slow heart rate "panic"
Diamant49
Posts: 101
Went into hospital this morning for surgery to remove metal plate from elbow (required following an over the bars dive 12 months ago). Anyway, they rigged me up for an ECG and got a heart rate of 39 - next thing they are talking about cancelling the operation, cardiology and ectopic irregularities..... :shock:
Now, I have been running, cycling, playing squash etc for nearly 40 years and my heart rate has always been in the 30-40s at rest - but "ectopic irregularities" and "being stuffed" did cause some concern. After I was left alone for a while I realised that "they" constituted an ECG technician and a nurse and a quick google search suggested that ectopic irregularities were skipped heart beats and not necessarily a problem.
When the consultant arrived an hour later they got a mild b*ll*cking - along the lines of there's no irregular heartbeat and I wouldn't mind a heart rate like that if I was cycling 150 miles per week - and nothing has changed from an ECG done in 2003 :roll:
Sitting at home now wondering what is the best use for the box of Tramadol provided - ease mild discomfort in operated arm or use it (strictly for "scientific" purposes) to see if it can assist me in obtaining some Strava PRs :twisted:
Now, I have been running, cycling, playing squash etc for nearly 40 years and my heart rate has always been in the 30-40s at rest - but "ectopic irregularities" and "being stuffed" did cause some concern. After I was left alone for a while I realised that "they" constituted an ECG technician and a nurse and a quick google search suggested that ectopic irregularities were skipped heart beats and not necessarily a problem.
When the consultant arrived an hour later they got a mild b*ll*cking - along the lines of there's no irregular heartbeat and I wouldn't mind a heart rate like that if I was cycling 150 miles per week - and nothing has changed from an ECG done in 2003 :roll:
Sitting at home now wondering what is the best use for the box of Tramadol provided - ease mild discomfort in operated arm or use it (strictly for "scientific" purposes) to see if it can assist me in obtaining some Strava PRs :twisted:
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I was involved in an incident a couple of weeks ago where an ambulance was called, they thought I had taken a heart attack as my HR was 44bpm, hooked up to ECG and decided to take me to hospital where I went through a full angiogram, CT scan and another ECG, everything came back clear. They then they decided that because I cycle so much it was a 'normal' HR.
As for the tramadol...I was then released from the hospital and had to call my GP for a home visit a couple of days later, he prescribed Dihydrocodeine and Diazepam and I managed to take them for 3 days before deciding I would rather suffer the pain. I revisited my GP and told him the meds were not good so he prescribed Tramadol and when looking into them they are just the same as Diazapem, so at this point in time they are still sitting untouched in the box...
Hope you are feeling better soon0 -
Yep, had that experience.Pre-op checks when having ACL replacement a couple of years ago. Resting heart-rate was in the low 50's, so nurse went into a panic (literally!) and called consultant. Fortunately he was a cyclist too, so we had a good old laugh about it, at the nurse's expense!!!Raymondo
"Let's just all be really careful out there folks!"0 -
Take the Tramadol down to the nearest school and sell it to the kids
"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
Diazepam is not the same as Tramadol. Dihydrocodeine and Tramadol are very similar though.
The best use of a low resting heart rate is to get quick attention. Apparently nurses/doctors respond to alarms regarding a low HR much quicker than most other ways of attracting their notice.0 -
This is quite common - RHR is about 50 now, but was in the 30s at one point. And I too get ectopic beats. Doctors aren't concerned though.
Really does depend on the individual, RHR varies wildly - most nurses I guess are trained to flag up less than 60.0 -
Same thing with me during a routine screening. Nurse hooked me up to the ECG went a bit pale and left the room to consult with the Doctor. When I saw the Doctor later I asked what the nurse had said. She replied, your resting heart rate is 47 nothing to worry about you're in decent shape, but the nurse thought you might have coronary heart disease.0
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supersonic wrote:
Really does depend on the individual, RHR varies wildly - most nurses I guess are trained to flag up less than 60.
I had a pre-op check and the nurse checking my pulse said 'You exercise a lot don't you?' that was phrased as it was a rhetorical question anyway. I just nodded as she was already moving on with the next check so I guess she'd seen it many times before.0 -
I only took up cycling a couple of years ago. I have to have a medical every year by the occy health person at work. Last year she recorded my RHR as 52 and said I might have to be suspended from my role while they investigated my "heart problem". A mate of mine was also referred to the force doctor as his RHR was 46. The doctor cleared us both in the end . I'll probably get the same this year as it's now 47 0
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verylonglegs wrote:supersonic wrote:
Really does depend on the individual, RHR varies wildly - most nurses I guess are trained to flag up less than 60.
I had a pre-op check and the nurse checking my pulse said 'You exercise a lot don't you?' that was phrased as it was a rhetorical question anyway. I just nodded as she was already moving on with the next check so I guess she'd seen it many times before.
Definitely think it is an area that needs more education. Bradycardia and heart block can be serious - to some. My blood pressure is fairly high though at 140/85/0 -
They must see a lot of people who just aren't very physically fit. I broke my shoulder a couple of months ago and got told by my consultant that they had noticed I had an enlarged heart on an X-ray I had, and it could be very serious. Every doctor I've ever seen who has taken my blood pressure or listened to my heart has said I have a problem. I haven't at all and I dread to think what they would say if I get hooked up to an ECG as my current RHR is 31.0
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I had a similar experience a year or so ago - had a mild sedation for a routine endoscopy - was woken with alarms going off and a whole load of staff peering at me looking worried as my low HR had set the alarm off on the monitoring kit. 0
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Similar here too. Having cycled in to the hospital to get my elbow checked after spill (yes, cracked radial head), the nurse gave me a quizzical look as she took my pulse. "Worried by the slow heartrate?" I said. When I told her how much I cycled, she stopped worrying. (She also realised that if she advised me to rest and not cycle for a few weeks that I was probably going to ignore her.)0
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Mine is down around 38-40. Doctor wasn't impressed that I told him this after he prescribed me beta blockers for an axiety problem I was having. Serves him right for not checking, sometimes tempted to see how low I could get it by upping the dose as I'm off them now but have loads of the little buggers left 0
