Anyone with Bradycardia?

TripleB

Hall of Fame
Just wondering if anyone here has bradycardia (slower than normal heart rate), and if so, what is being done for it?

I've had some fluttering or irregular heart rhythms for about a year or so. Typically only happened right when I went to bed, but has happened at other times recently. During a follow up appointment for my, now gone, DVT bloodclot, I told my doc about it and he did an EKG. Afterwards he said he was concerned about my low heart rate on the EKG. My resting heart rate has always been lower than normal (bradycardia) but now that it's gotten down into the 30s (beats per minute), he thought we better find out if something is going on with my heart. He said we would see what the echocardiogram and heart rate monitor showed, but mentioned a pace maker was a possibility in the future.

This past Thursday I had an echocardiogram and then got a heart monitor put on after that, which I'll wear for two weeks. I go to cardiologist near the end of August to get the results of both the echocardiogram and heart rate monitor.

Just wondering if anyone here has been through the same thing, what was done for the condition, and how having bradycardia has impacted your daily life.

Thank you!

TripleB
 

hochiglenn

New User
I became bradycardic after I was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis. It started affecting my electrical system in my heart and I had to get an ICD/ pacemaker to survive. That was ten years ago and I’ve been playing tennis ever since. Stamina is not as good but I can still play. Depending on what your issue is you may be able to take medications and play.


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hochiglenn

New User
Pulse in the 30s is definitely no bueno. When my cardiac sarcoidosis started really affecting me I would get winded very easily going upstairs. Then I started noticing how winded I became while playing tennis. Way out of the ordinary for me but just thought I was really out of shape. I started getting concerned and started googling and found bradycardia. I tested it by taking pulse and then running 20 yards. There was no change and I was super winded. Went to Drs. Sarcoidosis nodules were on my heart blocking electrical signal to the bottom chambers. At that point HR stayed in the low 60’s but rapidly started going down. By the time I checked into the hospital ICU awaiting my ICD surgery the next day, my HR was down to 18 beats per minute. They were concerned about me passing out but I never did. As long I was laying down I felt fine. After ICD everything has been mostly good. I’m prone to sudden cardiac arrest due to Vfib and my device has saved me 3 times in the past ten years on the tennis court. Finally got my medicine right and haven’t had an event in 2 years (knock on wood). So I do still play but the medicine suppresses my HR so I get winded if I go 100% all the time. Give them time. They’ll eventually figure out what’s going on. Good luck!


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Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
I became bradycardic after I was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis. It started affecting my electrical system in my heart and I had to get an ICD/ pacemaker to survive. That was ten years ago and I’ve been playing tennis ever since. Stamina is not as good but I can still play. Depending on what your issue is you may be able to take medications and play.


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What is your maximum heart rate with the pacemaker.
:unsure:
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
What is your maximum heart rate with the pacemaker

pacemakers are all pretty much "demand" pacemakers that kick in if the heart rate gets too low, but generally they don't limit a high rate unless an extremely rapid ventricular tachycardia becomes ventricular fibrillation
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
Thanks to everyone for the input - they have been a tremendous help!

I heard from my doctor today and he said that my echocardiogram looked normal, structurally my heart looks sound, and is functionally in good shape!

So that was a bit of a relief (ie: no blockage, problems, etc. - since my father and grandfather both died from heart attacks, and my mom had to have a valve replaced in her heart, that's always something I worry about). Hopefully the heart monitor I'm wearing will help give them some idea of what's causing the fluttering, irregular beats, and tight feelings I have ever so often.

Again, I appreciate everyone's input.

TripleB
 

Rubens

Hall of Fame
I know somebody whose bradycardia turned out to be from hypothyroidism. They found out after a blood test.
 

hochiglenn

New User
Thanks to everyone for the input - they have been a tremendous help!

I heard from my doctor today and he said that my echocardiogram looked normal, structurally my heart looks sound, and is functionally in good shape!

So that was a bit of a relief (ie: no blockage, problems, etc. - since my father and grandfather both died from heart attacks, and my mom had to have a valve replaced in her heart, that's always something I worry about). Hopefully the heart monitor I'm wearing will help give them some idea of what's causing the fluttering, irregular beats, and tight feelings I have ever so often.

Again, I appreciate everyone's input.

TripleB

Is HR always in the 30s? They should let an EP also take a look at you if they haven’t already. Simple EKG should show an issue if HR is always that low. Conduction system might have something going on. The echo wouldn’t show anything involving the electrical system. My heart looks fine on echo too. But I’m sure your Docs know what they are doing.


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Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
I’m prone to sudden cardiac arrest due to Vfib and my device has saved me 3 times in the past ten years on the tennis court. Finally got my medicine right and haven’t had an event in 2 years (knock on wood). So I do still play but the medicine suppresses my HR so I get winded if I go 100% all the time.

Did Doctor give you the green light to play tennis. It does not sound advisable given the three close episodes.
 

hochiglenn

New User
Yeah. He says that’s why I have the device, to live my life normally. As long as he is good with me playing I am too. Most of his patients he has to beg them to exercise.


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TripleB

Hall of Fame
Is HR always in the 30s? They should let an EP also take a look at you if they haven’t already. Simple EKG should show an issue if HR is always that low. Conduction system might have something going on. The echo wouldn’t show anything involving the electrical system. My heart looks fine on echo too. But I’m sure your Docs know what they are doing.

Typically my resting heart rate during the day is 42-44. At night is when it dips into the 30s...usually between 36 and 39 (the lowest I've seen is 32). Again, this is according to my Garmin watch...we will see what the heart monitor says once I get those results.

Thanks!

TripleB
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
Met with the cardiologist and he really didn't seem too worried about my bradycardia. Said the right side of my heart was a bit larger than normal but the pressure within it looked great. There was a slight amount of leakage but nothing too different from normal. Said he saw some PVCs (I was thinking piping at first) that would cause the feeling of palpitations but they were benign because they occurred after exercise and not during exercise. Said he could give me beta-blockers for that but they would lower my heart rate even more...which wouldn't be good.

He was planning on just having another echocardiogram in a year but my heart monitor showed Ventricular tachycardia (non-sustained) so I'm going to have another stress test in a couple weeks just to make sure my heartrate increases as it should.

Said that based on what he saw on my echo and a stress test I had around the same time, he felt I had a blood clot in my lungs about a year and a half ago (about 6 months before the one appeared in my leg).

So everything sounded a lot better than I expected...we will just see what the stress test shows in a couple weeks.

Thanks for all the input.

TripleB
 

TripleB

Hall of Fame
Had my regular stress test today...heart rate started at 45 and made it up to 152.

About two minutes into it there was a feeling like one giant heart beat above my heart...the lady who was having me go through the stress test asked if I felt anything and I told her what I felt and she marked what I felt on the EKG she printed out. Everything else with the stress test seemed normal to me.

I got a call back from the nurse for the doctor who ordered the stress test saying that in looking at my stress test today, compared to my stress test from January of 2019, my heart had changed (she didn't say how it had changed). During that time frame I've had a herniated disc, a Deep Vein Thrombosis bloodclot for at least 8 months, and had been on blood thinners for 8 months.

He must have seen enough of a change (or a problem) that he has now ordered a nuclear stress test to take a closer look at my heart.

It's got me a bit worried because my father and grandfather both died of a heart attack (74yo/66yo) and my mom had to have one of her valves replaced with a pig valve.

Thanks for everyone's help, thoughts, and advice.

TripleB
 
Yeah, bradycardia is serious. Esp. with what you described about the stress test and your family history. Please be careful and take care of yourself.
 
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