Does anyone eles have Bradycardia?

I have the opposite actually - my heart likes to speed up for no reason, and just like you, when I eat a meal high in sodium or just a big meal in general, my heart rate goes up.. although in my case it goes from 70 to 100 or so. I find it helps if I drink a lot of water with big meals... anyway I know that doesn't help your specific situation, I just wanted to let you know I understand how it is living with heart issues. It can definitely be scary. Just know your protocols - I'm on medication to slow my heart rate, and if I have an episode where it speeds up too much there are a bunch of things I can do, from drinking water to putting a cold cloth on my head to taking more of my medication. If I were you I'd talk to your doctor again and tell her that your symptoms really scare you, that your heart rate is often in the 40s and it makes you nervous and that you don't feel comfortable "just waiting another year" because you're trying to lose weight and be healthy, yet eating healthy makes your heart rate low. Have you had a Holter monitor?

Seek another professional opinion. Although bradycardia isn't usually dangerous itself, trying to lose that amount of weight with it needs medical supervision. Tell a doctor that you want to lose weight and they may be able to help you more. Getting more fit through exercise and weight loss usually means your resting heart rate can decrease (as it's only natural as you get fitter) but for you, your HR is low enough as it is. Please seek another medical opinion.

It can normally drop that low and lower for some people as they get fit. Mine is always been in the lower range too, and dropped as I got fitter, its 40bpm occasionally as well, but I dont have 80-100 lbs to lose, or a weak pulse...that is unusual, but still could be you over thinking it and not the least bit of a problem.

You may want to go to another doctor for a second opinion and also ask about possible thyroid issues...and then not stress about it if nothing is found. You could just be a relatively cardio-fit person, even if you are overweight.

As I'm sitting here, after 4 cups of coffee today and a brownie, I'm at 50bpm, probably was 40 again before coffee but I didnt take my pulse rate until I saw this topic. Its not necessarily a big deal at all.

Get a second opinion. I've never heard of people have any abnormality and not getting a cardiac work up, but different places are different.

Go see another doctor and see what the next one says.

Good luck!

I would suggest looking into your salt intake. excessive salt can make your blood pressure rise and your heart rate rise as well. perhaps you aren't getting enough salt in your diet. I was at a place where my blood pressure was so low, I would pass-out. my dr prescribed salt. don't increase without dr supervision, but I would take all your info to a cardiologist. a low resting heart rate is actually very good and a sign of heart health. unless you have pain or other things going along with the low heart rate, I wouldn't worry.

The most common non-cardiac cause of bradycardia is thyroid disease--which can have transient swings in your thyroid hormone levels such that a single test of your levels may not catch it because you might be at a normal point in the swings.

You need to switch doctors or ask for an endocrinology referral.

I started having very low heart rate in the low 40's last year. Started passing out...my cardiologist from Mayo Clinic had me wear a EKG for a few weeks and on christmas eve it recorded a 7 second heart block and 2 days later they put in a dual chamber pace maker and set the heart rate to 60bpm on the low side and 130bpm on the high side. Problem solved. Please continue to seek out help and good luck.

I have the opposite problem-my heart rate is too high if I don’t eat excessive amounts of salt. I have been doing some research, and pots explains all the symptoms I have along with it. You can also have low heart rate with it. If you don’t have symptoms, though, there’s no reason for concern. I have had 3 separate heart rhythm disorders, and a diagnosis of micro vascular disease. Even with all of that, my doctors have never been concerned that I may be at risk (especially since I am only 33 and otherwise healthy) it is only a nuisance. The good news is: if your doctor approves it, you can increase your salt intake without eating junk food that causes weight gain. I have been doing chicken broth, which has much fewer calories than other salty junk foods

Uh oh, 3 year old necro thread...

La5Vega5Girl wrote: »

I would suggest looking into your salt intake. excessive salt can make your blood pressure rise and your heart rate rise as well. perhaps you aren't getting enough salt in your diet. I was at a place where my blood pressure was so low, I would pass-out. my dr prescribed salt. don't increase without dr supervision, but I would take all your info to a cardiologist. a low resting heart rate is actually very good and a sign of heart health. unless you have pain or other things going along with the low heart rate, I wouldn't worry.

I found out that has actually been the case for me for many years, possibly since childhood! I could barely walk 3km without grabbing something to eat, and I've always been addicted to crisps. Now that I increased my salt intake I feel so much better, the cravings are gone, and I can just walk 25km without any issues or hunger. Plus my blood pressure is higher. I have pretty bad orthostatic hypotension. it's still not good first thing in the morning, but I'm fine during the rest of the day. I also find that when my blood pressure drops when I stand up, or walk up a mountain my heartrate remains low for a moment or even drops lower, making me feel faint. I only start to feel better once my heart catches up, which it sometimes only does when I stop when walking uphill. I think it's just a lazy sod! But anyway, salt has made this better as well.

Now on to the question on why I need a lot more salt...