How low can you go?

[LLJ]

Hi valvers: Been a long time since I've been on the forum so of course when I have a question I come to the people with the answers. I am 2 years out from porcine valve/anneursym repair and have been plodding along with my runs and bikes and attempting to learn not to drown.(aka swim) My question is this: my heart rate is wicked low. I take Toprol XL 25mg to "protect" the graft and valve . All this was great intially in the first year when I had some a fib issues and high heart rate. I now wake up with a HR of 38BPM (is Lance Armstrong in my bed????) and can only jack it up to 100 BPM on percieved exertion of 8 bike rides and 120 on my runs. I feel like I can't go fast. I t feels like I am dragging a parachute behind me.
My cardiologist (who I respect enormously and who is very responsive) is negotiating dose and cessation of Toprol with me. Any stories of going of the meds? I can't stand getting slower by the week. I don't need to be the fastest girl on the block but I would like to be able to beat the 80 year old age groupers.......
LLJ
Laura

 

[Philip]

I also have been dragging despite regular training and approximately 3 weeks ago discontinued my daily dose of 50mg Toprol. I had hoped this would improve my running but it has not helped. I hope you have better results.
I suspect my problem is due to my ejection fraction which was recently estimated at 45% by TEE and 50% by color flow Doppler echo. Not wanting to hijack your post but what kind of EF do you and others in active lifestyles have?
Philip

 

[hensylee]

Hey Laura. It's been a coon's age since we saw you.

I have a very low (imho) bpm - it stays in the 60s around 62. I have been on atenolol 2 x day for 7 yrs. I tire easily, drag around. By the time I get bath and dressed to go out I am nearly too tired to go. I was at the dr yesterday and asked him if I could drop one of the atenolol and he said sure I could. He told me beta blockers make us tired and draggy so I am stopping one of them and hope for a better bpm, less tiredness and no more bizarre dreams.

Toprol XL is the same med as atenolol, the dr's nurse said. I was on Toprol for several months and coughed my head off so went back to atenolol and that's when she said Toprol was same as atenolol.

 

[MikeHeim]

If your resting HR is below 40, I can't imagine why you really need a beta blocker. When mine dropped to the mid-50's, my Cardio dropped my dosage to 25mg 2X per day.

 

[kodi]

I second Mikes response. I've had a 40BPM resting HR for years. I'm seven months out of surgery and it is now back to that range again. I have a water retention problem and take lasix daily but my doc said with my low HR he'd never put me on a beta blocker.
Biking (on my trainer) I have a very hard time getting my HR up over 110 for any length of time. Running however I have been staying mostly in the 132-138 range which is about 75% max for me. I do push it on occasion to get it up higher to max but have a hard time holding it there. Running for me is not as easy as it was pre-surgery.

 

[LLJ]

Thanks guys! I'm only on 25 mg so I am hoping he lets me get it down to 12.5 or none. He states he has me on them to protect the aortic graft from blood pressure related issues as well as extend the life of the tissue valve. I don't have high blood pressure/never did except right after surgery. I know he is conservative.....
Well, I was hoping to hear about huge speed increases,but I'll take better sleep and not feeling so pooped!
LLJ

 

[LLJ]

PS: my ejection fraction was 50% after surgery which I was told was very normal for anyone
LLJ

 

[MarkU]

My resting HR was about 68-70 prior to my AVR six years ago but now has dropped to 42. BP has also dropped from pre-hypertension range to 110/70 as of last week. No meds other than Coumadin.
I was concerned about the drop in HR at first, but my cardio attributes it to the better pumping effciency of my heart with the new valve installed.
Had my lactic threshold tested two years ago and it came out at 159 bpm. Based on that I do most of my training at 127-140 on the bike and 134 to 143when running. My cardiologist has me avoid any training at or near my max HR.

 

[mntbiker]

Hi Laura,
Long time no see. I hope everything has been going well for you.

Regarding the heart rate - my RHR is back in the 40's. My max seems to be around 162 right now, it just hasn't come up except for the occasional day here or there. I am on atacand so that doesn't (shouldn't?) affect my HR. My endurance has been great but I just have not been able to develop any speed. Can't help with going off the meds but it sounds like a positive step forward.