Does anyone eles have Bradycardia?
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My_Only_Hope
Posts: 65 Member
Hi, I am 30 years old and I have Bradycardia. I feel like if i don't eat junk with lots of salt and sugar then my heart rate stays in the 40's. It's pretty scary cause sometimes it feels like it's not beating. Its very faint. I have been to a doctor and he told me hes not too worried yet about it and to come back in a year. But when i do eat junk my heart will go up to the 60's and if I eat healthy food then my heart is pretty low. I need to lose 80-100 pounds and Im having trouble getting the weight off cause of my low heart rate. And the way i am eating. I don't know what to do anymore Im depressed and scared. Today I woke up and felt so tired all day and I took my pulse it was only 43 Bpm. I ran and ate something and 30 min later my heart rate is 68 which is great! But it doesn't stay that rate. I feel alone.. Does anyone eles have this???
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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?1
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If you really want to, you can go see a cardiologist. Nonsymptomatic bradycardio isn't necessarily anything to worry about. Many athletes have resting heart rates in the 40's. Again, if you are concerned see a specialist rather then your primary care provider.2
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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.0
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You may just be naturally fit. Bjorn Borg the tennis player had a resting rate of 35. I used to work with a man who ran every lunch time and his was 28. Even though I have been overweight for many years my rate was 52 at age 50 and now is 58 at age 67.
One of my uncles had low blood pressure and bradycardia in his 60's and so the doctor prescribed medication. His blood pressure went sky high and then he had to be treated long-term to lower it.
If it is not causing you any pain or grief, thank your lucky stars you are not hypertensive or fibrillant and just keep a watching brief on yourself.0 -
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.0 -
Maybe you should get a second opinion.... as someone who has worked with doctors for most of my adult life.....not all of them know what they are talking about....
PS) Eating junk and ignoring the issue isn't the answer2 -
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!0 -
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.0
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Thanks for all your replies! I have seen a cardiologist, 2 actually. And they both acted like it wasn't much to worry about. They don't understand that I have to keep eating to keep it at a normal rate. I tried to tell them that but they werent listening. I had a holter monitor on for 24 hours and the lowest it got was in the 40's. I don't think im physically fit cause i'm 100 pounds over weight. I do work out but i just started working out within the last 2 months and i had this issue for awhile now. So i even asked the cardiologist if i should worry when i lose weight will my heart rate decrease and he shook his head no! I was thinking that he is wrong. He even told me to lose weight and go on the dash diet to limit salt but i never did that. I just been counting my calories. I drink tons of water as well.0
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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.0 -
I had blood tests to check for that and its always negative. Is there another test? One time they put me on a medicine for migraines which was called topomax and i developed hypothyroid , i slept all the time, was so cold all the time but they said it was a side effect from the med so took me off of it. I wish it was that simple that It would be something i can take care of and then my heart would go to a normal rate.0
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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.0
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Thanks so much! i only got a 24 hour holter to wear. I didnt know u can have an ekg attached to you for that long. interesting. Im nervous to even think about having a pacemaker. I am allergic to most metals.0
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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 foods0
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My_Only_Hope wrote: »Hi, I am 30 years old and I have Bradycardia. I feel like if i don't eat junk with lots of salt and sugar then my heart rate stays in the 40's. It's pretty scary cause sometimes it feels like it's not beating. Its very faint. I have been to a doctor and he told me hes not too worried yet about it and to come back in a year. But when i do eat junk my heart will go up to the 60's and if I eat healthy food then my heart is pretty low. I need to lose 80-100 pounds and Im having trouble getting the weight off cause of my low heart rate. And the way i am eating. I don't know what to do anymore Im depressed and scared. Today I woke up and felt so tired all day and I took my pulse it was only 43 Bpm. I ran and ate something and 30 min later my heart rate is 68 which is great! But it doesn't stay that rate. I feel alone.. Does anyone eles have this???
You might get an oximeter to estimate your blood oxygen levels. I'm 56 6'1" 198-lb male. I run 4xweek and do IF. When I'm fasted and rested and relax, my heart rate will get down to 38 bpm. I measure it all the time. Today, I measured it at 43 bpm for a full minute. I do get concerned also because my dad had a minor stroke due to too slow of a heart rate. They put a pace maker in him to keep it from going below 70. I bought an oximeter and at 40 bmp, it was 98 when breathing deep and relaxing so it looks like I'm getting enough oxygen. The heart rate will be a little higher and the oximeter reading a little lower (94-95) when I'm not breathing deep and relaxing. One interesting thing is when I eat, my heart rate will immediately go up to about 55-60 bpm.1 -
Uh oh, 3 year old necro thread...0
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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...0 -
Absolutely! I thought Marcia was a minx! and Mrs Brady was, lets be honest, fab for her age!0
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