High Heart Rate

[jax3172]

Hi all. It's been a couple of weeks. I hope you're all doing well.

I am still frustrated by a high heart rate. I know we can have tachy for a while after surgery (AVR on 7/21/05) but mine was fine up until 12/20 or so. Then it seems it jumped about 20 points. Resting is anywhere from 75 to 95 but this is clearly 20 bpm higher than it was in Nov and early Dec. It's been diagnosed as IST (inappropriate sinus tachycardia). Also, just getting out of bed to take the dog out makes it go up about 25 or 30 bpm, so I'm much less tolerent of exercise than I was in December. :-( I'm now gonna try an EP to try to figure out the source of the IST. They are suggesting beta blockers and/or ablation as a possible solution after seeing the EP.

Have any of you experienced this? Or can you suggest a course of action? Have any of you taken Magnesium to lower your heart rate - if so, how did it go? Again, my HR was fine post-op (normal for a good while) and then high. I understand that adrenelene and/or chatacholamine response and/or thyroid can cause this and I am getting tested. Any thoughts? I want my body back!!!!! Ugh.

 

[Karlynn]

It sounds like something is causing your heart rate to be faster. I read your profile and see that you have been put on Synthroid since surgery because of hypothyroidism. I did a quick check on "synthroid's affect on heart rate" on Google and did see enough to make me think that there's a bit of a chance that maybe the synthroid, or the amount of synthroid might be a place to look.

When did you start the synthroid and how does it correlate to when you began having faster HRs?

I'm not saying it's a definate answer, but certainly something to explore.

 

[jax3172]

No synthroid

No synthroid

Karlynn,

Thank you for the reply. You are correct about Synthroid. It can send you back to hyperthyroid. Too much T3 to heart tissue can make the puppy race fast. I stopped taking Synthroid well over a month ago. As a matter of fact, I stopped taking everything except my 1 aspirin a day. I was just wondering if others had overcome Tachycardia post-op. And if so, what were the causes and courses of treatment. There's a zillion reasons why someone can have it. Mine isn't all that bad but it makes me feel totally flat (on bad days). Again, my frustration is that I was rehabing great and went down hill about a month ago. I was just trying to gather some data from my friends at VR.com.

Jack

 

[liza]

It's been about nine months since my OHS and I'm STILL on beta blockers to slow my heart rate. They weren't sure why I'm still tachycardic but thought it was a good idea for me to stay on the beta blocker. My next check-up isn't until May, so we'll see then. I haven't really been off of them since my surgery. It's frustrating, but I'll just follow their advice. I've been working out at the gym and feeling fine though.

Has it really been nine months? Where has the time gone????

Liza

 

[Karlynn]

I guess I should have mentioned that I'm on metoprolol to keep my heart rate down and have been since right after my surgery - 14 years ago.

 

[jax3172]

this is interesting

this is interesting

You know, we ought to start a thread on heart rate post-op.

Liza and Karlynn, were your BPM rates up immediately post-op or did they rise a bit later? Mine was OK post-op but went up 4 or 5 months later. If anyone else wants to chime in, what was your rate before surgery vs now, and are you on meds for the heart rate?

Thankx all.

 

[Mary]

Before surgery, my heartrate ran in the mid70's. After surgery, I struggled with a rate of 110-115. The cardiologist decided to see if it would stabilize on its own. It has taken some time, but seven months out it's back in the mid to high 70's, and I expect it to drop more as I lose weight and continue with the aerobic activity.

 

[maka]

what is normal?

what is normal?

Please forgive my ignorant question, but what would be considered a "normal" heart rate? I'd never known what I should be looking for

 

[carista]

My heart rate has been high (for me) also after surgery. My resting heart rate was in the 60's before surgery, right after it was too high - high 90's, low 100's so I was put on a beta blocker. While on the beta blocker my heart rate was too low - in the low 50's - and since being off the beta blocker my resting heart rate has been in the 80's and seems to spike so easily. I'm only two months post op though, so I hope it will get better with time.

Carista

 

[sue943]

I am seven and a half months post op. I just went upstairs to take my HR (13 stairs) and it was 111. Pre-surgery it was about 100 resting and post surgery it isn't a whole lot better, certainly more than 80. When I am walking at 3 kilometers an hour, so fairly slowly, my HR goes to 120, it does the same when I am on an exercise cycle pedalling at 60 revolutions a minute.

 

[BillCobit]

My resting HR has been about 20 BPM higher ever since my surgery 4 years ago. It used to be in the high 50's, now in the high 70's, despite a high volume of cardio exercise. Blood pressue is good, sinus rhythm is normal - so my doc just ignores it. I do find that I hit uncomfortably high heart rates at moderate pace of exercise, even though I'm not breathing that heavily.

I have always been curious about this, and suspect that my HR limits my performance. I'll be interested to read other posts on this topic.

 

[sue943]

I checked my HR in bed this morning, so resting, and it was 95.

 

[jax3172]

Exercise

Exercise

It seems many of you are "idling fast" post-op as i am. As I write this, I'm in the low 90's. Eight months ago I (pre-op) I would have been in the low 60's. I find it interesting that our friends in cardiology aren't right on top of this.

One interseting point that one of you made was that light/moderate exercise will make it go up more than it should. I find this to be true also. Getting out of bed, walking DOWN the steps and to the side door to let the dog out in the morning will send me up at least 30 bpms. This would not have been the case 2 weeks pre-op! I have even been checked out by a pulmonologist, and had an additional echo: a few minor glithches but nothing that really jumps out at you. I often feel that I'm just not getting enough breath, but not out of breath. At these times, my pulse is up. When I feel like I'm breathing fine, my pulse isn't as high. My puls seems to be higher in the AM than the PM. Any similar experiences?

Keep the thread going - this is helpful. Anybody actually had these problems and overcome them??? If so, how?

Thankx!
Jack

 

[Georgia]

Jax, high hr is really common after ohs; what I don't understand about your issue is that your hr was ok for a couple months after surgery.

Mine was high for a year. Had to stay on high (100 mg 2X/day Toprol XL) doses of meds. Finally, after a year, it started to come down; at 2 years out it was 66 at rest in the a.m. at cardiologists. It still goes high at the end of the day (opposite of you); usually about 85 when I go to cardiac rehab at 4:30.

Now, about the exercise issues: my cardio and exercise physiologist say that the replaced valve doesn't work quite as well as a natural valve - it takes a while to "catch up" to exercise demands. Therefore, first thing in the morning, I never could make it up the stairs at work; and I'd get that catch in my breath when I started walking, or whatever. However, after I've gotten going I can be the Everready Bunny, with no sob whatever (Note: I am NOT a runner or marathoner; I just could walk and walk).

 

[jax3172]

exercise

exercise

Georgia,

I also seem to react to mild exercise with exhaustion in the AM. It seems better in the PM. But like you, I seem to be able to go go go on the treadmill, once I get going. Your post was the first time I heard that the new valve doesn't "catch up" to stress (exercise) as quickly as the real valve. Has anyone else been told that by a health professional? If it's true, I'm surprised my surgeon didn't tell me what to expect.

Jack

 

[Marty]

Jack, My resting heart rate after surgery was 100 to 110. My cardiologist was mystified and didn't like it. He stopped my beta blockers, digitalis,etc. and just left me on warfarin.He prescribed treadmill 4 times a week-45 minutes. He said at least 20 minutes of the work out the heart rate should be over 120( I was 72 at the time). I did this religiously, monitoring the heart rate with a Polar Pacer while walking. After a few weeks the resting heart rate slowly came down and now its usually in the 60's prior to the workout. I get the rate up to 120 now only with difficulty but still do 45 minutes at 4.3 mph. Can't jog anymore.

 

[Mary]

Jack, My resting heart rate after surgery was 100 to 110. My cardiologist was mystified and didn't like it. He stopped my beta blockers, digitalis,etc. and just left me on warfarin.He prescribed treadmill 4 times a week-45 minutes. He said at least 20 minutes of the work out the heart rate should be over 120( I was 72 at the time). I did this religiously, monitoring the heart rate with a Polar Pacer while walking. After a few weeks the resting heart rate slowly came down and now its usually in the 60's prior to the workout. I get the rate up to 120 now only with difficulty but still do 45 minutes at 4.3 mph. Can't jog anymore.

Marty,
I was hoping you would post your experience. I remembered that you posted this one time previously, and I took it to heart when I was having trouble getting my own back down after surgery. Using the treadmill, and monitoring my heartrate while on it, has definitely helped. However, if I was trying to go 4.3 mph, my rate would certainly be higher than 120. Maybe with time it will come down.

 

[DLH]

I recently did a post on this also. I am 2 1/2 months post op from mitral valve repair and found that my resting HR was about 20bpm faster than prior to surgery (my bp is lower). I am not taking any meds and have been riding my bike for rehab. I have found that even though my resting HR is higher it seems to take more exertion than before surgery to raise it during exercise. Prior to surgery when riding my bike my HR would be 155-165, now with around the same intensity it is 140-150. These rates were after a 5-10 min. warm-up to bring the rate up gradually and then I would maintain for 30-35 min. and cool down for 5-10 mins. on the indoor trainer. I would say that I did not have any more exercise intolerance than should be expected after OH surgery and I am now riding every other day on the trainer or outside if warm enough. All of this has been approved by my cardiologist who gave me the green light to do just about any activity that I want to do. I will have my 6 mo echo in May to make sure there are no leaks since everything sounds fine through the stethascope.

 

[jax3172]

I like Marty's Story

I like Marty's Story

Thank you all for the input.

I guess I will continue to exercise in hopes that the HR comes down. I find it interesting that Marty's doctor was "mystified" that his HR was up. I think the cardios should understand this if it's something that happens to most patients. It seems to me that most of us are higher and jump up w/ little exertion. But from what I hear from many of you, it gets better over time. The thing I still want to figure out is why I feel like I'm just not getting enough air sometimes, and why I get tired going up (or even down) a few steps after being at rest. And yet, I can do the treadmill with ease. Yep, I'll exercise till this gets better or I drop over (then whatever it is should be obvious).

 

[Mary]

Thank you all for the input.

I guess I will continue to exercise in hopes that the HR comes down. I find it interesting that Marty's doctor was "mystified" that his HR was up. I think the cardios should understand this if it's something that happens to most patients. It seems to me that most of us are higher and jump up w/ little exertion. But from what I hear from many of you, it gets better over time. The thing I still want to figure out is why I feel like I'm just not getting enough air sometimes, and why I get tired going up (or even down) a few steps after being at rest. And yet, I can do the treadmill with ease. Yep, I'll exercise till this gets better or I drop over (then whatever it is should be obvious).

Burair (Papahappystar) answered this same question for me a few weeks ago. Here's what he posted:

The difference between climbing stairs and walking ( even quite briskly ) is the difference in power output ( energy used in equivalent time intervals ) -- both sliding friction and the gravitational force ( weight ) increase proportionally with mass but the constant of proportionality is ( say ) about an order of magnitude ( factor of 10 ) different so you would have to walk around 10 times faster than you climb in order to expend the same amount of energy in equal time.

If you climb 3 meters in 10 seconds by stair you would be going at 3 meters every second walking ~ 10 km every hr ( 10 min for each mile ) which is a trot.

It makes good sense to me; but it took a physicist to come up with it!
Hope this helps.
Mary