Heart Rate
 

I have been having problems with my heart rate lately. When my symptoms are really strong my heart rate seems to be more normal, yet even when I exercise during these times my heart still feels like it is pounding hard in my chest. I have been having periods lately where my symptoms are not bad at all and I can read, drive, be in crowds, etc. without much problem (I actually feel good!), but my heart rate and the pounding sensation I get in my chest and some veins is really high. Usually my resting heart rate is 48-54 bpm, but during these times it's 60-70. I will also go through brief moments where my heart rate suddenly drops, but the pounding sensation increases. It makes it extremely hard to fall asleep and settle down. Had anyone had problems similar to this before, and if so what helped? I have done deep breathing and have been trying to exercise as much as possible, but they don't really seem to help.

What is you blood pressure during these different times ?

I'm not sure. I am not sure if it would be higher when my heart rate is lower or higher. When I had BPPV my heart rate and blood pressure were higher, but they have gone down since I have gotten that under control. This originally started when I started going out on the lake again kayaking I think. I noticed that in rough water the waves would cause my heart rate to increase a lot.

70 bpm is not fast. My wife's resting rate is 90-100 when her BP is 110/76.

But, before being concerned about your heart rate, you should be checking your BP. BP is the more important number. Home BP kits are affordable.

The sensation of feeling your heart rate is not normal. The brain usually ignores it. When anxiety levels increase, the brain increases its ability to sense a pounding heart just as it increases its sensitivity to every sensory stimuli. The PCS brain has a harder time ignoring things that it should be ignoring.

I had these weird heart issues for about the first year.

At first I would be very aware of my heart rate and pulsation in the head when I laid down to sleep. Made it very hard to fall asleep. Doctor attributed this to anxiety.

Later on I had periods where my resting HR would be about a 100 (my usual resting HR is 50-60) no matter what I did, BP was normal. Doctor attributed this to anxiety.

Then I had the opposite, where it felt like my heart has stopped and I couldn't feel it when I went to bed, that did bring on anxiety for sure.

All of this worked itself out after a while, maybe year and a half or so. I think doing my light aerobic exercises on a stationary bike has helped.

I think Mark is right about the brain not filtering these things out sometimes after the injury, you shouldn't hear your heart beating or your eyes moving for example, but something is messed up and you do. Doctors don't seem to believe this though.

Hi RussiaRulez,

Wife had bilateral plf jan/feb 16 and has is getting first AO adjustment on Monday. many of the same symptoms as you. Would love to email direct as I have a thought for you on something that has helped her and would like to compare a few notes.

contact is **

Regards,

Jack

I agree that the brain can't filter. I have been telling myself to ignore it as much as possible which helps. I think being out on the water is just a trigger for my vertigo, so I will have to stay off the lake. I have backed off on running and switched to biking which has seemed to help with this a little. Light aerobic exercise seems to help a lot of my symptoms if I know when to stop. I think some of it might be that I am deconditioned too.

Jack,

Looks like you can't share your personal info on here. You can send me a Personal Message (PM) on this forum and I'll see it in my PM inbox.

If you haven't yet, google "PCS Buffalo Protocol". They do a test until you have symptoms on a treadmill and see what HR is at that point. After that you start to exercise 6 days a week either on a stationary bike or treadmill at 80% of that HR for 20 minutes. Do this for 3 weeks and then retest, and get a new, higher, 80% HR. This is done for about 3-4 months until you can work out at your 100%.

I've been doing this on and off for over a year now. I didn't do the test on myself, just started with a very low HR and went up from there very slowly. I think it helps with my symptoms.

I'm trying to follow that protocol. I don't expect to ever be able to exercise and be conditioned like I was before given that I ran two days after the hit to my head (because I thought I was groggy from the long weekend and just needed to sweat it out unaware of my head hit). I also lifted weights a lot and went trap shooting within the first two weeks unaware of my condition, so I am sure that it will be a long time before this stuff settles out given how much I exerted myself so soon.

You are creating your own bad future. Running after your impact did not make it a permanent injury. Nor did any of your other activities cause a permanent injury. This is your anxiety talking. AND, it is telling you bad and erroneous stuff.

I was just under the belief that high blood pressure and heart rates too soon can cause more damage if brain tissue is still swollen from trauma.

Blood pressure is the issue, not heart rate. Heart rate is just an easier way to track exertion levels. But, the heart rates of concern are usually 120 to 150 or more, depending on the person. The Buffalo Protocol is not about causing damage from exercise. It is about Return to Play criteria. It is about conditioning the brain to tolerate exertion so there is a better expectation that the brain can tolerate another impact from play.

If exertion causes headaches, it just means the brain has not relearned how to control blood flow.

A damaging headache would be excruciating, not just annoying. It is still good to avoid those annoying headaches or learn relaxation techniques to reduces those annoying headaches.

Heart tatr
 

My husband has had continuing heart rate issues. He never feels it but it shows up on his heart rate monitor. He had a thyroid test and his hormones are off which can be caused by head injury. Might want to check your hormones.

QUOTE=ConcussedEngineer;1217687]I have been having problems with my heart rate lately. When my symptoms are really strong my heart rate seems to be more normal, yet even when I exercise during these times my heart still feels like it is pounding hard in my chest. I have been having periods lately where my symptoms are not bad at all and I can read, drive, be in crowds, etc. without much problem (I actually feel good!), but my heart rate and the pounding sensation I get in my chest and some veins is really high. Usually my resting heart rate is 48-54 bpm, but during these times it's 60-70. I will also go through brief moments where my heart rate suddenly drops, but the pounding sensation increases. It makes it extremely hard to fall asleep and settle down. Had anyone had problems similar to this before, and if so what helped? I have done deep breathing and have been trying to exercise as much as possible, but they don't really seem to help.[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE]

I am going to try this route once things calm down after summer, and I am not as busy. I think it is a good thing to look at, given that only my thyroid levels have been checked.

My heart rate seems to be getting more normal as I do more exercise, slowly building up. I still have problems when standing up and I have to sit back down or lay vertically, but I think it is getting better.

Concussed,

As Mark said 70 is not fast, it is where a lot of people dream of being heart wise.

My bp went up after my accident to 138/98. I had no idea it was PCS related until it dropped to my historical norm of 110/68. I had 2 doc appts in Nov 2015, 1.5 yrs after accident and the scone appt my bp was at my old rate and has stayed there since.

PCS is weird stuff.

Bud