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Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: 1 hour ago | Replies (1052)Comment receiving replies
Greetings all,
Thank you for this group!
I have a family history of atrial fibrillation, mother, father, 2 brothers, and a sister (that's all I know of). I had a cryoablation about 3 years ago and that controlled my a-fib for almost 2 years. When it popped up again, my cardiologists determined that it was because of a leaking mitral valve getting worse, which they have been monitoring for around 5 years. Last April I had a minimally invasive mitral valve repair (they went in between the ribs instead of a sternotomy, put in an annuloplasty ring to tighten the valve and added a couple chordae - it's amazing what they can do these days!). Surgery was successful. I have recently noticed, or think I notice occasional irregular heart beats - not a-fib - and recently am experiencing what I would call bradycardia, with a heart rate around 40 when I am lying down in bed. Wondering if it is something I should be concerned about.
Replies to "Greetings all, Thank you for this group! I have a family history of atrial fibrillation, mother,..."
I consistently have a HR when sleeping/lying down of 40 bmp, and occasionally, even 30 bpm. I have PVCs and have had SVCs, as well. I'm on Flecainide to help with the arrhythmia. My EC said that it's probably normal for my resting heart rate to drop and wasn't very concerned. I dunno. Have been hospitalized twice for my HR when it was 220. My usual resting HR is around 62. Feel confused as well.
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In a heart that is working nominally, properly, a low heart rate is generally...not absolutely, but generally...nothing to be alarmed about. Many of us have low HR when resting, especially when asleep (but not when in REM sleep where our bodies can twitch, rapid eye movement, and we can moan or groan or utter unintelligible words and our heart rates can rise into the low 100's). If you are on a beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker, and your heart rate is under 50 much of the time, it might be an indication that your prescription needs a rethink, or at least a gander by the prescribing authority to confirm that the dose is correct. Things change, a heart becomes more efficient, gets better, less irritated, and then the current dose of BB can be too much. But, apart from keeping a record of daily/waking HR and BP, and looking for a trend toward lower numbers, I wouldn't worry for a second if my HR were at or above 40, and I felt good.
NB- Do be a bit more careful rising out of chairs and from the table, getting out of the vehicle, and arising from a prone/supine position getting out of bed. Take extra care to breath deeply two/three times, scootch your bum left and right, get some blood pressure up, and then slowly rise. Have a bail-out plan if you find yourself seeing spots and feeling lightheaded; be prepared to fall backwards, trying to keep your butt low to improve the distance you must fall if fall you must. Try also to keep your chin tucked toward your chest in case you fall back and slam a bit. Don't want a brain concussion as well as a sore butt/back.
Congratulations on a successful mitral valve repair. I think your heart is feeling improved and happier, and it needs to pump less forcefully. Assuming you aren't on any medication that might slow the heart or reduce its stroke volume, which beta-blockers will do, just keep an eye and if it gets worse, call a cardiologist right away.