Bradycardia In 6 Year Old During Sleep

[jjb]

Hi all.

I have a 6 year old with dysautnomia. Specifically neuro thinks it is hereditary aut neuropathy.

She also likely has EDS, has hemiplegia from stroke & autonomic seizures and/or migraines. Has mild apnea (osa & csa)

She is hooked up to an oximeter at night.

The past three nights her HR has dropped into the 50s but o2 is fine.

Normal resting HR for this age range is 70 to 100.

Typically she has a greater tendency toward tachycardia ... not brady.

I am hoping it is just a bad sensor and will try a new one tonight.

If this happens again with the new sensor, will call pedi of course and see what she thinks.

Does anyone else have any children or your self have issues with bradycardia when typically your problem is more tachy?

J

[juliegee]

Hi all.

I have a 6 year old with dysautnomia. Specifically neuro thinks it is hereditary aut neuropathy.

She also likely has EDS, has hemiplegia from stroke & autonomic seizures and/or migraines. Has mild apnea (osa & csa)

She is hooked up to an oximeter at night.

The past three nights her HR has dropped into the 50s but o2 is fine.

Normal resting HR for this age range is 70 to 100.

Typically she has a greater tendency toward tachycardia ... not brady.

I am hoping it is just a bad sensor and will try a new one tonight.

If this happens again with the new sensor, will call pedi of course and see what she thinks.

Does anyone else have any children or your self have issues with bradycardia when typically your problem is more tachy?

J

Hi Jen,

I can't say that my son leans towards tachy, but his HR has gotten as low as the 30's at times. It usually runs around 60+. Through time, I have learned that this usually is an indication that something else is going on that exacerbates his dysautonomia. Last time it got that low, he had a small bowel bacterial overgrowth. Once we treated that, his HR returned to normal. Could something else be going on- any other infection?

That being said, when it gets that low, I do take him in to be evaluated. Aside from being really fatigued, it doesn't seem to affect him that much. Sorry you are dealing with this- scary. Please let us know what you find out.

Julie

[mkoven]

I at times get slow heart rates--as low as 40s while awake. I will feel a tightness in my chest, and sometimes really cold, and just bad. It hasn't happened in a while. My doctors have never been too concerned. It used to happen around my period, or after exertion of some kind. Since wearing a hard neck brace for cervical instability, it happens less. I feel best when my resting heart rate is in the 60s, and I think this probably the most comfortable rate for me.

[sj75]

I was told by my cardiologist that appart from picking up abnormal rhythms my reveal device is set to only pick up rates below 30 as it is quite common for people to have huge heart rate dips in their sleep. Im not so sure if this is the same in children although their heart ranges at 6 are more similar to adults than younger childrens??

[pat57]

I was thinking the same thing- 50s during sleep sounds ok to me. Certainly advise the Dr.

[Guest tearose]

Yes, we as mostly adults, have lower hr at night/sleep and still be tachy during daytime.

Do give a call to the doctor to relieve your concern and see if they want to address it or just have you monitor it.

[jjb]

Thanks for the replies.

Her normal during sleep is between 80 and 100.

I have had mine dip into the 40s as well, BUT back then my normal was 50 to 60 at rest.

Also ... back then I did have a 2nd degree AV Block ... this is my concern I think.

Now she DOES in fact have a cold right now so I am hoping it is from that.

[jjb]

Julie,

How old is your child?

Also, did you mention once that elevated BP can occur with MCAD?

I was actually thinking about you before I posted.

I don't know of you remember, but part of dd's dysautonomia is she has elevated BP.

I think I have read an elevated BP can drive down heart rate.

[Guest tearose]

YES!!

A cold or virus will most definitely effect heartrate.

When I had a cold with fever one winter, I was laying in bed with bursts of tachy as well as dips of brady.

Do call the doctor please. You and we will feel better for her!

[jjb]

YES!!

A cold or virus will most definitely effect heartrate.

When I had a cold with fever one winter, I was laying in bed with bursts of tachy as well as dips of brady.

Do call the doctor please. You and we will feel better for her!

Thanks,

Put a message to pedi.

Waiting to hear back.

[juliegee]

Julie,

How old is your child?

Also, did you mention once that elevated BP can occur with MCAD?

I was actually thinking about you before I posted.

I don't know of you remember, but part of AVA's dysautonomia is she has elevated BP.

I think I have read an elevated BP can drive down heart rate.

Hey jjb-

I remember "speaking" with you about Ava a while back. Sorry she is still doing so badly.

My son is now 17 y/o. He was around 14 when his HR got into the 30's. It was after hours (when I realized) so I took him to the ER. The docs were AMAZED to see Mack hooked up to multiple heart monitors, with numbers like 35, acting pretty normally. He had a hackey sack and kept tossing it to everyone around the room . The docs kept on calling different docs into the room: "You've GOT to see this..."

I'm actually sort of relieved that Ava has a cold. I'm certain that's contributing to the severe bradycardia. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to get her checked out.

Yes, a high BP can occur with MCAD and it does lower the HR. Pain can also raise the BP. Could she have a secondary ear or throat infection? Keep us posted on what you find out.

Julie

[Heiferly]

I normally go toward the tachy side, but have on rare occasion when sick (or with side effects from medications) gone brady. Usually it coincides with my BP going the opposite way as normal for me as well ... so instead of me having my usual drops in BP and tachy, my BP will go up and I'll get brady. It has always righted itself once I wasn't sick anymore (or we did something about the offending medication). Hopefully the doc will have something to say that will be helpful. I often can limp along better with a "tank up" of IV fluids if I'm struggling due to the extra stress of being sick with a cold or something, but I know this varies from person to person whether this is helpful or even indicated at all or not.

[jjb]

Julie,

Yes, she did have a sore throat too.

I have the same virus and can say it is quite painful. DD though is not complaining nearly as much as I have been.

And just wanted to mention, overall dd is doing quite well. She has been on the mito cocktail for a year now and it seems to have helped with some of her aut symptoms. AT least it has helped with what we think is cyclic vomiting.

Heiferly, what you described is kind of what I was picturing.

Though I am also worrying a bit of AV block. I have a hx of this and it was worsened with illness.

I will be honest and say that even though many of us have these quirks w/ changes in BP & HR, in my daughters case I worry about something called SUDEP since in addition to aut quirks she has aut seizures... specifically I worry about the perfect autonomic storm leading to SUDEP.

Anyway, tomorrow will call ped cardiologist and will probably do a Holter.

J