Heart Rate
marchant
Posts: 362
Please excuse this if this may be better suited to another part of the forum, but I've been chewing this over for a while. I've been to see my GP, because I've been having dizzy spells and infrequent near blackouts for a while and my resting heart rate can be as low as 40bpm and often no higher than 60bpm even when walking around. On finding out that I cycle, he basically stopped and went that'll be it, but I don't consider myself fit enough to warrant a heart rate that low - I'm 6ft tall, weigh 15.5 stone and ride about 3 miles a day to/from work. Is this a reasonable heart rate? I will be seeing someone at the practice for blood test/ECG results
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I think you're right to be worried. To put it into context, I race twice a week, commute 45 miles/day, most of which are hard training sessions, run a bit and do a bit of mountain biking. My resting HR is 39/40 and is generallyabout 60 when I'm walking around. I'm 170 and 70kg, so there's nothing of me. The Cat 2 guys in my club have 15 years on me and they don't have a resting heart rate any lower. That's not to say yours can't be that low, physiological differences will always account for differences between individuals, but coupled with dizzy spells and near blackouts..........I'd give your GP a rocket and get some proper tests done.pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................
Revised FCN - 20 -
A low RHR isn't neccesarily a sign of a problem, especially in someone who excercises, many people have low RHR, even those that aren't fit, my missus RHR is about 45, and she does very little excercise.
Dizzy spells, and near blackouts could be a ton of different things, inner ear infection, low BP, vertigo, labrythitis, and a ton more things.
A normal RHR?, anywhere from 30-100, depending on genetics and fitness I guess.
What did your GP attribute your dizzy spells to?, did he give you any pills?, I had some for my vertigo.
You want to be carefull, as my GP told me not to drive / cycle while I was having my spells.0 -
If you can't get your hr up from whatever your resting hr is, so as to service your body's oxygen demands then, yes, you have a problem.
Low hr isn't necessarily a problem, high hr isn't necessarily a problem, but a non-responsive or erratic hr could be a problem.
All you can do is continue to consult your doctor. Or another one, if you think he's a bit of a numpty for attributing an olympic athlete's resting hr to the cycling activity of a bloke who cycles to work (as opposed, say, to genetic predisposition).
Remember, doctors don't have to be excessively clever, just excessively systematic, with excessively good memories.0 -
I'm 170 and 70kg
170!!!!! I knew cycling helped you live long but this must be some kind of record!! :shock:0 -
marchant wrote:I've been having dizzy spells and infrequent near blackouts for a while
Would these be (generally) when you get up from a seated or prone position? Suddenly you feel dizzy, the edges of your vision close in, and you feel like you might faint? But then things sort themselves out and you're good to go? All in the space of 10 seconds or less?
If so, I say it's more likely that you have low blood pressure, and that that's the cause of the dizziness. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have it, and it's only put me down twice (on on a treadmill and once on a plane. Neither was ideal, nor the end of the world). Google low blood pressure and you'll get tons of info.
If not, I haven't a fecking clue, and suggest you deport yourself pronto to someone who might just know what they're talking about.0 -
robz400 wrote:I'm 170 and 70kg
170!!!!! I knew cycling helped you live long but this must be some kind of record!! :shock:
lol height dear boy, height. Mind you there's some may say I don't look far off that
pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................
Revised FCN - 20 -
Well, I've just got home after a nice rest on my local Cardiology ward; it turns out I can't walk around with a heart rate of 40bpm without feeling and looking dreadful and that my heart rate dips as low as 30bpm when I'm asleep. The Cardiologists seem a bit at a loss to explain why, virtually every test is normal and my rhythm is generally a normal one just slower. I have a portable monitor on, to record a better picture of what's going on, but it's not impossible that a pacemaker may be in my near future; they are understandably reluctant to put one in without excluding other reasonable causes first.0
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bloody hell. at least it sounds like the cardiologists are at least taking it seriously now..
it can be frustrating how flippant GPs can be. I don't think they've ever actually finished listening to what I was telling them about what was wrong with me before they began filling out a prescription for some generic wide-spectrum medicine that may/may not help with my problem.
here's hoping they'll be able to fix you up without need for a pacemaker.Hat + Beard0 -
marchant wrote:Well, I've just got home after a nice rest on my local Cardiology ward; it turns out I can't walk around with a heart rate of 40bpm without feeling and looking dreadful and that my heart rate dips as low as 30bpm when I'm asleep. The Cardiologists seem a bit at a loss to explain why, virtually every test is normal and my rhythm is generally a normal one just slower. I have a portable monitor on, to record a better picture of what's going on, but it's not impossible that a pacemaker may be in my near future; they are understandably reluctant to put one in without excluding other reasonable causes first.
Like Greg66, my first thought was hypotension/low blood pressure. What kind of BP levels were you getting.
(I actually have hypertension but suffered a little with hypotension because of over-medication.)0 -
Around 120/80 seems around my usual, regardless of whether I'm standing/laying down0
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marchant wrote:Around 120/80 seems around my usual, regardless of whether I'm standing/laying down
Well, I guess that rules low blood pressure out!0 -
Right, just got home from seeing the consultant; pacemaker for me then. Still, if it cures the problem I'll be more than happy.0
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sorry to hear it fella, here's hoping it fixes you up properly though.Hat + Beard0
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Off for my pacemaker today, see you all later, probably feeling sore but otherwise better. Hate being "nil by mouth", I'll have a headache from lack of caffeine before long.0
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For what it's worth, good luck for the op & hope it all goes smoothly with a quick recovery.
Chapeau on the no bleating, positive atitude by the way!None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
Yeah, good luck!
If it's any consolation, a friend of mine was fitted with one a couple of years ago for an erratic heartbeat (or whatever the correct term is) - he had dizzy spells and other symptoms, and had lost jobs because of it (he's a builder). Pacemaker at 23 was pretty scary, but it's fixed him right up - he's like a new man.0 -
All the best fella and as LiT says - new lease of life with no dizzy spells etc!Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]0 -
Well, pacemaker done now - thanks for the messages of support, overall the procedure wasn't too bad, just very sore Wednesday/Thursday. Didn't realise how crappy I felt before, the pacemaker seems to have made a heck of a difference. Next stop- suture out Wednesday
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