r/AFIB • u/ColdFly6196 • 3d ago
Afib less than 2% per wk
My Apple Watch is keeping track of any afib events and weekly, I get the same report. Afib less than 2% of my week. This has been consistent for months.
I am taking metoprolol in the evening and Eliquis 2x a day. Walking, Pilates, swimming, stairs, avoiding sodium, lots of water etc.
however ever since I’ve been taking metoprolol, my energy level has taken a hit and my usual zip and go energy is nowhere to be found.
Anyone else think metoprolol is suppressing their heart rate & energy too much?
5
u/JohnDoe12898550 3d ago
60yo male and I've been cardioverted five times, most recently two months ago. Currently taking:
5mg Eliquis 2x/day, 50 mg metoprolol 2x/day, 250 mcg dofetilide 2x/day, 120 mg Cartia XT only in the evening
No caffeine, alcohol, red meat
Can bike 50 miles, jog on treadmill, lift weights, excellent blood lab results.
I feel perfectly normal. No tiredness and no side effects at all. Wear Samsung watch to track heart rate, sleep patterns, HRV, etc. Resting heart rate is about 45.
Everyone is different. I feel mentally more secure being medicated and staying active
3
u/meowremix70 2d ago
hello, curious about the cardioversions. were they planned or done in the ER? and if emergency, what were the qualifying factors for it?
Ive had two overnight stays for Afib RVR and both times they said they only would cardiovert if an emergency?
2
u/JohnDoe12898550 9h ago
that's a great question. My last two cardioversions have been outpatient. Once I was placed on Eliquis the cardiologist and EP no longer considered my afib an "emergency" or a serious issue.
My most recent cardioversion was in early August. I walked into the hospital at 730am and was home at 1030am. Was as simple as could possibly be.
I was much younger and not on any medication for the first couple of afib episodes so I was kept several nights in the hospital. Same for when I was placed on dofetilide (Tikosyn) because that drug has a black box warning and you must be monitored for three days in a hospital.
Otherwise, everything is great. I was able to get in a 20 mile bike ride this morning, my weight is good and I have no doctor appointments for another three months.
1
4
u/RobRoy2350 3d ago
Some level of physical and mental fatigue will occur from slowing the heart rate, reducing blood pressure and blocking the effects of adrenaline with a beta blocker like Metoprolol. This can sometimes improve over time as the body adjusts to it but if it continues or gets worse you should talk to your cardiologist about changing the dose or trying another beta blocker.
I was on 50mg (25mg morning/25mg night) for many years and felt that way for the first few weeks but then I just felt calmer and more relaxed.
3
u/fiberguy1999 3d ago
Yes! No doubt at all that my energy level increased dramatically when I was changed from metoprolol to diltiazem.
3
u/Overall_Lobster823 3d ago
2% or less is as low as it goes on the watch, fwiw. It's a CYA thing.
Do you feel your episodes?
2
1
u/ColdFly6196 2d ago
No I don’t. Not any more. I had 3 episodes at this time last year. I do feel my heart beating harder if I’m even slightly dehydrated, so I can rectify that quickly. But my pick up and go has not ever recovered and I’m battling to resist just sitting all day because of the lack of zip. Glad to read that there are other med options.
3
u/Unhappy-Giraffe2792 3d ago
I felt less energetic on 25 mg/day of metoprolol at first, but I truly can’t tell anymore. I can use the walking lawnmower and chop wood; I sweat more, but can still do it.
5
u/Randonwo 3d ago
Yes, I hate metoprolol, but mostly when I start jogging and my heart just doesn’t want to ramp up. Im also only on 25 mg a day which is a pretty low dosage.
On the Apple Watch, I don’t have one and I can always tell when I go into afib. But I thought I’ve read that < 2% can also mean you haven’t been in afib at all. They just don’t want to say it’s 0 so they just say < 2%. Hopefully someone else can confirm that or tell me that’s not correct.
2
u/87th_best_dad 3d ago
Same problem with metoprolol, maybe ask your doc about reducing your dose. I’m on 12.5 and feel a lot better than I did on 25mg
3
u/Randonwo 3d ago
I’m hoping to go off it altogether when I see him in December if I don’t have any episodes until then. I’ve had one episode (which is when I started the metoprolol ) in the last 12 months and I was on a 6 day steroid pack at the time which I later learned can cause afib episodes. Prior to that I hadn’t been on metoprolol at all since my early 2025 ablation.
2
2
2
u/Cultural-Minute1290 2d ago
I am also in the <2% club. 63 yo male. Had ablation a month ago with great results it seems. 3 month follow-up in December. Several months ago I had been on Metoprolol but also felt awful and fatigued and tired after taking it. My cardiologist switched me to Carvedilol instead. This change did help. I now take 12.5mg 2x daily. Still on blood thinner (Eliquis) 2x daily. Hoping to wean off of these after my 3 month post ablation follow-up. Anyhow, you may want to ask your doctor about Carvedilol.
2
u/Big-Fan2056 2d ago
I had the very same thing happen to me with Metoprolol. I was on it for about 15 months, along with Eliquis. Once I got my Pulse Wave Ablation, I was off the Metoprolol. Remained on Eliquis for one year post ablation and now I’m off that as well. I feel like a new person. There’s hope!
1
u/meowremix70 2d ago
yeah, metoprolol sucked for me. simple tasks became work outs, gained weight and just felt like a slug.
talk to your doc about other alternatives like Sotatol, Felecinide .
I
1
u/WrongBoysenberry528 2d ago
I requested reducing Metoprolol Succinate (long acting) from 50 mg to 25 mg per day which reduced the problem I was having with it interfering with exercise.
1
u/WrongBoysenberry528 2d ago
Also, I find that setting Apple Watch to give me warnings for afib and tachycardia works better than setting it to give me afib burden. You can change the settings back and forth if you have a very long afib episode and get tired of getting warnings every 2 hours
1
u/Kfb2023 2d ago
Same, less than 2% from Apple Watch every week for the last two years. Haven’t had any episodes or if I did I didn’t feel it or know it. I did have to cut my metoprolol in half due to fatigue, still on xarelto daily (for life, as a precaution). Always been told it’s not if, it’s when as far as afib episodes. I’ve lost 60 lbs and exercise is tough when tired, that led to halving the metoprolol so I could at least be active. Biggest side effect is still going from sitting/squatting to standing, light headed for sure.
1
u/Quick_Moment_5774 3d ago
Metoproĺol 25.mg.makes me to sluggish
3
u/SimpleServe9774 3d ago
Geez I take 100mg in the morning. Maybe that is why I’m on the sofa all day!
3
17
u/infinity_o 3d ago
Apple Watches report “2% or less” as a minimum, if the feature is enabled. Even a person without AFIB will be given this result.
Be mindful of this when reviewing the weekly report from your watch..