BPM goes lower than setting

RE:

by KBCLARK28 - 2017-01-12 11:46:06

I RECENTLY GOT A FITBIT ALSO AND WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING.  MY PM IS SET AT 60 ALSO.  I HAVE NOTICED AT NIGHT THAT MY BPM GOES AS LOW AS 52.  I CALLED MY DOCTOR YESTERDAY ABOUT THIS.  HE SAID AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T GO IN THE 40'S THAT IT SHOULD BE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.  I WOULD STILL LIKE TO KNOW WHY IT GOES LOWER THAN WHAT IT IS SET TO DO.  SHOULD WE EVEN TRUST THE FITBIT? I KNOW IT IS FRUSTRATING.  

RE: Fitbit

by N8UAD - 2017-01-12 13:18:56

Do not trust an "off the shelf" device that is not calibrated to be as accurate as the device that has been implanted. Also I am sure that in addition to there being the 60bpm limit, there may also be a time limit, it other words the parameter MAY read something like < 60BPM for >"X" milli-seconds, seconds, or minutes. More than likely the issue here is that the fitbit simply isn't accurate.

Very common

by Artist - 2017-01-12 18:52:03

The same thing happened to me and my doctor said that my heart arrhythmias result in some lighter beats that are not easily detected by my BP cuff.  Not to worry, 59 is real close to your setting of 60.  Nothing is wrong with your PM.  If it was consistently much lower than 60,  that would be a eason for concern and contacting your doctor.  

counts

by Tracey_E - 2017-01-13 08:45:26

As the others said, don't trust the fitbit or any other home/fitness monitor out there because they just aren't that accurate. Also, 60bpm doesn't mean exactly 60 beats per minute, but one beat per second which over the course of a minute can be anywhere from 55-65. If you get in the low 50's, count manually. If you get it again, ask to be seen. but most of the time it just means you are at the lower limit and/or the count is off. Really, it's best not to spend too much time counting unless you feel bad. All the little nuances will make you crazy. 

Fitbits

by IAN MC - 2017-01-13 09:37:22

are at best an expensive toy in my view. One recent study showed that they can be inaccurate by as much as 20 bpm when you are exercising .  They are probably more accurate at rest but still shouldn't be relied on as a meaningful measure of heart-rate.

I understand that there is an ongoing class-action lawsuit in the U.S against the company for factual misrepresentation of the Fitbit's accuracy re heart-rate measurements.

I agree with Tracey . It is easy to become obsessed by numbers , if something moves you can measure it , but why bother if you feel OK

If you really must, as Sparrow says,  why not try a finger on your pulse .. it is accurate and free .

Ian

Just went through this

by Figallegro - 2017-01-13 10:32:22

My FITBIT was showing HR to be 54 - 59 many times when the PM is set to 60. I have a BP cuff as well as an Oxymeter that verified that my HR was indeed lower than the set 60. I talked with my eletrophysiologist and he said that the PM works when needed and that my heart was beating on it's own to 54-59 reading and the PM did not need to fire.

Resting Setting

by BillH - 2017-01-13 21:18:50

Also some PM have a "resting setting" (don't remember what it is called). If when not activity and if the HR is regular it will allow the allow the HR to slowly drift down.

It is like a sleep setting, but does not depend on a clock, but rather activity.

Heart rate

by jmikehan - 2018-04-27 15:00:26

My heart rate according to my Fitbit does at times go lower than 60 bpm. However after I had my pacemaker I went from bradycardia to tachycardia so I take a beta blocker to slow my heart down.