Bradycardia (low heart rate) post RNY???

Hey everyone.  I wanted to throw this out in the hopes that maybe there's someone else out there that is dealing with this as well and can shed some light on the situation for me.

I will be 2 years out of my lap RNY on March 12th.  As of October 2007 or so, I have known that I have a low resting heart.  In fact, most times I am being asked if I am a runner, to which my initial reaction is to laugh.  Although I have done a few 5Ks and some running training on the treadmill, it was nothing that would qualify me as an "athlete."

I discussed it with my PCP and she sent me to a cardiologist for a 24 hour Holter monitor.  Things were fine, we were aware of it, but I was asymptomatic, so nothing else needed to be done.

By the way, if you don't know, the only "treatment" for bradycardia is a pacemaker.

Anyway, back on January 27th, I had some dizziness or lightheadedness - stronger than I have ever had before - and I actually ended up passing out in my kitchen (whacking my head on the counter and/or table).  I had a huge knot on my head, but I was really lucky that I wasn't more hurt.

I went to my PCP the next day.  She did an EKG and called the cardiologists office and got me in with them that afternoon.  They did several tests and everything was pretty much A-OK.

One test they sent me for was a tilt table test, which I had done about 2 weeks later.  That test was negative (didn't show any vaso-vagal response), but laying flat after the test made me dizzy.  (Oh yeah, a week before this - and about a week after the blackout - I woke up with my first-ever bought of vertigo).  Although the test was negative, my heart rate was pretty consistently in the 30s while I was on the monitors and not upright for the test.

So, the next day it was back to the cardiologist.  He told me that the specialist that was there when the tilt test was done said that I need a pacemaker, and that I would have it either the next day or the following Monday (this was on a Friday).

I was sent back to the hospital to the specialists office (electrophysiologists).  I saw a different doctor than was there when I had the tilt test, and she looks over my paperwork and stuff and decides that because I am only 41, I'm too young to rush into having a pacemaker put in.  If I were 70, there would be no question.

Instead, I have been given a 24/7 heart monitor that transmits data via cell phone and is monitored contantly.  It's been on for a week now, and I have 2 more weeks to go before I turn it back in, and then on March 17th I go back to the specialist to discuss the situation.

Sorry this got so long, but what I'd really like to know is if there are any others out there who developed bradycardio post RNY and if there was any kind of connection shown to the RNY surgery, etc.

~wendy

Wendy,

All I can say is... OMG!  My heart goes out to you.

I've never read of anyone on OH talking about this.  If anyone would know it would be the extremely knowledgeable group on Yahoo Grads.  Please ask for their advice.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG/

Michele

I seem to recall my last EKG showing sinus bradycardia and I know my pulse is usually in the 50's.  I run 5K two times a week and I don't have a a problem with fatigue so things are OK by me.

My impression is that our hearts got quite a workout having to pump blood around our formerly obese bodies which is no longer necessary; hence, the lower heart rate now that we are no longer obese.

The only time I had problems with being lightheaded was during a small bout of accidental food poisoning (from working with compost) when the diarreah caused dehydration.  It wasn't the low heartrate that made me dizzy: it was the lack of water.

Hi Wendy,
I have not heard of this.. but have you had a 2nd opinion about any of this at all.
Morristown Memorial in Morristown has an excellent Electrophysiology group headed up by Dr. Winters w/Dr Kerwin and Dr Coyne..
Please now that lots of people have those pacemakers at very young ages so i am not sure about the age thing..
You can also check out the Medtronics website.. they make many of the pacemakers that are used they may have some info..
Good Luck .. you are in my prayers.
Donna

I, too, have a low heart rate. I have also been asked if I am an athlete, because of the rate at rest it beats. Mine is in the 40's, 30's when sleeping. The day of my operation they had to put me in the heart ward and monitor it because it was so low.

I agree with martin up there, our hearts got such a workout when we were obese, that when we lost the weight (and usually fast) it has no time to catch up. And that's what it's doing now.

Maybe you had this as a preexisting condition and the weight loss just brought it to the front. I am dealing with low blood pressure issues. But my low heart rate hasn't been an issue since my surgery.

Good Luck, please give us an update on March 17th!

I was diagnosed with Sinus Bradycardia in 2009. I had gastric bypass surgery in 2006. Scheduled consultation for Panniculectomy this month (October 2014) and must disclose the information to surgeons. I agree with previous posters. I was obese for most of my life. Heart rate is probably trying to adjust to new weight. I am hoping that the low heart rate will not cause any difficulties. Deemed asymptomatic by regular physician, I take no medications and a pacemaker has not been needed.

Wendy,

Looks like you got some good replies, sorry to hear about your situation with bradycardia.

2 years ago (1 year post-op) my heart rate dropped into the 40's, I passed out a couple times at home (I live by myself) and when I went to the dr. they took me to the hospital right away.  They ran a million tests and discovered that on top of the bradycardia I had pneumonia (no symptoms that I could tell!) plus a bladder infection and I was dehydrated.  My heart rate came back up into the 60's the next day (normal for me).  From time to time since then my heart rate will drop to around 50 but the cardiologist is keeping a close watch on me with yearly nuclear stress tests and last year she thought something didn't look right in the scans and did a cardiac catherization (everything was fine).

In my case I'm an awful water drinker and vitamin taker and tend to blame myself for any "dips"--drinking more water generally helps the dizziness.

Hope all goes well for you on the 17th

For a while, my heartrate was in the 40s and BP was extremely low. It was scarey. It lasted about 6 months, now seems to be resolved. Pacemaker was the way I was heading , too, but luckily, no more. Good luck and hang in there.

Hi Wendy,

I sympathize with you, my husbands sister is currently going through the same thing (heart rate as low as 35 and no higher than 58).  She is 35, 3yrs post gastric bypass, lost a significant amount of weight and six months ago started having near syncopal episodes with massive headaches. Her symptoms have gotten so bad that she has ended up in the hospital 3-4 times.  she has had the tilt table, echo, ekg, head CT, head MRI and all are normal.  Her heart rate is continually low and causing her to be unable to function.  She is now being worked up again for her symptoms.  If you do find the problem, please let me know so I can help my sister-in-law.

Thanks,
Denise

 Hi All
I am 6 years out of my RNY April 14 2003.  As of now I have maintained a weight of 190-215 @ 6' this is OK.  I started @ 395 with a BMI of 52.  I had a revision on Feb 24 Th 2009 due to a high mass of Scar tissue closing the exit from my pouch, It went good.  I wanted to talk about my onset of Bradycarda (low heart rate) I also had a Holter test done the low was 37 bpm at rest. When I went for my pre-op test it was @ 52 standing 43 laying down. Then went to a cardiologist for test, all negative other than a low heart rate. I wanted to ask if you have ever asked about damage to the Vagus nerve that controls the heart rate?  The Vagus nerve is attached to the upper part of the stomach. You can Google this.