Heart Rate To Fast On Exercise- Ideas?

[jkoconne]

Well this is ironic...After posting on here a fewa days ago and doing good while exercising...Today I did my normal cardio and 30min workout routine. nothing different, no added weights. Felt like i do everytime i workout but when i left I looked at my HR monitor (polar f7 chest band and watch). It said my average was 140 which is normal but my high was 206!! Ive never even reach 200 before. only 198 and stopped what i was doing. I didnt feel tachy worse than usual and i didnt get light headed or feel "uneasy/anxious" like i usually do when i hit 190. So i have no idea what was going on.

I've been very tachy the last few days but not serious and then after my workout today it was staying at about 150 while i walked around to do normal activites (classes, shower, standing and walking in the house). Ugh some days dont make sense.

[trice125]

I always crash if I try to do anything that doesn't calm down my body like yoga, Pilates, etc. The only exception for me is walking within limits.

[robert elrod]

I haven't started exercising. I have an extremely hard time getting up the energy to leave the house. A walk to the mailbox gets it to 140bpm, a shower and getting dressed hits 160bpm and during my stress test 3 min in and I hit 275bpm during first incline. I keep hear people refer to flare. I guess I understand a little that its when the symptoms are worse. I feel like since 2011 mine has been slowly getting worse with no real time of complete relie. My question is do you ever feel symptom free or just that the symptoms intensify during flare. Im new to my diagnosis as of this month.

[Racer]

often hovers around 250 during workouts

3 min in and I hit 275bpm during first incline

These heart rates are not normal max hr! A person could very easily die from a hr of 275! Surely no cardiologist would be okay with someone exercising at that range? My understanding is that no one reaches 275 without it being a consequence of a abnormal rhythm?

[robert elrod]

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/74753_306330309481579_12591441_n.jpg

Above is one of the sheets from the test, its 272 but it hit 275 .

Mine was during a stress test. It was the same feeling I got whenever I exert myself. I did get a heart cath. Everything wss normal untill he administered the drug then my heart rate went super tachy. I dont exercise and the exact reason was never given but got the diagnosis of hyperadreneric pots.

[Kay107]

Racer,

I have wondered about the danger of it, my doctor always says that for a normal person to experience that it would be dangerous but since my body is so used to it it's not that bad. That was the same answer I got when asking about high heart rate during pregnancy (though never that high during preg). I am not sure how often mine gets to 250 these days, but it is always over 200 when exercising. I have thought about getting a heart rate monitor but my dr just never seems concerned about the hr aspect, he usually focuses more on my low blood pressure and fainting. I would definitely say that my dr treats my symptoms (fainting and lack of energy) without really digging any deeper into my diagnosis. I have no idea what type of POTS I have. He just adjusts my meds to keep me fainting as little as possible and that is pretty much it.

I exercise a lot, and if I do too much in one day, it takes me weeks of extreme fatigue to recover.

[volo]

My HR went 20 points above my estimated maximum HR within 5 minutes of the TTT. It also went above the maximum on a stress test, even though I am on a (small dose of) beta blocker. So far, I only do cardio on a recumbent or upright bike and I keep it 15 points or more below the estimated maximum, but if I pushed all out, I'm sure I could take it past the maximum.

From the responses, it seems many POTS patient's HR goes above the estimated maximum. On the TTT, they also measured my "intrinsic HR" and that was 20 points or more above the estimate as well. Do others know if their intrinsic HR is also high?

[Racer]

Racer,

I have wondered about the danger of it, my doctor always says that for a normal person to experience that it would be dangerous but since my body is so used to it it's not that bad. That was the same answer I got when asking about high heart rate during pregnancy (though never that high during preg). I am not sure how often mine gets to 250 these days, but it is always over 200 when exercising. I have thought about getting a heart rate monitor but my dr just never seems concerned about the hr aspect, he usually focuses more on my low blood pressure and fainting. I would definitely say that my dr treats my symptoms (fainting and lack of energy) without really digging any deeper into my diagnosis. I have no idea what type of POTS I have. He just adjusts my meds to keep me fainting as little as possible and that is pretty much it.

I exercise a lot, and if I do too much in one day, it takes me weeks of extreme fatigue to recover.

I assume your talking about a cardiologist who is your doctor? I ask because a cardiac electrophysiologist specializes in heart rhythm, and would be the only one I would trust saying if it is okay or not.

[Kay107]

Racer,

I have wondered about the danger of it, my doctor always says that for a normal person to experience that it would be dangerous but since my body is so used to it it's not that bad. That was the same answer I got when asking about high heart rate during pregnancy (though never that high during preg). I am not sure how often mine gets to 250 these days, but it is always over 200 when exercising. I have thought about getting a heart rate monitor but my dr just never seems concerned about the hr aspect, he usually focuses more on my low blood pressure and fainting. I would definitely say that my dr treats my symptoms (fainting and lack of energy) without really digging any deeper into my diagnosis. I have no idea what type of POTS I have. He just adjusts my meds to keep me fainting as little as possible and that is pretty much it.

I exercise a lot, and if I do too much in one day, it takes me weeks of extreme fatigue to recover.

I assume your talking about a cardiologist who is your doctor? I ask because a cardiac electrophysiologist specializes in heart rhythm, and would be the only one I would trust saying if it is okay or not.

No, he is an electrophysiologist. I'm not sure howmany POTS patients he has. I live in a smaller area that has a very high elderly population.

[Loulou]

Hi everyone,

I wish you all a feel good day.

I am rarely able to exercise but when I can I use the eliptical trainer. And many times i do get over 200, I don't know how high into the 200`s because the eliptical only goes to 200.And I normally reach my targeted heart rate of 180 within 6 to 10 minutes into my ride. And I usually have to stop because I just begin to struggle breathing not because I can not push further. But I push to get in 20 minutes before I have no choice but to stop.

[POTLUCK]

This post seems to have clearly answered my original question, that it is very common for POTS patients HR to go above maximum calculated. This is interesting to me in that it shows in another way why POTS is not due to anxiety etc. as so many doctors dismiss it.

A normal person would not be physically or mentally able to make their HR go that high period. ( That is why it is a maximum HR )

Racer my HR goes 30 points over max and my Cardio is an electrophysiologist who has many POTS patients and he encouraged it. My HR does not go as high as some on here. I would suggest people use caution and check with their doctor. I think my doctor just feels th exercise is improving the condition and that is good.

[POTLUCK]

I was looking back at this post because my HR today went to maximum in 1 block, 10 points over max in 2 blocks (.2 miles on Garmin) and stayed that high the remaining 2 miles. I went to the high 190's but did not go over 200 as I used to in the past. This is while still on 3.75mg of Propranolol BID, which should slow the HR especially at peaks.

Regarding the Cardiologist Electrophysiologist who specializes in POTS also, he did say it was OK to have my HR go this high when I exercise and did encourage me to do this. Again I would note that POTS has different causes and people need to check with their own doctor on this. I am not recommending people exercise at higher than their normal HR, but that they ask their doctor.

The whole thing is very bizarre and scary in my book. Most primary care doctors do not know anything about this illness.

[kayjay]

I personally am not particularly worried about elevated heart rates. If my heart rate stayed high I would certainly call my doctor. Heart rate spikes and blood pressure spikes a generally not harmful. The danger is when high numbers are sustained for a long period of time.

I would also encourage people that are worried to take their pulse manually. A heart rate in the 200's isn't implausible for me but my heart rate monitor is quite useless much of the time. I've gotten readings of 220 when my actual heart rate was under 100. I actually don't use it any longer.

My heart rate is too fast when I exercise. I go by shortness of breath symtoms when exercising. Paying attention to my heart rate would just scare me.

[POTLUCK]

Have not seen many comments on this recently, but my impression was a lot of peoples HR goes over calculated max. Mine does not go to 250. (i.e. Your calculated max HR depends on age) but goes far higher than my calculated max. I wrote to one POTS doctor who responded that he felt it was OK, and go to another (the Electophysiologist) who felt it was safe to go that high.

Interestingly neither doctor thought this was due to POTS, yet the answers here suggest it is related to POTS at least sometimes. I have seen no study or case report mentioning this. Both docs felt it was safe to go 30 points over my calculated max but neither felt I was doing it due to my POTS. I have no idea.