Coffee causing low heart rate? - Heart Disorders Message Board

Leela_C · 01-17-2007, 10:21 AM

I went to the cardiologist today for a follow up. He still tells me that my crazy heart rate fluctuations are nothing to worry about. My heart rate spikes to 100-120 as soon as I get out of bed and then stays in the 50s most of the day. I guess I'm just going to have to believe him that there is nothing wrong, even though this just doesn't seem normal to me!!!

Anyway - he gave me the usual speech about staying away from stimulants. I told him that if I drink a latte from Starbucks my heart rate actually gets lower. He says "ooohh no, that's not good". He then said that my heart is getting overstimulated and the brain is telling it to slow down. OK, so now I'm TOTALLY FREAKED OUT about this. I have been looking around online and I actually found a couple of articles that said that coffee will raise your blood pressure and lower your heart rate. Anyone have any comments? I wish he hadn't said it like he did, because now he's got me really worried that there is something wrong, and I am so sick and tired of worrying about my heart.

He also told me to start taking 2 salt tablets 3 times a day. I'm kind of afraid to do this, because I don't want to retain a bunch of water and gain weight. I am actually trying to shed some pounds before my wedding in three months!

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Lenin · 01-18-2007, 07:00 AM

Leela,

First off...did he measure your serum sodium? If he didn't, then adding salt supplements is totally BANANAS! What is the sodium content of each of these 6 tablets?
What was your blood pressure? Was it extremely LOW?

If your heart rate stays in the 50's most of the day, you CERTAINLY don't need to avoid stimulants.

"Don't drink coffee and eat lots of extra salt"...I think that's going to stand for quite a while at the top of my SILLY METER!

Can coffee cause a low heart rate? Possibly, but the FAR more likely scenario is to cause a temporary heartrate INCREASE.

Leela_C · 01-18-2007, 07:29 AM

Hi Lenin. Thank you so much for your reply. No, he didn't check my sodium levels. He just told me to take 2 salt tablets 3 times a day. My blood pressure at his office was 120/80. I agree with you that I shouldn't take them.

My heart rate is just crazy. When i get up in the morning, or even from a nap in the afternoon, it spikes up to over 100. When I am in the shower it also spikes. For most of the day, however, it is in the 50s. I'm so afraid that those stupid beta blockers I was on have caused some permanent damage. My primary care physician thinks I may have sick sinus syndrome, but my cardiologist says I don't and said "I don't even want to get into that". He did admit yesterday that I "may" have some autonomic dysfunction, but there is nothing we can do about it. I guess what I really need to do is just get over it and stop worrying so much about my heart.

BUT...coffee does seem to lower my heart rate. I know it sounds weird, but it does. Not like a regular cup that I drink at home every morning, but if I go to Starbucks and get a latte or something, that seems to lower my heart rate. Now, of course, my cardiologist has got me scared to death over that.

I don't understand any of this, and it is driving me absolutely crazy. I am so sick of worrying about all of this. It literally consumes me. I quit smoking and started exercising, thinking it would help me, but I actually think I'm worse off than I was. I just don't know what to think any more.

Thanks again for your post. I'm definitely not getting the salt tablets now!

LeeAnn