTS or what was really going on...

I have also noticed sometimes I feel worse when just sitting (I feel as if my heart is starting to pound) and better if I am moving around. And on days when my hr has been higher, I've had my strange 'tired but wired' feeling. I was always so puzzled by that but now it kind of makes more sense, having seen how my hr was elevated just doing simple things.

[potsgirl]

If you can, try to get a tilt table test ordered for you. You can also do a 'poor man's test' at home if you'd like a general idea. I know it's been explained all over this site already, so perhaps try a search on 'poor man's tilt table' to see the directions if you're unsure how to do it....or PM me.

Cheers,

Jana

[lauralulu]

I myself have been doing this 'poor mans tilt table' in the mornings and at random times throughout the day, I have data now I can take to my GP and ask her to send me to someone who can do a TTT for me.

Incidentally, even scrabble is telling me I should do this, I played it with my boyfriend last night and I got three T's in a row! lol.

Good luck getting to the bottom of your symptoms M!

[avidita]

This is interesting to know because I'm in the process of monitering my own heart rate day to day, because I suspect I may have POTS and am currently seeing my GP about my symptoms- am not sure where I'll be heading next- referral to a local cardiologist perhaps. I have found variations like this- one day my hr was in the 120's when I was moving from room to room, the next day it was above 130 doing the same thing, the day after that it was about 100 when standing and one day was even dropping down to 85-95, but then climbing up again slightly. I couldn't be sure if this was 'normal' for POTS or what was really going on...

I have also noticed sometimes I feel worse when just sitting (I feel as if my heart is starting to pound) and better if I am moving around. And on days when my hr has been higher, I've had my strange 'tired but wired' feeling. I was always so puzzled by that but now it kind of makes more sense, having seen how my hr was elevated just doing simple things.

If I am understanding you correctly walking around varies 120-130 and standing from 85-100. Those are normal ranges for the same activity (walking around and standing respectively). Today my rate was 80 as I stood still for about 20 minutes or more talking to a friend. At one point it even got to 75. As a comparison, on my TTT two weeks ago, standing still sent my heart rate to 120 in under 10 minutes. That is a big variation (80 to 120 while standing still). Why don't you do a poor man's TTT? Strap yourself to your heart monitor and lay still for 10 minutes, see what your HR is at the end. Slowly get up and stand absolutely still (no talking, gesturing, etc.) and take your HR at the end of minutes 10,20, and 30 (you can do it more often, but it's the same really). Ideally give the HR receiver to somebody else to record the values, so you don't freak yourself out and affect the readings. If your HR goes up by more than 30 bpm from laying to standing, then there is a pretty decent chance you have POTS. Don't do that if you have ever had syncopes, though.

[lauralulu]

This is interesting to know because I'm in the process of monitering my own heart rate day to day, because I suspect I may have POTS and am currently seeing my GP about my symptoms- am not sure where I'll be heading next- referral to a local cardiologist perhaps. I have found variations like this- one day my hr was in the 120's when I was moving from room to room, the next day it was above 130 doing the same thing, the day after that it was about 100 when standing and one day was even dropping down to 85-95, but then climbing up again slightly. I couldn't be sure if this was 'normal' for POTS or what was really going on...

I have also noticed sometimes I feel worse when just sitting (I feel as if my heart is starting to pound) and better if I am moving around. And on days when my hr has been higher, I've had my strange 'tired but wired' feeling. I was always so puzzled by that but now it kind of makes more sense, having seen how my hr was elevated just doing simple things.

If I am understanding you correctly walking around varies 120-130 and standing from 85-100. Those are normal ranges for the same activity (walking around and standing respectively). Today my rate was 80 as I stood still for about 20 minutes or more talking to a friend. At one point it even got to 75. As a comparison, on my TTT two weeks ago, standing still sent my heart rate to 120 in under 10 minutes. That is a big variation (80 to 120 while standing still). Why don't you do a poor man's TTT? Strap yourself to your heart monitor and lay still for 10 minutes, see what your HR is at the end. Slowly get up and stand absolutely still (no talking, gesturing, etc.) and take your HR at the end of minutes 10,20, and 30 (you can do it more often, but it's the same really). Ideally give the HR receiver to somebody else to record the values, so you don't freak yourself out and affect the readings. If your HR goes up by more than 30 bpm from laying to standing, then there is a pretty decent chance you have POTS. Don't do that if you have ever had syncopes, though.

Thanks, I have been doing this- often my hr has gone up by 30-40bpm, this is why I was getting confused at those times when it seemed more 'normal'. I was like- do I have it, don't I have it, what's going on? For example, after being supine with a hr of 85- most often when I've tested it's gone up to 112-120 thereabouts initially, but it didn't stay right up there- it tends to hover around 107-112, although there was one day when it was consistently above 125 whilst I was standing still for 10 mins. I've never fainted thankfully but sometimes feel 'shaky' when just standing still doing nothing, and get fidgety.

[avidita]

It is normal for your heart rate to initially go up upon standing. The problem is if it stays that way. You seem borderlining. I guess a specialist will be able to tell you more based on your symptoms, etc. Also depending on the activity you are doing and your level of fitness the heart rate may vary considerably from person to person. Someone very fit will have a totally different HR when walking than somebody who isn't. That is why the diagnosis of POTS is based on TTT where you stand absolutely still for a long period of time. I was instructed to not even talk on mine. I hope you get answers soon and I hope they are good.

[lauralulu]

Thanks!