Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Low Blood Pressure And Skipped Heart Beats?
Question: I inquired on 7/24 concerning my low blood pressure and heart flutters, etc. I have stopped taking Bystolic .05; my bp and pulse continue to be quite low, especially when lying down and I have felt skipped heart beats. it was suggested I could be hypothyroid or hypotension. Is BP of 105/58 and pulse of 66 or 60 while lying down too low?In the past month or more my Diastolic rate runs between 53 and 68 and pulse about the same. What could cause this?
Brief Answer:
Bystolic should not be abruptly discontinued
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. If you had been on the Bystolic a while, abrupt discontinuation can cause heart problems. It should be tapered over time. Bystolic itself can cause low blood pressure and low pulse. The BP and pulse you mention while lying down are okay and not too low (with or without Bystolic). If you just stopped the medicine a day or 2 ago, it still may be in your system causing the low BP and pulse. Talk to your prescribing doctor about tapering it properly.
You might have a problem related to the heart flutters that is also causing the other problems. There are certain rhythm disturbances where the heart can slow down a lot and then flutter or beat very fast at other times. The only way to know for sure is to have an EKG done when you are having the symptoms. In your case, you should get either a Holter monitor or an event monitor. These devices record your heartbeat over time and can be correlated to the time of your symptoms to see if it's an arrhythmia causing the problem.
At the minimum right now you should get a baseline EKG to see if the slow rate is an otherwise normal rhythm. If your pulse is getting into the low 50s off the Bystolic awhile, there may be a partial or temporary blockage in the electrical impulse going from the top to the bottom of your heart. The EKG will show this.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Bystolic should not be abruptly discontinued
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. If you had been on the Bystolic a while, abrupt discontinuation can cause heart problems. It should be tapered over time. Bystolic itself can cause low blood pressure and low pulse. The BP and pulse you mention while lying down are okay and not too low (with or without Bystolic). If you just stopped the medicine a day or 2 ago, it still may be in your system causing the low BP and pulse. Talk to your prescribing doctor about tapering it properly.
You might have a problem related to the heart flutters that is also causing the other problems. There are certain rhythm disturbances where the heart can slow down a lot and then flutter or beat very fast at other times. The only way to know for sure is to have an EKG done when you are having the symptoms. In your case, you should get either a Holter monitor or an event monitor. These devices record your heartbeat over time and can be correlated to the time of your symptoms to see if it's an arrhythmia causing the problem.
At the minimum right now you should get a baseline EKG to see if the slow rate is an otherwise normal rhythm. If your pulse is getting into the low 50s off the Bystolic awhile, there may be a partial or temporary blockage in the electrical impulse going from the top to the bottom of your heart. The EKG will show this.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
