Resting heart rate of 42-48bpm

[LegoTherapy]

Currently in A&E after being sent here by the out of hours. My heart rate is between 42 and 48bpm. I feel fine but didn’t first thing and it was about 35 and I felt faint. ECG normal, bloods so far normal, BP normal. Does anybody have a similar heart rate to reassure me that I’m not about to drop dead in my sleep? I’m waiting on one more blood test (trop T) and to see the doctor again but the first doctor wasn’t too concerned. I’m desperate to get home to my children. My 17 year old has put the 11 year old to bed and they are fine but I want to get back asap.

Mine rests under 50, always has. Otherwise I’m in good health

I think you’ll be okay. It is low but not really low. What is it normally? My resting heart rate is frequently below 60 and can fall to 48 overnight. I’m not overweight and eat reasonably well and exercise pretty regularly. Are you fit and well usually?

I’m sorry you’re going through this, was it just feeling faint that made you go to A&E or were there other symptoms too?

Very very fit cyclists can have resting heart rates that low. These are people exercising all the time, you’d know if you were in that category. Do you do so much running and cycling that you ordinarily have a very low resting heart rate? What is it normally?
Did they check blood pressure as well?
Is yours normally on the low end?

I hope you get answers soon.

My resting heart rate is 37 and I'm healthy :)

I am fit and well and not overweight or anything. I had a 24 hr tape before Christmas which showed it varies between 52 and 90. I’m on propranolol for palpitations and anxiety which will now need to be stopped. My heart rate used to go up to 126 at night with random anxiety thanks to general stress and menopause.

I walk 50 odd miles a week on average but nothing else. I’m on medication for hypertension which is well controlled. The GP said that’s genetic and not a lifestyle thing. I generally eat healthily apart from every now and again.
Im worried that if it’s 42 now when I’m stressed sat on a very uncomfortable chair in A&E then what’s it going to be when I go to sleep. BP is currently about 125/74.

Normally pulse around 60-84 when it’s been taken.

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)

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.

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

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.

I started the propranolol after I did the 24hr test but before it was reported so just before Christmas and have been taking it twice a day without any issue since January when it went twice a day instead of when needed. It makes sense what you are saying and it’s likely the propranolol but my question is why now after 3 months of no issues? Could be the lack of substantial food yesterday perhaps but there’s been other days with less so that doesn’t add up. Not purposeful not eating enough, just the way it’s worked out that day.

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'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

A&E dr said discuss it with my GP ffs. Wouldn’t even commit to saying to stop the propranolol. Said I couldn’t possibly know what my own pulse was and was a bit of a shrugging cba guy. The earlier dr was lovely. All bloods ok and he has no idEa why it dropped this morning.

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!

I’ll see the GP in the morning. Our practice is excellent thankfully.

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.

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

Thank you everyone. I am
back home now and have had tea and toast so feel better. I hope I sleep better than last night where I was awake from
3-6am for no good reason. Ds is back at school so no chance of a lie in and Mondays are busy days. Ah well. I’ll see what the GP says tomorrow.

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

Bloods all ok.

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.

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.

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