Can you still experience...

...Atrial Fibrilation with a slow heart rate; one that hovers around 50?

I've not heard anyone report that low, but yes I have heard of 70. Doesn't mean it can't happen. Are you on any rate control type meds (beta blocker or calcium channel blocker)?

George

There was several posters here in the past with low AF rates in the 50's to 60's, but not that low.

Yes Catherine,

You can have AFIB .. and irregular HR with variable R to R wave spacing and with suppressed P-wave at 50-bpm and in that neighborhood. I had it in the form of a drug-induced Tachy-Brady syndrome back in 2002, shortly before I was prescribed a dual chamber pacemaker.

My well-meaning original Cardiologist who should have at the time. and long ago referred me to an EP, had kept me under his care and told me to take digoxin (this was 6 months before I discovered this treasure of an online AFIB resource towards the middle of 2002 and got a fast and thorough education!) as well as metoprolol at 50mg a day along with the advice to take an extra half dose ( 25mg) of Toprol XL every half hour after I triggered into AFIB until I converted back to NSR!!

Needless to say, this is nonsense as no amount of the systemic beta-blocker Metoprolol is a direct to NSR conversion agent and by taking and extra 25mg every 30 minutes while I was in AFIB, at that time I would commonly swing from a fat 170-bpm rockin' and rollin' AFIB and then sudden my heart would leap frog over NSR to a very low 32bpm highly irregular deep Bradycardia with long pauses of various durations up to 4 plus seconds and a few longer and this for a while which is quite awful symptomatically, I can promise!

But the Brady was still irregular with variable R to R wave spacing and still with suppressed P-wave .. not to mention the very long and very uncomfortable pauses in heart rate.

So yes you can get AFIB even when it does not feel much like higher speed AFIB.

Stopping the crazy Metoprolol every half hour routine and stopping the digoxin as well, greatly helped to better stabilized my HR and ended any Bradycardia with long pauses after all.

Hope this helps answer your question Catherine and welcome!

Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2017 11:04AM by Shannon.

Here is the reason I asked. My husband experienced complications after open heart, aortic valve surgery; tachycardia (130/150), Amioderone infusion rendered unsuccessful results and after two attempts at cardioversion, the second took, dropped HR to below 100, while still fibrilating and has continued to do so. He was released and recouping when echo showed Pericardial Effusion and another surgery. Home now, recouping and waiting for follow-up X-ray and meeting with surgeon in 10 days.

Presently here are his meds: Warfarin 2.5mg, Atorvastatin 20mg, **Metoprolol tartrate** 25mg., twice a day, Amiodarone 200mg., twice a day for one more week, then once a day. (He has been on Amiodarone since valve surgery), Magnesium Taurate 125mg. twice a day, Aspirin 81 mg. daily.

Three years ago his PC prescribed time-release Metoprolol and it dropped his HR to below 50, accompanied by lightheadedness and dizzy spells. He stopped and switched over to Atenolol ( which he no longer takes).,

His HR after 30 min. on Meto/tartrate ranges in the 70/80 range. As the day progresses it begins to inch up until he takes his evening dose.

Can't the time release Meto, with dosage correction, stabilize his HR throughout the day?

My apologies for being so verbose, but felt the background information was important. I also want to thank everyone for taking the time to post back to me. These are choppy waters for me as his caretaker. Thank you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2017 09:09AM by Catherine.

Here is a lay person opinion.

Amiodarone can cause bradycardia "sinus bradycardia has been seen in 2 to 5%." <[www.drugs.com]

Also, I'm not an EP, but I don't see the point of continuing to give someone a rhythm med (Amiodarone) if it isn't keeping the person in rhythm.

George

Yes it is possible. The morning of my ablation (I had discontinued propafenone two or three days prior per instruction), I was in AF with an average ventricular rate of 55 bpm. I still have the AliveCor rhythm strip somewhere. I counted a 2.5 second pause between beats. That does get one's attention, let me tell you!

You know, George, I asked the cardioligist a similar question when we went for our follow-up after the valve surgery. His respose was...Amioderone needs a coupke of months before it starts working. We're now in month two, still fibrilating. After tomorrow he goes on one a day, instead of two. We meet again on July 3, and I will ask.

Wow, Wolfpack. So that eliminates the time release Metoprolol.