Any suggestions for lowering Heart Rate?

[WandaW]

Hi all, my heart rate jumped to 145 at a movie this afternoon and and 5 hours later it is still at 129 which is still above the top of my range(126) for exercise. I took my beta blocker this AM, and this happened 2 weeks ago before they increased my beta Blocker. I usually run between 70 and 85 beats at rest. I do see the Cardio next week and Cardiac rehab tomorrow but this is annoying. Any thoughts would be appreciated. thanks Wanda

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Wanda,

Can you feel it when this kicks in?

I can, and there are a few things that I do to try and set it back.
1. I stop what I am doing, try to relax..and cough a few times hard.
2. Take some deep breaths.
3. Massage your carotid artery in your next for about 5 seconds. Rub it up and down.
4. You can also strain real hard as though you were constipated.

These are some techniques that can be used for racing heart rate, and a-job episodes.

I have found that the one that works best for me is # 1, followed by # 2 in the above.
Anyone else have some tips to bring your HR down when tripped?

Rob

 

[gadgetman]

My Cardio got mine under control with a combination of Ranexa and Tekturna. He is still scratching his head over the WHY (I was THE subject of his presentation at a meeting in Florida) but it is working for me. I also take Atenolol.

My resting heart rate was mid to high 80s and 90s and I had several bouts of A-Fib after several years of no episodes. I now have a normal EKG (NORMAL!!!!) and my resting heart rate is in the mid 60s (have the nurses at my regular GP thinking I am an avid Runner-----NOT). My BP is dead on normal every time it is checked.

Good luck. That stuff can be a pain in the ass and drive you crazy. Nothing seemed to relate to what would kick it off. Rob gave you solid recommendations on how to regulate an episode. Worked for me a few times.

May God Bless,

Danny

 

[Allisoninoz]

What was the movie????

 

[Freddie]

What was the movie????

Now THAT'S a good question

 

[Bryan B]

Wanda,

Please let your cardio know and your rehab is going to be concerned about this. I am not saying you have this, but that was what happened to me when I went into A-Flutter (came out of nowhere). I started feeling real tired and would get faint or dizzy with exertion. I checked my BP thinking it was too low and was shocked to see my HR was in the 140's. It stayed in the mid 130's so I went to see my cardio. Also...I didn't have episodes like some of the others, my HR stayed very high from the time the symptoms started until they did the albation. I was in A-Flutter and they admitted me that day for a cardioversion the next day. They had to abort because of a blood clot (big danger with A-Fib/A-Flutter) and put me on Coumadin. They also added Cardizem 360mg CD daily to my Metoprolol 50mg twice daily which only brought my HR down to the low 120's. I went back after 6 weeks of Coumadin and had an ablation done which has worked great (so far knock on wood). I stayed on Coumadin for 6 weeks after the ablation as a precautionary measure.

Again I am not diagnosing you just sharing a similar experience I had. Also mine happened nine months before surgery, not after surgery. I am sure if it is still that high when you go to rehab tomorrow they will not let you participate and will call your cardio. After my first surgery I started having some sternum pain and they made me stop and called my cardio...went in the next day. I had my wires removed 6 months later.

On a lighter note I shot my best round of golf ever while in A-Flutter (68) even though I felt terrible and had to walk real slow back and forth to the cart in order not to feel like I was going to pass out. But I have played some of my best golf when not feeling well. I guess I am thinking about feeling bad instead of over analyzing my golf game.

 

[WandaW]

Thank you for all the info and support, it is now Wed AM and I am at 132 down from 135 when I got up. I skipped my half-caff coffee and finally had a Coke after my beta blocker lowered my HR to 131, I am glad I have Cardiac Rehab today so they can catch this and call my Cardio.

It is Snowing BIG pretty flakes this morning, which would be prettier in Nov, not April, The trees are beautiful, thankfully it is not sticking to the roads. Minneapolis is certainly having a crazy spring as is the rest of the country. I will take snow over tornados any day.

The movie my mother-in-law and I went to see was Soul Surfer, A wonderful "Feel Good" movie, well done and will lift your spirits. My daughter comes home for Easter Break tonight from College in North Dakota and that will be great!!!!

Thanks again, I will let you know what the day brings, maybe I just need to put my feet up and work on jewelry today, that would be relaxing,

 

[WandaW]

A Very frustrating day, I showed up for Cardiac Rehab in A Flutter, they documented it and called MD. The MD added a second Beta Blocker to my regime, one in the am one in the pm. I was told to lay low again today, call tomorrow if my rate is not down. So far it is still up. Next week I am scheduled to see the Interventional Cardiologist to talk about options. I am sooooo tired of parking in my recliner all day. Sorry, I really don't have anything big to complain about, but it is hard to sit still as you know when you are used to being busy. I have too much time to thinks, Thanks Wanda

 

[Eva]

Wanda,

Try to avoid any caffeine until you check with your doctor. There are many causes that elevate heart rate, but for it to remain continuously high may have some risks.

Here is a quote from Mayo Clinic's website http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-rate/AN01906

"Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath."

Keep us posted.

 

[Jason]

Wanda, I had three bouts of A-flutter about two weeks after surgery, and then was put on amiodorone. It isn't a good drug to be on, and people don't stay on it long term. That being said, it knocked me out of A-flutter pretty effectively, and my resting heart rate has been anywhere from 48-63 since. At my 6-week follow up visit they were actually a bit worried that my hear rate was too low hanging in the fifties, but said if I wasn't having any other problems such as fainting and dizziness (which I don't have) then it was alright. I am taking the amiodorone for another 5 days, then off of it completely. It stays in your system for a while, so my heart rate will slowly come up over the next month from what I understand. Another alternative is sotalol, which my cardio said I will go on if A-flutter/A-fib come back.

 

[Ruth]

I went into A-fib/flutter at 2 weeks post op and stayed there until cardioverted 8 weeks later. Amioderone didn't work for me. The cardioversion worked wonders, though, and I've been fine since. Make sure your doctor does baseline thyroid blood tests before putting you on Amioderone and then again soon after you've been taking it should you need to go that route.

A-flutter/fib is no fun but it is not uncommon post op. I would stay off caffeine until your HR drops down to the double digits at least! Relax, there will be time to stay busy once your body has had more chance to heal. Pushing yourself when your heartrate is elevated just makes you tired. Try to take it easy.

 

[Bryan B]

A Very frustrating day, I showed up for Cardiac Rehab in A Flutter, they documented it and called MD. The MD added a second Beta Blocker to my regime, one in the am one in the pm. I was told to lay low again today, call tomorrow if my rate is not down. So far it is still up. Next week I am scheduled to see the Interventional Cardiologist to talk about options. I am sooooo tired of parking in my recliner all day. Sorry, I really don't have anything big to complain about, but it is hard to sit still as you know when you are used to being busy. I have too much time to thinks, Thanks Wanda

Wanda I am not trying to be a "told you so", but I did tell you so. I am guessing they will have three options for you. One will be medication with Sotalol, a 2-3 day hospital stay when you start the medication. Option 2 will be cardioverson, again 2-3 day hospital stay. Option 3 will be ablation, again a 2-3 day hospital stay. I am not trying to be gloomy, just realistic as your symptoms sound exactly like mine and those were my options. I think the most important thing is to get it taken care of as quickly as possible. Like I said in my first post, clots forming is the biggest problem with A-Flutter and A-Fib. Considering where they tend to form (the atrium), if a clot breaks off it's not a good thing. They found a clot when they went to do the cardioversion and I feel very lucky that they did before something really bad happened. You need to get this taken care of now (I know it's a PITA) . You will feel much better once they get it under control and they can only do that by treating it with medication, cardioversion, or ablation. I have been there and it is very frustrating. So is having a surgery you hoped would last a lifetime and having to have another one less than 7 years later. It sucks being a heart patient doesn't it?

 

[WandaW]

Well here I am still in A Flutter, talked to my MD this AM . I see the interventional Cardiologist on Monday. I did run a couple of errands with my kids today, My daughter is home so she could drive. It felt great to get out of the house for a couple of hours. My MD said I would be fine, not to push it but I did not have to stay in my recliner until Mon. My heart rate is dipping to 104 and 108 so maybe this is starting to change over, one can only hope. I am having a great weekend with my kids and that is so nice!!!. I hope everyone has a great weekend and Easter.

 

[normofthenorth]

I had an acute a-Fib episode at 3 weeks post-op, including slowly and gently collapsing onto the bathroom floor, after feeling weak and miserable for a few hours. I'd had a flu cough and fever for several days, and it seemed to have cleared up, then I started feeling like death warmed-over, and eventually collapsed. My HR was 150. After a few hours prep, I rode an ambulance to the ER of the hospital where I had my AVR. For me, a shot of a calcium beta-blocker dropped my HR to normal immediately, but I was still in A-flutter. They put me on Metoprolol 25mg x 2/day (which I think I should have been on continually post-op, long story), which seemed to solve the problem. At 3 months post-op, after a 48-hour Holter session, I weaned off the Meto (and the Warfarin). So far, so good, starting to feel more like a "normal person" than a "heart patient", YAY!

I wish you a similar resolution.

Unfortunately, the cardiologist in charge of my Cardiac Rehab program told us that cardioversion almost never solves an A-fib problem permanently, though somebody posting above has had multi-year success. A show of hands in our Rehab group showed 4 people who'd had cardioversion for A-fib, and 3 of them had the A-fib return after a few months. The exception was only a few months post-cardioversion, and the snarky Cardio said "You're still young!" (Nice!)

BTW, I was warned DECADES ago that holding my breath and pushing hard when I'm really constipated (almost never, he says thankful for small favors!) is a very bad idea, because of its effect on blood pressure and heart-attack risk. (Apparently many MIs happen on the can.) So I wouldn't rush to follow Rob's "4. You can also strain real hard as though you were constipated." At least not until getting a second opinion.

 

[johnnycake23]

For my elevated heart rate, I take Coreg. I am not a doctor; I am only sharing my experience. I know how discomforting this can be. Good luck with your remedy.