Heart Rate

[amy777]

So I know the beta blocker is suppose to slow your heart rate but now i'm freaking out that it is running somewhere between 60-66 when i am sitting around. This is so different for me since my HR is usually about 80-90. Does anyone else know what I mean?? I get so worried and I want to thank all of you for being understanding I am sorry to keep asking so many questions. Also, does anyone know if you can make your heart skip beats?? I mean can stress or just thinking about them bring them on???

[Gena]

Your heart rate being in the 60s is okay as long as you feel okay at that rate. I know it's easy to stress about all of your symptoms. We worry about whether we're too high, or too low, or oh my God, is this a new symtpom that I should be concerened about. That's why I love this forum. Otherwise, I'd drive my husband nuts with all my worries!

My heart rate is normally in the low 50s. Normal heart rate can range from 50 -100, but it depends on what is considered normal for you. My heart rate even drops in the thirties at night when I'm sleeping sometimes, so when I have tachycardia, my HR might only go up to the 85-95 range, but it feels like I'm having a heart attack. Some people can walk around and feel okay in that range, but not me. I asked the cardiologist at Mayo clinic in Jacksonville if he was concerned about how low my HR got at night, and he said he was not. Said I had good vascular or vagal conditioning?? or something like that I can't remember. But like I said if you feel okay and your BP isn't dropping too much, then 60s HR is great.

One interesting thing the cardio said was that he used to be a consultant for the San Francisco 49ers football team. There was a guy on the team that had a HR that dropped as low as 8 (yes, eight!) while he was sleeping, but it had no adverse affects on him. The doc said he was extremely fit and had no heart problems at all.

Amazing how individual bodies work efficiently at different levels. Hope this helps.

[Gena]

I forgot to add about the skipped heart beats. I dont' really know if we can bring them on at will, but there have been three times when I've been really stressed and my heart is having forceful heart beats and I think oh, my gosh what if it gets out of rhythm again, and suddenly, boom, it skips and gets out of whack for a while. I dont' think we understand just how powerful our thoughts can be!....so I try to channel some good, healing, happy thoughts through my body whenever I can, to try and negate all of the worries and stressful thoughts!

[corina]

Hi Amy777

When I was diagnosed with POTS my sitting hr was about 90 and standing it ran up to 180-200. Now I'm using betablockers(in a very high dose, 300mg a day) and it makes my hr stay around 60. It sometimes may drop at night to 50 but I'm okay with that. When I get REALLY angry and when I'm having a fever, my heart starts to race again and makes very heavy heartbeats. My cardio says I don't need to worry about it, so I don't. For me that's the best way: asking if I need to worry and if my doc says no, I just don't (it keeps me enough to worry about ). Hope I helped you with this and wish you all the best. Oh and don't mind asking your questions, we all had/have them, that's what we are all here for: to help eachother out. Best wishes,

Corina

[DancingLight]

amy,

welcome here!

i just wanted to say...your feelings of worry are sooo normal. i know we have all gone through that. and thinking we are going to die!

here's the thing...you haven't been dealing with these very long yet, so of course you are going to still feel very alarmed by your symptoms! it is easy for those of us who this is 'old hat' for to say take a deep breath and wait a little bit...

BUT, you WILL eventually learn what is POTS and what is not and be able to say 'oops, here it goes again!' just knowing i had POTS was so affirming b/c at least i knew why i was having the symptoms.

the symptoms are so bizarre and scary. i won't pretend that having chest pain or shortness of breath or a wacky HR aren't scary. but, i will say that you will really strart to be able to take things in stride eventually...

if you really continue to struggle with anxiety...maybe you could try some meds just to help yourself through.

just wanted you to know, you are not alone...and it is okay to be so scared. i know i was in the beginning.

also, i like the suggestions about asking your doctor things like...what HR is okay? what is not? what BP is okay? what is not? when is it an emergnecy and when should i wait it out. most of the time, unless there is something really new and different that you notice...the symptoms pass.

as for the beta-blocker...you will have to ask the dr. what he finds acceptable for your body. but 50-100 is considered normal. i, like you, had a normal hr of 90-100 and now often my HR is in the 60's...so, it did take some getting used to.

as for skipped beats...also a common complaint here on this board! a terrible feeling, but even normal people have this in a 24 hour period! have you had a holter monitor for 24 hours? as long as you have had a sufficient cardio work up to make sure the beats are not something else and your heart is healthy, you probably can really breathe a big sigh of relief and wait it out!

i hope this helps. i'm sorry you have to be with us here in the world of POTS, but i am glad that you found us...hopefully we can help you know what to worry about and what not to! and that we're all still here truckin' along with our goofy symptoms!

later alligator!

take care,

emily

[StaceyYount]

Sorry someone may have asked you this before or you may have said but do you have MVP? Becuase that can make your heart feel like it is skipping beats and it can come form dehydration, Stress etc etc. Of course POTS can do this too but I think that MVP is invloved for me at least. Because it only happens every now and then and my husband has a very mild MVP and no POTS and sometimes his is thumping and thumping. His HR at sleep is down to 40 sometimes but he is a runner and has always had that.

I hope I am not restating anything my brian is somewhere else tonight and not with me!

Welcome and know we are all hear to help if we can!

Stacey :-)

[blackwolf]

Dear Amy, I bounce from 25-200, and I take a beta blocker (Toprol XL 50mg) and Norpace (150mg twice a day). This is normal for me, as you adjust to new meds and you learn how your body reacts to every little thing, it will be easier to know what is "normal" and what is not. I would give it at least 3-4 days to see if it really gets to be bad. 60 is a great place to be and is considered "normal" by most docs.

Good luck and try not to panic. Just take a few nice, easy breaths and try to stay calm. It is very scary and can be really hard to get used to. The first few months of meds. were nasty to get used to and I had to try very hard to try to stay calm with all the changes.

Blackwolf

[JLB]

Amy, keep asking those questions - saves me the time.

As Emily mentioned, skipped beats are common in every human being. The heart which beats a steady, constant rhythm 24/7 is a comparative rarity.

The difference with people like us, though, is that we're able to feel our heart rhythms - less sensitive people can't. This is the most distracting symptom I've got, especially when it goes on for hours, and I certainly understand your distress.

The more you educate yourself, the more calm you become - I used to get a big rush of fear-based adrenaline everytime the IHB began, and that adrenaline serves only to advance the problem, as I'm sure you know; now, I pretty much roll my eyes, consciously relax, and go rest for a bit. BTW, a snack, followed by a (TINY) amount of coffee, will often do the trick if the PVCs get really bad.

It gets easier, Amy. POTS/dysautonomia can even be a catalyst towards taking extreme good care of yourself, and embracing the reality of the special person you are. Hug for you...

(((((((((())))))))))

[Timbo]

My heartrate has gone as low as 55 with nothing more than shortness of breath. But that was on one occasion. I get days where it is in the 60's with no noticeable problems. There is no need to worry.

[vondalecki]

Hi there. I just wanted to say that I also took the beta blocker for my rate 50-200 and I felt it made me too tired(pressure dropped) I'm still being adjusted as far as meds but so far I take half a Xanax .25 twice a day and .50 of Xanax when I feel the shaking starting and so far this has managed me the best. I'm not so concerned with my rate though as my rhthym, I have atrial flutter and PVCs- and the syncope and siezure like convulsions.

Also, someone mentioned a holter monitor, which is a monitor for 24 hrs. I wanted to mention an event recorder instead. Not the older kind where you use it only if you feel symptoms, but there is another type that a few companies have where you wear the monitor like a holter (24 hrs a day) for anywhere from 3-30 days and you can report a sypmtom if you feel it or the monitor actually auto triggers. The monitor is constantly recording so when your heart is abnormal in anyway it automatically sends a report to the company and your dr. it's really great bcause they can keep track of your rate and the rhythm for as many days as you need.

I had the event recorder a few years ago and it wasn't enough to diagnose me, but with this newer event recorder I was diagnosed within 24 hrs and my meds ahve been adjusted accordingly. It's perfect for med adjustments cause they can actually watch your heart's response to them.

good luck

jerriann