how much shold inhaling raise heart beat?

[Will_D]

38y/o male, 6'4" and 258lbs., typical resting bp 125/70, resting rate in 70s.  No history of heart disease in family before age 70.  Exercise once or twice per week on stairclimer for 20 mins.  Had an arrhythmia/tachycardia event last Nov for one day (it was perhaps 15 episodes of 3 - 4 sec over 24 hours) and was put on 25mg LoPressor twice a day.  No similar arrhyhmias since; remaining symptoms include occasional fast heart beat (110 - 120 /min while resting, often after a big meal), pounding sensation in chest and head after I climb stairs during recovery phase, and what feels like a skipped beat every few days or so.   Holter monitor and echo showed 'normal' with no events during 24h Holter, although I would have bet I had two or three skipped beats.  I've read a number of posts and feel better that PVC's seem benign if the cardiologists clears you (never actually saw him/her, it was all through PCP).  My main question now is:  how much should inhaling speed up my heart?  I can have an exhaling rate in the neighborhood of 60bpm, and my inhaling rate will rise to 90bpm or so.  Sometimes it is more pronounced than others.  Thank you.

[melly0829]

A related discussion, Increases heart rate and shakiness with inhaler was started.

[BillyboyAA]

This is called vagal toning.  Alot of cardio work gives you this good conditioning.  I have this also.  I am a 32 year old male about 5'9" 160#.  Pretty lean and have been doing cardio work for about 3-4 years now.  I always had a low heart rate, but it seems to have gotten slower throughtout the last couple of years.  My resting rate used to be about 60.  I wake up in the morning and it is about 42 bpm.  During workouts, I get it to about 110-115.  It quickly drops, within minutes to about 60-70 and by the time I get home from the gym it is back down to about 50-ish.  Right now it is 48 bpm.  My cardio tells me this is great and not to worry.  But I sometimes feel like I can't breathe, but he insists this is anxiety and I have a perfectly healthy heart.  I do have sinus bradycardia and occasional PAC's and PVC's.   I have yearly EKG's, Stress tests, Echo's all because my doc thinks this settles my mind.  Some one please help me with this.  I am worried I will someday need a pacemaker or something.  I have sinus bradycardia and sinus arrythmia,which my doc says is really good.  When I sleep it gets down to 32 bpm. as seen on a holter monitor.  Anyone please contact me if you know anything about this.  ***@****

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear Will,
Inhalation does increase heart rate.  This is due to a number of different factors including blood return and autonomic nervous system factors.  The rate of increase is generally in the 10-20% range but it is possible to have higher increases (e.g. from 60 to 90 bpm) given the right circumstances.  A greater increase in heart rate is actually a sign of good heart health.

[alexawesome1]

Hello Wil,

I'm not a Cardiologist but have had my share of concerns and have seen two in the last year with a battery of tests.  Initially my concern was an occasional skipped beat, at first 1-2 per day, sometimes none in a month, sometimes once a week.  This started at 24, I'm now 27, 5' 11" 190LBS, have always been athletic, weight training, mild jogging, tennis etc. I can address your question about raising your HR when inhailing (comment only). My resting pulse is usually between 48-55 depending on how deply relaxed I am. I tried inhailing all the way with a sitting pulse of 55BPM and found that I could get around 70BMP but my rate decreases almost as fast as I exhale, this is based on a 6 sec. count times 10.  If I inhale I get a faster HR but It goes back to normal as I exhale.  Hope this gives you some insight.  Remember everyone is different! If you're Cardio has cleared you then everything is OK! Everyone will experience an increased HR when their stressed, neverous, anxious etc... this should pass once you're relaxed. Feel free to email alex_dolgonos***@****

Take care, Alex.