If you're not having problems, I think you're good to go. I'm not on beta-blockers, but my resting HR is mid-40's with no problems.

Thanks. Wow... that's really low... like as in a professional athlete!

Island Luvr: Bystolic... same as you... same HR and BP and it varies. Feel fine. petey

Hello IslandLuvr,
I agree with marengo. If you feel okay, then the low pulse and pressure probably is okay too. May be that is the way this drug works since "petey" is on the same drug and his BP and HR are the same as yours.

Here is something to consider:
If you have normal blood pressure and you are taking the rate control "only" for your afib, consider taking a rate control pill when your afib starts and NOT on regular basis. Of course, that is if you can feel your afib when it starts. Please discuss this with your doctor.

One of my 10 cardio that I saw when I had my afib episodes very badly, suggested this since I felt very fatigued if I took rate control pills every day. My blood pressure would drop to 96/55 and my pulse was around 55. The BP and HR were too low for me. So, she gave me a fast acting and low lasting beta blocker, which I would take on the onset of an afib. It has worked for me very well.

Almost every cardio put you on a beta blocker for afib regardless of your blood pressure. They behave like a programmed robot without considering how the patient feels. The problem is (at least in my case), taking beta blocker every day did NOT work. I still would get very bad afib episode unless I took another beta blocker when the afib would start. Then, my blood pressure even would go lower and I felt like fainting two to 3 hours later (not because of afib but low BP).

Finally, one smart cardio saved the day by telling me ONLY TAKE A BETA BLOCKER WHEN YOU HAVE AFIB since I had normal BP. This was the pill-in-the -pocket concept. However, the pill must be a fast acting and low lasting beta blocker like Propranolol (NOT hardcore afib drugs like Flacainide or Statolol). Here is more info on Propranolol:

http://www.medicinenet.com/propranolol/article.htm

Please read the very last line of the article.

I am not sure if the above applies to you but something to consider if it does.

Take care,
Scott

I agree that if you feel ok its not a problem. Low blood pressure/heart rate doesn't always cause dizziness...sometimes you just feel very fatigued. If that is the case I think you should let your Dr know and maybe some adjustment in meds can be made.

Good post Scott. I have an interesting situation. I am always in afib, so I always take Bystolic for HR. My bp was never high, so bp ranges from a high of 110-70 to 90-60 and sometimes a little lower. EP said that BP is fine as long as I am not weak or dizzy. I'm not. I do think it makes you a little tired. My heart rate is generally between 60-80, but has been higher or lower. Here is a really interesting thing: Sometimes when I go on the treadmill, my heart rate drops after 15 minutes to 68-78 after being over 100. petey

I have high BP. Bystolic has worked great getting it down. It doesn't prevent afib for me unfortunately. I've been in afib for the past two days. It does keep me out of tachycardia though.

I hate this afib... It feels like a case of the hiccups that won't go away. And it's keeping me from my lap swimming. I was up to 50 laps last week. Yesterday, I barely eeked out 14. Today, I didn't even feel up to swimming, and that's my favorite thing to do.. And the summer here in the north east is short.

Islandluver: Ironic. Most of the world doesn'y want to exercise and doesn't have afib. You want to exercise and the afib inhibits it. petey

Hello all,

I have been on sotalol since late April. In the hospital, the nurses were concerned about my HR dropping below 50 and they skipped doses of the sotalol. They got in trouble with the EP. By the time I came home on 120 2x's a day, my resting HR was in the 40's all the time. My regular cardio was concerned but EP said it was fine as long as I felt fine and I do. But I have seen my rate drop to 36 when I am awake! That was pretty scary! But it seems that they are ok with rates in the 40's.

Here's a good question... Has anyone seen their resting HR inch back up after being on these meds for a few months? I am noticing a slight change in resting HR for the last couple of weeks, between 50-55. I'm not complaining because I feel like that's a good thing. But it seems a little weird. In the back of my mind it makes me wonder if the drug is slowly becoming less effective.

I am due for ablation on Aug. 14 but am having second thoughts because aFib seems to finally be under control. My husband wants me to have it done anyway but I'm not so sure. It is very easy for other people to say that I should go have a heart procedure but not so easy for me....

Hope I helped!

Kelly

Island, I am so sorry to hear of your afib reaccurance!

For the first 6 mos. I walked for about an hr. When my monthly afib would hit, I could only walk 15 mins. for a week or more. Then for the next 20+ days, I would work up to an hr. until afib and I would go back to barely having energy to walk. I've had afib a Yr. and when it comes now, I take only a day or 2 to get my energy back.

When first diagnosed I took Toperol every day and felt so lethargic. After 4 mos. of telling my Cardio dr. how miserable I felt..he told me to drink caffeine..and I needed a pace maker. My pulse was low to mid 50's. I got a new Dr.& stopped the daily Toperol. I now take it as pill- in-pocket. My pulse is now low 60's. This works for me. I take Lisinopril for HBP. Had my yearly checkup and dr. said, if I am happy, he is. My length of afib has increased over the yr. but not intensity..it is uncomfortfortable for me, but bareable.

Gosh, I'm really sorry that your afib's back. I presume the 50 laps is a daily thing, and that's a lot of laps, so may I ask, are you on a team or something; competition? You have to be in top notch shape.

Marengo, I'm an ex-athlete... very serious ex-athlete.. but not in swimming. I had a series of injuries... blew both my knees out... and had to retire from competition.

As the years went by, I gained some weight and then developed high blood pressure. I was stubborn and refused to go on medication.

Swimming is my attempt to try to get back in shape since I can no longer do my primary sport due to two completely torn acls in my knees.

Last year, I was up to 100 laps, (it's seasonal swimming.. because I live up north). I joined a masters swim team last fall... and had a cardiac event in the water (edema in my lungs, physical distress, shortness of breath and chest pain). I thought I was developing asthma, I had no idea this was cardiac. Anyway.. it was my first hint something was wrong. A pulminologist sent me to a cardiologist.. I had a stress test, and all that showed up was high blood pressure.

Then, last February, after a day of my heart skipping around, I was just lying in bed, and my heart rate went up, and up, and up, and up, and up. I've had tachycardia in the past, but it always went back down quickly. This time, it didn't... so I called 911. My heart rate was up to 190 bpm, and my bp was 190 over 110. My rate went up to 200 in the ambulance, but I self-converted on the way to the hospital.

Anyway.. now I'm on bystolic, and still get short bouts of afib (or skipping heart-- not sure if it's afib or not.. I don't know the difference because the bystolic prevents my heart rate from elevating). Anybody know how to tell the difference????

As for the swimming, I'm way behind last year-- but I only had my first big afib attack in February, and just started beta blockers.

I looked through my training diaries from years ago, and noted many times when it said, " heart skipping." So apparently, this has been going on a very long time.. at least since college.. which was quite a while ago.

I did go to cardiologists through the years and was always poo-pooed. Told it was just PACs. (skipped beats) and not to worry.

I'm back in NSR now... did 55 laps yesterday.. so I'm OK again.. but for how long? I hate this.

Yoga, I'm much better today. Your positive energy must have calmed my heart down! Thanks for your kind thoughts.

Re: Bystolic

Bystolic is not prescribed to stop afib... only to slow the HR. Mine was prescribed to lower HR both when resting and exercising. Afibbers are generally exercise intolerant ... definition below...

"Exercise intolerance is a condition where the patient is unable to do physical exercise at the level or for the duration that would be expected of someone in his or her general physical condition, or experiences unusually severe post-exercise pain, fatigue, or other negative effects. Exercise intolerance is not a disease or syndrome in and of itself, but a symptom."

If the HR and BP go up too much and/or you are breathing harder than someone in your physical shape should be, you are exercise intolerant. I think I am afib intolerant. IslandLuvr, we are alike. :-) petey