Even though it's been since May 2010 - I still am learning about all of this stuff, but as I've shared, I'm on Metoprolol ER and even though I've been on it religiously there have been several times when I went to get my BP checked and it was way high,..... I was not in AF but it was well over 140. It would gradually drop over the next hour.

;-)

I'm on Bystolic. Doctors always tell you to take 3 readings as 1 reading could be an anomaly, from exercise, going upstairs...

Don't rely on a BP machine shaky heart to tell you are in afib or not. You can be in afib without the symbol. I have a portable EKG and that is the ONLY way to know. I tried googling the BP Cuff Monitor Company (OMRON) to see if they go into detail about what the machine picks up but could find nothing.

I guess I was of the mistaken assumption that my BP wouldn't rise that high even with exercise when you're on beta blockers. My heart was skipping, so I walked into my bedroom and took my bp right away without sitting for a few minutes. I wasn't doing anything strenuous.. just cooking dinner.

I just completed three weeks on a heart monitor, and no afib was found.. so I don't think I'm in it. I get symptoms big-time when I'm in it.

I have the Omron wrist cuff. It's pretty accurate, I've tried it in two doctor's offices (comparing the pump up stethoscope with this one). They say the wrist isn't as accurate, but I once had the arm one, and I found it would pop off. I like the wrist version.

My version does tell you if your heart is beating irregularly while you're measuring your BP. It gave me that "shakey heart' icon the evening I was in afib.

I have an Omron BP monitor. My BP does pop up now and then. My Doc said it was normal could be stress, caffine, exercise.
So I averaged it out over a week, I can do that on my monitor,
and it was 108/50 for the week. I felt better.

Dee

OK, thanks guys. Good to know it's normal and nothing to be concerned about. But that seemed to be a little high to me.

I have the arm cuff OMRON too. What I am saying is that it will show you if you have an irregular heartbeat like AFIB, but I have had many times I was in afib that it DIDN'T show on that machine but DID show on the OMRON portable EKG. So don't count on it. You could be having silent afib.

Petey is right, the cuff does not always catch afib. I went on a 24 hour monitor ,then a 2 week montor and I do have afib.

When I was on a beta blocker, ER and regular it may my HR and BP too low. So I do not take them, but that is just me. I take one Dilitizem ER and that works. But it took a lot of experimenting to find just the right drug for me.

Dee

I'm a little confused. Don't skipped beats indicate afib? If you're in afib and use the cuff, it would detect the skipped beats and show the shaky heart.. wouldn't it? It did when I had my "mother of all afib attacks" last month. Maybe I'm not understanding this....

Unlike some afibbers, I seem to have BIG symptoms when I'm in afib. The doctor had me on a heart monitor for three weeks after starting Bystolic just to make sure, and it came out fine.. so unless I've just developed silent afib, I don't have it.

Again.. maybe I'm missing something and don't understand something about this monitor???

Skipped beats aren't the same thing as afib. My normal heartbeat has occasional skipped beats even when I'm not in afib.

Most of the time my bp cuff will pick up afib. But I have had a few times where it didn't pick it up on one reading and another reading a few minutes later would pick it up. You can also learn how to check your pulse. If you can feel it strong and steady then you are probably in NSR. If it gets stronger and then weaker and feels like it's skipping some beats it's probably afib.

I've also had occasional times where my BP would go up even when I was taking BP meds. Usually this happened when I'm dehydrated, or have eaten a lot of salty food, or not gotten enough sleep, or when I'm more stressed than usual. As long as it doesn't constantly stay high it's nothing to worry about.

Most of the time I don't get the shaky heart symbol. Every time my ECG says AFIB.

I think I read the cuff monitor (OMRON) uses some kind of algorithm to determine irregular heartbeats and if it is irregular (but within certain numbers),it doesn't show up.

I noticed if I get the shaky heart symbol, all I have to do is take some deep breaths and it goes away. Usually my heart rate is lower with the shaky heart.

From the OMRON instruction manual:

IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT SYMBOL ( )
When the monitor detects an irregular rhythm two or more times during
the measurement, the Irregular Heartbeat Symbol ( ) will appear on the
display with the measurement values.
An irregular heartbeat rhythm is defined as a
rhythm that is more than 25% slower or 25%
faster from the average rhythm detected while
the monitor is measuring the systolic blood
pressure and the diastolic blood pressure.
If the irregular heartbeat symbol ( )
displays with your measurement results, we
recommend you consult your physician.
Follow the directions of your doctor.

Here is a question answered by a doctor:

Heart & Cardiology/Irregular Heartbeat Symbol on Omron Blood Pressure Monitor
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Expert: David Richardson - 7/28/2008


Question
I recently on a few occasions have had the irregular heartbeat symbol show up on my blood pressure monitor. According to the mfg.'s booklet it states "an irregular heartbeat is defined as a rhythm that is more than 25% slower or 25% faster from the average rhythm."
So my question is, I noticed a few weeks ago when taking my pulse that my hearbeat went beat, beat, beat, skip, beat, beat, etc. at times. I actually hardly feel it except when I have my finger on my pulse..because then I look for the feeling. Anyway, is the missing beat causing the irregular heartbeat symbol to show itself, or does the manufacturer mean the irregular heartbeat is brought on by slower or faster rhythm. I hope you can understand my question. Thank you in anticipation of your knowlegable answer.

Answer
Dear Marge,

Probably your monitor detected the skip as 25% lower than the average rhythm, since the monitor would see the skip as a long pause in the rhythm.

Skipped beats are normal cardiac activity, normal in the senses that (1) about half of us have skipped beats, that (2) skips are easy to understand as normal cardiac activity from knowledge of the heart's electrical system, and (3) skipped beats don't mean you have heart disease or will in the future develop heart disease or any catastrophe.

Please write back if this note doesn't really answer all your questions.

David Richardson