High Heart Rate - 226 BPM ???

[Mark G]

I've had a few high readings on my own HRM, they sometimes occur in roughly the same places - part of one of my regular runs stays close to the railway for a bit, I've had it there and it goes when I turn away so I suspect the overhead power lines. Theres another location where it happens occasionally, no visible lines but maybe a buried one? Was there anything near where you were that could have explained it? It sometimes happens in other places, I think maybe the signal gets interfered with more than we think.

[Alexandra]

Mark, I run there - by Eccup Reservoir - most weeks and I've never had this problem there before. I am more hoping it may be a battery problem, but I fear a low battery would lead to no reading rather than high ones.

[paulo]

Hi Alexandra. I think it's pretty unlikely, especially given your previous symptoms when in AF, that you were in AF when your HRM jumped so far. It would be very unusual to go in to such rapid AF whilst running and be able to carry on without symptoms when you don't tolerate it entirely without symptoms at rest. HRMs of this type have lots of foibles and a factitious reading is the most likely explanation IMOCheers Paul

[Mark G]

Antoher suspect (I think) is simply the vibration/banging of the HRM strap against your chest as you run. I think it might momentarily break the contact or at least interfere with it and generate false additional signals? I've noticed mine on other occasions shoot up to 160+ with no apparant physical effects - ie I'm not out of breath or feel as if I'm running at anything like that pace. If I slow to a walk it usually drops back immediately to 130 or so which is where I would expect it to be for the perceived level of exertion (ie it doesn't go 165, 163, 160, 158 etc, it usually goes 165 - 128 just like that) which is another reason why I suspect the strap, walking stops it bouncing about I suppose - it also happens more frequently on road stretches where I suppose it is jarring about more.

[Alexandra]

Thanks Paulo & Mark. Paulo, I think you're right (anyway I hope so!) - when I have had episodes in the past I would not have been able to run more than a very few steps without feeling bad. Mark - I notice that Garmin recommends that if one is having problems one can get a better connection by siting the electrodes on one's back instead of on the chest, so in view of your comments I shall try that next time. I have replaced the battery today so as to take that out of the equation.

[Alexandra]

Tuesday morning I woke around 4am & realised I was having an episode of AF (high & irregular heartbeat), my first since the end of August 2011. I had been hoping I had seen the last of AF since I got a responding splint for my sleep apnoea, so that was disappointing. However, I had a letter from my consultant asking for me to be given intravenous Flecainide in hospital to see if it would bring my HR down without bad side effects. If it did, I could then have the drug as a "pill in the pocket" to take at home whenever I needed to. That sounded such a good idea, I was actually hoping my HR would stay up long enough for me to have the treatment.

Well, I thought with the consultant's letter it would be just ask & have, but he was on holiday and having arrived (on foot, which caused some surprise) at 9.30am I was still having tests at 2pm. At this point a very nice female junior doctor was tapping my back (they seemed to think that as I am old I must have pneumonia - they had already x-rayed my chest) when my HR, which had been varying between 140-150, suddenly dropped to 83.

So - no drug treatment this time. I'd be off home. Well, no - a senior doctor had to see me before I could be discharged. I spent the afternoon pacing up and down the corridor in my hospital gown, psyching myself up to announce that I was discharging myself. I knew there would be an awful fuss, but luckily the senior doctor turned up just 10 minutes before my 5pm deadline.

He told me that I was very lucky to see him, that the drug my consultant wanted me to take was dangerous for someone as old as me & he had seen terrible things happen to patients who had taken it. In any case he would not give me a "pill in the pocket", but rather a drug to take every day that would lower my HR permanently. When I objected that I would then be unable to run any more, or even hill-walk, he told me that endurance running strains the heart.

He asked me how long was my longest run - 13 miles, but very slow - & said that however slow running that distance would damage the heart. I was naturally deeply interested & questioned him as to whether he would recommend me to train for eg 5k races instead, which would involve less distance but higher intensity? He hadn't a clue - he was left stammering "It stands to reason that all running stresses the heart" in front of the nice female junior doctor. He had lost all credibility and quickly left. So did I.

Luckily, Ian DP has mentioned that HIS consultant told him that runners are MORE likely to develop AF but LESS likely to have heart attacks.

I'm now all the more motivated to find new ways to prevent episodes of AF & new alternative (non-drug) ways to treat it if it occurs. I'm also curious to find out what my consultant will say when he gets back next week. Meanwhile I've found a 10k trail race I plan to run at the end of July. Dr G, eat your heart out!

[Rob Furness]

I wondered where you had got to Alexandra, not seen you on here in a while. Re: your post, I've had similar experiences when seeing general consultants for my Crohn's. Generally, only your consultant will know your history and be able to advise, the "jack of all trades" type consultants are not usually specialist enough imho to give detailed advice (plus he sounds a bit daft). I would simply book a consultant visit and relay your experience to them for a better opinion.

[Mike T]

I wondered where you had got to Alexandra, not seen you on here in a while. Re: your post, I've had similar experiences when seeing general consultants for my Crohn's. Generally, only your consultant will know your history and be able to advise, the "jack of all trades" type consultants are not usually specialist enough imho to give detailed advice (plus he sounds a bit daft). I would simply book a consultant visit and relay your experience to them for a better opinion.

Sound advice Rob.

[Alexandra]

I wondered where you had got to Alexandra, not seen you on here in a while. Re: your post, I've had similar experiences when seeing general consultants for my Crohn's. Generally, only your consultant will know your history and be able to advise, the "jack of all trades" type consultants are not usually specialist enough imho to give detailed advice (plus he sounds a bit daft). I would simply book a consultant visit and relay your experience to them for a better opinion.

Hi Rob, good to hear from you, and Mike T too. Actually, far from being a jack of all trades, Dr G is an electro physiologist. All the hospital staff, (including Dr G himself!) told me how lucky I was to get to see him. However, he came to a snap judgment on my case without knowing me at all, and he was obviously in the "consultant as God" mode rather than being prepared to discuss or even explain. I am still in a rather uncomfortable limbo, as when my consultant eventually rang me back 10 days after the event I was out, and although Dr G has sent recommendations to my GP the surgery has ongoing computer problems which means no-one can read what he said!!! I fear both consultants will agree that I should go onto Warfarin (for life, obviously) but I am very unwilling. I would consider the new Dabigratran instead, as it works without diet restrictions and without testing, but it is very expensive so unless my consultant can prescribe it for me (my GP says he can) I may have to try and stay alive another 5 years til the Nice guidelines say I can have it (at 75). Of course by then it may be cheaper, and there are other equivalent drugs coming soon.

As for Flecainide, I have been researching it and it seems like Hobson's choice - dangerous but very helpful for some. Natasha on Daily Mile gave me a link to DR JOHN M for extremely useful discussions of Flecainide/Pradaxa & other aspects of AF. He is a fanatical cyclist, so not keen on treatments that disrupt exercise (eg beta blockers). A great find.

I have not been posting on the Forum much as I have been plagued with medical investigations that took up a lot of time & attention. Also, I have found a home on DAILY MILE and, if I'm honest, I feel less & less like a fell runner & more like a trail runner. I hope I can find time for both.

If anyone has any comments or experience around AF, Flecainide, Warfarin etc to share, I'd be glad.

[IanDarkpeak]

I thought I'd give you an update on my heart issues.
Last night I did a 2.5 hour reccie of the HPM on Howden edge. on returning to the carpark I bumped in to Peat Water at Langsett. we'd both been out for long runs over Howden reccieing the HPM. Just after he left I became "ill" I managed to get my self home but realised soon after another trip to hospital was needed.

Once again the Northern general were fantastic, whipping me through the queue and in to a resus room where after the nurse, doctor, resident and consultant had seen me it was decided to try a paticularly Nasty drug called Adenosine which basically stops the heart straight away and gives the "Impending doom" feeling you get when having an heart attack. after the first dose which was unpleasant but failed they doubled the dose and tried again with even worse feelings also with no success, third time lucky and I have to say that was the worst but still with no cure..... Out came the defib. the knocked me out and then zapped me....success!

I had to stay in over night but I'm home now. The worst bit was trying to get the sticky electrodes off my hairy(not so much now) chest at 2.00am in the Cardiac intensive care ward.

Anyway home now but will take a a few days off. no drugs or conditions applied on the discharge sheet so for the moment in ture Sharpe style...IDP will soldier on...