Metropolol

[Jimmyk]

Ok, Metropolol was discontinued during my last hospital stay, along with Lisinopril.
After going cold turkey on the 2 meds, my vitals were at the normal range for about 15 or 16 days.
Keep in mind, I was lying in bed the whole time there.
Since being discharged from the hospital, I first noticed my heart beating a little fast after carrying in a couple of bags of groceries from the car.
After that incident, I was told to start taking half the dose that I was taking.
Today, I went on a mile walk, and according to my Fitbit tracker, my BPM was up to 164 briefly.
Being 53 years old, that is about my max.
I just got off the phone with the cardiologist office and was told to go back to the dose I was on before going into the hospital.
This medication, makes me sit in the chair or sleep all day. Is it possible to get back to a cardio workout that’s not going to cause a heart attack?
Maybe the fitness tracker is off?
53 is too young to retire, I’d become a 53 year old homeless retired man.

 

[Zoltania]

Fitbits are known to be inaccurate at heart rate tracking. I have a Charge 2 and formerly had a Charge HR, and neither of them seemed very accurate, especially at higher heart rates. For real heart rate tracking during exercise, I think a monitor with a chest strap is recommended. I wouldn't read too much into one high reading on a Fitbit.

 

[honeybunny]

Another duplicate

 

[honeybunny]

Duplicate post

 

[epstns]

Jimmy - I'll echo the other comments that all of the heart rate trackers are suspect. The ones with the chest-strap sensors are the best. . . unless you have a pacemaker. Then all bets are off. Pacemakers mess with all of them.

Whenever I complain about my heart rate to my electrophysiologist (pacemaker doc), she just reminds me that the only really accurate way to measure your heart rate is to feel it at one of the arterial check points (wrist, neck, etc.) just as the docs and nurses do.

My E-P also tells me "If it feels good, do it." So I don't really worry about my heart rate any more, as long as I can do the things I want and feel OK doing them and after.

 

[Paleowoman]

I have a Polar HR monitor with chest strap which is very accurate. Beams my HR real time to my iphone and also uploads to a secure website where it shows the route I walked, or the exercise regime I have done, along with my HR so that I can see exactly what might have made my HR go up or down. The only time the chest strap can give an inaccurate reading is if it picks up electrical interference from some nearby equipment (never done that with me) or picks up static from clothing when the weather is dry (makes the HR reading shoot up very high briefly - to prevent that I put a bit of ultrasound gel on the electrodes).

 

[epstns]

Agreed, Anne. I used to have a Polar chest-strap monitor, and it was quite accurate. Then I got a new pacemaker, and none of my monitors work dependably with it. It probably is more due to the fact that I also had a lead revision along with the new device, and maybe my new lead is just in a spot where the signal doesn't get outside the heart that well.

I have tried using the monitors that "see" blood flow through the skin, and found them to be unpredictable. I tried the Mio Alpha a couple of years ago and later a Fitbit. Had the same problem with both - readings would come and go, while I KNEW that my heart hadn't stopped!

I can't even get a valid reading from the handgrip monitors built into the gym equipment.

I just gave up trying.