Resting heart rate of 42-48bpm

I am on beta blockers for Afib. My HR is steady during the day (mostly!) between 50-80, higher when I'm active and sometimes goes a bit lower. At night it can go down to low 30s while sleeping. No one in cardiology is one bit concerned, and I'm staying on that dose of BBlockers also. As others have said, fit people can have quite low resting rates too.

Easy for me to say, but try not to worry too much!

My resting heart rate sits between 38 and 42, and always causes concern when a HCP who doesn't know my history checks it, but it's because I'm very fit, so it's normal for me.

Is that the case for you?

I had beta blockers prescribed when I first had long covid as had awful head and neck pain and dizzy spacey feeling and was getting really anxious -they sent my resting rate down to about 46 from a usual 64 or so -and that was even at a very low dose - did make me feel kind of woozy and slightly feint, but did massively improve the head pain issue . I think they clearly have sent yours too low as well, you do have to reduce down off them I was told rather than cold turkey .

This is the difference between drs and emergency drs a gp panics and scares the crap out of you then you get infront of an emergency dr and they shrug and are like what. Your gp will either lower your propranolol or if it's working might just accept the lower hr if it's not causing symptoms. Im on bisoprolol for tachycardia but only on a small dose as it made my hr drop so much I don't think it was ever unsafe they just lowered my dose to keep me happy/shut me up

My pulse is always less than 50, and usually nearer 40.

Mine HR rests at 44-46 when I sleep, I'm post menopausal, I've been aware for a few years, my GP wasn't bothered. I'm no athlete. I mention it when I have any procedures in case anyone thinks it's new or a problem. I have a Smartwatch with a HR monitor and oxygen saturation measuring. Whenever I check, the O2 saturation is fine.

From my experience, the issue is when it drops significantly, suddenly. So, mine is usually around 60-65bpm. I was in hospital last year, and it suddenly dropped to 34bpm. I genuinely thought I was going to pass out/throw up, because of it. Had I not felt terrible (or been in hospital), I wouldn't have had any idea what my rate was.

Essentially, what I'm trying to say, is, unless you feel really unwell, I can't see that you will become markedly unwell from a lower BP overnight tonight. You've been checked for anything serious/urgent, and you're back home, cozy, and more relaxed. So, sounds like it's the best advice they've given you, to stay as calm and quiet as you can tonight, and call the GP first thing. They should be able to see the test results from the hospital, and review. They have continuity of your care, so hopefully should be able to look at the whole picture, and tweak anything that's needed.

Take care, and I do hope you can get some sleep and rest tonight. I understand that it's frightening. Look after yourself.

Have you had your bloods done? They could show up something which may be causing it?

Sounds like you’re fit . nothing to worry about. The Trop test is for injured heart muscle (heart attack) and I think they’re just belt and braces with you.

Cardiac patients with some insider knowledge

Mine sits around 50 usually. Medical people always say oh you must be fit …I’m really not! It’s normal for me.
Hope you get a good nights sleep op.
edited to add - just checked my watch, it says it’s been 39- 43 for the last hour while I’m sat/laid scrolling MN half watching the telly.

I am a trained medical professional and also on propranolol for anxiety/palpitations myself. Could be ‘just one of those things’. - for instance, if I took propranolol twice a day every day when I was stressed I would be fine. If stress has abated then twice a day would be too much. Propranolol work best for me as and when needed or else bradycardias and other little strange arrhythmias happen. I’m also on BP meds, well controlled. They’ll have done your bloods etc to make sure potassium etc isn’t deranged, trop (‘heart attack’ enzyme - although can be present if heart has been under significant stress, so not definitive). Could be accumulative effect? Less caffeine? Less smoking? Less stress? Less drinking (alcohol or any fluids for that matter)…? Yes even less eating. Why it would happen on one day of less eating rather than another is je ne sais quoi. The human body is weird and wonderful. Maybe your body has had a particularly sensitive day to the medication? So many options, so many plausible reasons. If it would me, i would probably go back to taking the meds when I needed them as opposed to 2x day as a first port of call, potentially stopping them completely and reassessing the need for them entirely. Follow the medical advice I guess. Rest assured a slow heart rate when you feel pretty fine is much less worrying than crushing chest pain and funny arrhythmias!!! Hope you get sorted soon!

It's probably been low for a while as you've been taking it for three months. It's quite possible lack of food or dehydration has made it worse (or at least made you feel worse). Ask the doctor what they recommend if you should stop taking it or maybe lower the dose. But don't panic, you're not suddenly going to drop dead in your sleep with a heart rate of 40ish. Take care of yourself and get your meds reviewed to make sure they are working well for you x

My heart rate is low too, as is my dads. We've both had thorough investigations for other reasons and there is nothing wrong with our tickers, it's just our normal.

It will be the beta blockers. My GP wanted to put me on them but can’t because my resting heart rate is already under 60.

Mines around 42-46. I told GP and they weren’t bothered . I’m certainly no athlete either !!
think it’s just how I am made

Propropanol significantly lowers your heart rate - how long have you been taking it (were you taking it at Christmas while you did the 24h test?) if it was 52-90 before propropanol I'm not surprised it's 40 something now.

my heart rate always rests below 50.

2 or 3 times a month my fitbit alarm goes off telling me its been under 40 for 10 mins. (normally as im going to bed) (this normally makes me jump and checking the app raises it again)

My DH thought that perhaps my fitbit is faulty but when taking my pulse confirms it really is around 40bpm. (I think the lowest my fitbit has registered is 38bpm)

I feel fine.

I mentioned this to my GP last time I was there and she told me, when it happened around bed time (which so far it always has), not to worry and i must be very fit.

I am absolutely not a fit olympic athelete but i swim 3 times a week (in the fast lane) and do a couple of exercise classes a week, and am an active person always of my feet during the day. I eat very well, and i try to fast for 14 hours most nights (which im not very good at; my alarm always goes off on days when i have fasted so have not eaten anything for 5+ hours at the time it goes off)