How accurate are Fitbit heart monitors?

[Anonymousxo]

I just got a Fitbit today and I've had horrible near fainting sensations for the past two months, my symptoms resemble POTS so I got a fit bit with a heart monitor to check the sitting to standing heart rate which did not increase more than 30bpm and was kinda stable after that.
So I don't think I have POTS, however I have noticed my Fitbit is telling me I have a very low heart rate, this has never been brought up but I'm noticing my symptoms such as palpitations and dizziness are definitely there when the heart rate is low.
My resting heart rate is 50 and just now it dropped to 44! I'm a bit concerned about this, I am on a waiting list for an overnight ecg monitor but the waiting list is very long of course...
Doctor said it's just a case of waiting for this appointment and I've only started using this Fitbit today so doctor doesn't know about the heart rate being low on this monitor but I'm now worried with the way my heart rate drops it's making me think this is definitely something to do with my heart and potentially dangerous?? I'm not sure how accurate fit bit's are but 45 seems very low - I'm not active in the sense of exercise especially since my symptoms started a few months ago, I'm now very much the opposite of fit.

Does anyone know?? Lol

I thought mine seemed ok. Why don’t you give yours to a pal to wear for a few hours to test it. Just to see if it rises with someone else.

Your heart beat sounds low. My dad went for tests when his was that low.

Can you double check it by taking your own pulse with your finger to see if the Fitbit is accurate?

If so, I’d be phoning the GP and telling him that’s what it is, and see if he wants to do any more tests more urgently.

If he gives you some crap about doing your pulse in the surgery and it was ok then remind him that you are more nervous in the surgery so it would of course be higher.

Has he done your bp too? You can buy monitors for around £20 odds. They generally do your heartbeat too.

The fitter you are the lower it is but I think 50s is about as low as it should go for most people? Mine is around 69/75 resting and varies across the week. I’m unfit.

@Elieza

I thought mine seemed ok. Why don’t you give yours to a pal to wear for a few hours to test it. Just to see if it rises with someone else.

Your heart beat sounds low. My dad went for tests when his was that low.

Can you double check it by taking your own pulse with your finger to see if the Fitbit is accurate?

If so, I’d be phoning the GP and telling him that’s what it is, and see if he wants to do any more tests more urgently.

If he gives you some crap about doing your pulse in the surgery and it was ok then remind him that you are more nervous in the surgery so it would of course be higher.

Has he done your bp too? You can buy monitors for around £20 odds. They generally do your heartbeat too.

The fitter you are the lower it is but I think 50s is about as low as it should go for most people? Mine is around 69/75 resting and varies across the week. I’m unfit.

I was in a&e recently and ecg showed tachycardia however my Fitbit is showing the complete opposite - I doubt doctors will do more of an urgent referral because of a Fitbit :/ I did try and get an earlier appointment and discuss my symptoms in more depth but the doctor text me today and said there's nothing they can do and that's that basically, great now I'm worried lol

Yeah I doubt they would do anything either for a Fitbit! Yours may be faulty though. Get someone else to test it. Can you borrow a blood pressure unit or buy one? They may take it more seriously if you do that for a couple of days and it’s low. Especially if it was previously high.

If it was me that’s what I’d do. Or as the pharmacist what to do. I don’t know if they could take your bp and pulse in their treatment room?

Could it be medication the hospital put you on for your fast heatbeat? It might be too strong and need reduced?

Are you on anything that could be causing this issue? Something reacting with something else?

You know if you don’t feel well and feel generally faint phone 111 and ask for advice. They can send an ambulance if required. Or 999 if needs be but hopefully it won’t come to that.

My dad got told it was cardiomyopathy and got no treatment. However he was old so it may be different for younger people. He had had chemo too. I think that can affect you. He just lives with it. My friends sister had had it for no reason for about five years now.

@Elieza

Yeah I doubt they would do anything either for a Fitbit! Yours may be faulty though. Get someone else to test it. Can you borrow a blood pressure unit or buy one? They may take it more seriously if you do that for a couple of days and it’s low. Especially if it was previously high.

If it was me that’s what I’d do. Or as the pharmacist what to do. I don’t know if they could take your bp and pulse in their treatment room?

Could it be medication the hospital put you on for your fast heatbeat? It might be too strong and need reduced?

Are you on anything that could be causing this issue? Something reacting with something else?

You know if you don’t feel well and feel generally faint phone 111 and ask for advice. They can send an ambulance if required. Or 999 if needs be but hopefully it won’t come to that.

My dad got told it was cardiomyopathy and got no treatment. However he was old so it may be different for younger people. He had had chemo too. I think that can affect you. He just lives with it. My friends sister had had it for no reason for about five years now.

It could be anything causing my symptoms honestly as doctor said it's just trial and error for referrals! I've been referred to ENT who referred me to balance clinic, haven't got my appointment through for that yet but doctor has now also referred to cardio for a heart monitor - currently just having to deal with the symptoms as it is, I just didn't know if the heart rate was normal but I've spoke to a few people I know now who have told me there's sometimes gets pretty low aswell so I'm not as concerned now, however I do have these symptoms so it's something I will probably bring up to the doctor again

Hey, So my resting heartrate has gradually been dropping daily since early Sept, it started around 65-70bpm which has always been my normal) now down to between 48-51 most days and even dropping as low as 43bpm on occasion. My fitbit is pretty accurate, I often compare it against my oximeter and its usually the same or very close. My doctor doesn't seem all that concerned atm, he booked me in for some blood tests and an ecg but said technically they wouldn't worry unless I have an abnormal heart rhythm also, they tend to worry more about a fast high rate apparently! Well I'm concerned, given that my heart rate has always been significantly higher, so it seems strange to me. If it gets any lower it will cease altogether🤷‍♀️

But yes my fitbit is pretty accurate but if your concerned yours may be faulty you could try it on someone else or use a oximeter to compare it with?

My Fitbit is pretty accurate (I’ve been checking it recently with my Dad’s blood pressure monitor and the thing you put on the finger that beeps, can’t remember the name!) and it’s an older model. It’s never been more than a beat or two out.

I had one and a chest HR monitor for exercise and the Fitbit was pretty accurate apart from when I was really sweaty and hit higher heart rates but I think that’s because the sweat stops it ready so well. Do the finger on your pulse thing to check.

they are not absolutely acurate but do show trends.
you observation on symptoms & low heart rate warrant a gp visit.
if you can get a printout (screenshot) from the app with your heart rate fluctuations over the day.

low blow rate alone is not an issue, many people feel fine with it.
I have very low blood pressure and heart rate (resting pulse under 50) and feel fine with it unless I hold my arms above my head for longer than a minute but my dr advised me to keep an eye on if and make an appointment if it's regularly below 45.

Thanks everyone, as I said I am on a waiting list to be seen and doctor did say there's nothing they can do for me until I'm seen, I just have to wait, but thank you

@Everly18

Hey, So my resting heartrate has gradually been dropping daily since early Sept, it started around 65-70bpm which has always been my normal) now down to between 48-51 most days and even dropping as low as 43bpm on occasion. My fitbit is pretty accurate, I often compare it against my oximeter and its usually the same or very close. My doctor doesn't seem all that concerned atm, he booked me in for some blood tests and an ecg but said technically they wouldn't worry unless I have an abnormal heart rhythm also, they tend to worry more about a fast high rate apparently! Well I'm concerned, given that my heart rate has always been significantly higher, so it seems strange to me. If it gets any lower it will cease altogether🤷‍♀️

But yes my fitbit is pretty accurate but if your concerned yours may be faulty you could try it on someone else or use a oximeter to compare it with?

I've spoken to a few people who have said there's have reached 55 at the lowest which made me less concerned, but still worried none the less. I've had my symptoms for about two months now so I imagine my heart rate could have potentially been doing this for a while now (if it's related to my symptoms at all) I only got the Fitbit yesterday and wish I didn't get it at all now lol

@emmathedilemma

I had one and a chest HR monitor for exercise and the Fitbit was pretty accurate apart from when I was really sweaty and hit higher heart rates but I think that’s because the sweat stops it ready so well. Do the finger on your pulse thing to check.

Okay I just did it, it was 57bpm with my finger on my pulse

I don't find mine very accurate.

I took mine off once during the night as it was irritating me, in the morning it shown my heart rate to have shut up to 175 bpm and shoot down to 44 bpm at different times during the night when I didn't even have it on.

It takes a week minimum, probably 2 or more for the Fitbit to recognise your trends and give you accurate readings.

I suffered with horrible dizziness and lightheadness and notice that it was much worse when my rhr was under 50 and often going as low as 42 at night.

I was referred to a cardiologist and got all the tests going. Fitted with a monitor for 5 days. The readings were very similar to the Fitbit if anything gave a bit lower readings.

In the end, I found out I was low on vit B12 and also dealing with anxiety due to the menopause and these together were lowering my heart rate.

I'm now consistently between 52 and 55 RHR and very rarely experience the dizziness any longer, oy when I experience a surge of anxiety.

@newcastlewife4

I don't find mine very accurate.

I took mine off once during the night as it was irritating me, in the morning it shown my heart rate to have shut up to 175 bpm and shoot down to 44 bpm at different times during the night when I didn't even have it on.

Wow really? Was it faulty at all?

it's important to trust how you feel rather than worry about numbers from an inexpensive device compared to rules of thumb on Internet.

I tested Fitbit (Charge 2, optical HR wrist sensor) against both Polar & Garmin heart strap monitors -- all 3 very close to each other. I was satisfied to trust the fitbit.

I had more bizarre numbers from the chest straps over the years, come to think about it, than I've ever had from fitbit.

Wearing your fitbit snugly is supposed to increase accuracy of the HR numbers.

@lljkk

it's important to trust how you feel rather than worry about numbers from an inexpensive device compared to rules of thumb on Internet.

I tested Fitbit (Charge 2, optical HR wrist sensor) against both Polar & Garmin heart strap monitors -- all 3 very close to each other. I was satisfied to trust the fitbit.

I had more bizarre numbers from the chest straps over the years, come to think about it, than I've ever had from fitbit.

Wearing your fitbit snugly is supposed to increase accuracy of the HR numbers.

I have dizziness and things but I've had this for months now and been in a&e a few times since this all started, it's just the heart rate that is worrying me is all.

My dads got a Fitbit and suffers from AF. Multiple cardiologists and paramedics have told him that the numbers aren’t particularly accurate, but they are good for showing a pattern. So if you disregards the specific number, but rely on it to tell when your heart rate is lower/higher then it’s a reasonable indicator. Interestingly the cardiologist also used his Fitbit pattern to confirm his beta blockers where too high!

I have PoTS and have always found my Fitbit to be accurate. I also have this app (think it's available on Android phones too), it has a sitting-to-standing Stress Test included which picks up my PoTS heart rate rise. It works by placing your finger on your phone camera

apps.apple.com/us/app/instant-heart-rate-hr-monitor/id409625068