Is this heart rate normal?

[Razzledazzle0]

how fast can anxiety make your heart go?

I was in hospital for something completely separate and they checked my heart rate every few hours- at one point it was just under 150!

I was just lying down and didn’t feel particularly anxious, but obviously hospital is a stressful environment so I was probably anxious and worried without even realising it.

when the nurse saw how high it was she seemed a bit worried and went and got a doctor. Im young, sporty and don’t have any health problems thankfully so they said it was just likely anxiety.

just curious has anyone else had this? Is 150 particularly high or is it normal for people who are anxious?!

Well it depends how old you are and how fit you are, but it doesn't sound very normal to me.

I used to be pretty fit (less so now) and 150 would be a lot of pedalling on an exercise bike. In fact there are limits they recommend you go to, I would think about 170 was the max for me.

So no, 150 doesn't sound very normal. I am no medical expert though. Maybe you should check out your pulse when you are at home and relaxed.

Were you in hospital for an infection? My resting heart rate is about 56 but when I had an infection recently it was 140, it was my body fighting it.

Depends on your age and how fit you are but yes, it sounds high. For comparison I'm 40 and reasonably active. Reading heart rate today was 57. Peak was 120. I do a high intensity fitness class and the peak there when I'm really going for it is 180

My heart rate sitting here on mumsnet right now is 55, but when they take it at GPs or in hospital (when I'm not ill, but as part of a health check) it's always in the 80s. So I assume it is just the heart rate equivalent of "white coat hypertension" i.e. being in a health care setting is stressful enough to increase your heart rate and blood pressure!!

Obviously being ill can increase your heart rate too. And anxiety.

A fever and illness will cause it to spike.
From a heath perspective over 130 is concerning at rest.

Mine is 59 while sitting here on MN.

Health professional here. No it's not normal, wouldn't expect to see that even in someone that was nervous. Presuming they got a normal reading before you were discharged.

I have Covid and mine went up to over 100 when I was just sitting still but that seems not unusual with a fever, 150 seems very high

No I wasn’t in for an infection, and everything else like my temperature was normal. My heart rate was a bit high every time they checked it, but they seemed a bit worried when it was 150! I’m otherwise fit and sporty so they said it was likely just anxiety which makes sense-I think the hospital environment probably made me nervous!

just out of curiosity, what level of heart rate is worrying/ outside normal limits? As in, what would be ‘too high?’

Mine was like that before I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease (overactive thyroid).

Broadly speaking, I'd worry/escalate a resting heart rate about 105 and above apart from some people who have heart conditions.

Paramedic here, a hr of 150bpm is quite high for someone laid on a bed. But would be normal for decent exertion like running, or a high stress situation.

Heart rate is interpreted in context to the patient and situation in conjunction with the rest of your obs. Which is where all the clinical training comes in for the Doctor. I.e if a patient is being treated for infection with a fever and breathing quickly and their hr hits 150bpm there will be a high level of concern. But in the next bay there could be a needle phobic patient looking on as a cannula is prepared to take a blood sample and its noted their hr goes from 90 to 150 - not too concerned.

Any nurse would notice a hr of 150bpm needed alerting to a doctor to consider if that patient needs a review/could be unwell. If the Doctor felt it was anxiety, and you haven't been very unwell/hr settled then they were likely right.

Observation scoring chart

Theres a tool for scoring a patients observations in hospital known as news2. Each observation such as heart rate or temperature is given a score between 0 and 3 points. 0 is normal, to 3 points which is considered a red flag/should prompt review. All the points can be added together as a way of conveying a patients status, I.e subtle changes in a selection of obs cam be easily overlooked, but noting a patient was news score 4 at last check, now scoring 7 points is more likely to prompt concern.

You can use the chart to see what heart rates are considered normal, but as said out of range can be normal/OK for a situation.

My resting heart rate is usually about 90 which is pretty high in my opinion.

I have palpitations quite frequently and have been in hospital twice with SVT, the first time was when my heart rate was 184 and the second was when it was about 160.

I had to have a drug both to ones to bring my heart back into a normal rhythm.

I then had to undergo a diagnostic procedure and the doctors paced my heart up to 210bpm and it was unbearably painful and terrifying.

I now take beta blockers twice a day and my palpitations have definitely eased and my heart rate is much more normal.

If I were you, I would keep a record of your heart rate a few times a day at home and if you are consistently finding your heart rate is high, when you are well and at rest, then I would probably go and see your GP.

Hi op, I suffer from anxiety, and when I'm feeling anxious, my heart rate can be as high as 175bpm.

@CrushingAndClueless what tablets was u given ? My hr has been so high since covid! And its worrying me abit! Reached 161 yesterday! I rang my gp and going in for an ecg and he said about bisoprolol? Because its been happening alot xx