Has anyone had issues with bradycardia. My surgery with Dr Hackman on January 14 was canceled due to COVID. I finally got it rescheduled for March 25. Over the past few weeks my resting heart rate has gone from an average of 65 to an average of 50. I am now getting alerts every morning between 5 and 7 am that it’s dropping under 45 for over 10 minutes at a time. It’s going down to 40. I had bradycardia prior to starting prolotherapy for my neck before we knew about the ES last spring. The bradycardia resolved completely after only one treatment. I wish I could get off of “elective” surgery status so I can get it done sooner. Unfortunately, now I have more hoops to jump through to get cardiac clearance which is very frustrating because I already went through all of that in December. I feel that my heart is fine. It’s what is going on in my neck that’s the issue.
I’m sorry for your frustrating situation, Sula64. Have you asked to be put on a surgery cancellation list? That could move your surgery date sooner. I think most of our members end up w/ elevated heart rate as an ES symptom, but we may have some who have bradycardia as well. I suspect it’s due to your vagus nerve being irritated by ES & surgery will most likely really help though it may take some time for your heart rate to normalize.
I hope the cardiac clearance is straight forward & goes w/o any hitches. So frustrating. I had a recent surgery where I had to go through that because I have benign heart murmur. I totally understand.
I’m sorry to read this. It adds so much stress when you’re waiting and anticipating.
Before I knew I had ES, and having low normal blood pressure all my life, my heart started doing weird things. I have had perfect blood test results as well, with no issues showing up throughout my life. I would have pounding heart one day, and then I’d have really slow beat on another. Little did I know bradycardia could have something to do with ES! As I learn more, I’m finding that I have a lot of similar symptoms to other ES people out there. It’s disconcerting but it’s a relief to know I’m not going crazy.
Thanks Siren and Isaiah. It does help to know that people like you understand what I am going through. I’m dealing with this new onset of bradycardia but I am still dealing with a lot of pots symptoms as well. I do have severe craniocervical instability so this surgery is my first step in trying to resolve some of these issues. I will be trying prolotherapy again after I heal. I am desperately trying to avoid a craniocervical fusion. Unfortunately, the styloids got in the way of any progress. Interestingly, I had bradycardia last spring that resolved after only one treatment which tells me it’s definitely coming from my neck.
Such a shame that your surgery was delayed…I agree with Isaiah that it could be the Vagus nerve. Do you have vascular symptoms too? With jugular compression it can caused raised head pressure (Intracranial Hypertension) & can cause bradycardia too.
I hope that the tests get done quickly!
Hey Jules. Yes, I’m definitely having vascular symptoms. The doc started me on Acetazolamide but I am not sure how much good it’s doing. Still having pressure headache that gets worse throughout the day. It’s interesting because it seems that a lot of people feel much better when upright and worse when laying down. I think the craniocervical instability is contributing quite a bit to my symptoms.
Some of our members who had vascular ES have found that Plavix (blood thinner) was very helpful in reducing IIH symptoms (headaches). I took Acetazolamide briefly for Meniére’s Disease symptoms & the side effects were so awful I had to quit. They included a headache. If that drug doesn’t help you, you might ask about a temporary blood thinner.
Your CCI situation sounds like a tough thing to deal with. I’m glad the prolotherapy helped in the past & hopefully it will help prevent the need for possible future fusion.
I did discuss this with Dr Hackman. I have thrombocytopenia which is a contraindication for Plavix. That is when he offered me the Acetazolamide. The main side effect is a weird transient pins and needles feeling in my hands and feet. This appears to be quite common. The nurse said it showed that the medication was working (Whatever). I have so many weird paradoxical effects and contraindications to a lot of medications. None of my body systems seem to be functioning properly at this point. Who knew the vagus nerve was so important.
I had bilateral jugular compression, & the pressure in my head & ears definitely got worse through the day, so painful by the evening…but I did wake with a bad headache if I laid flat at night too! Then it would go off once I was up. All weird! So hard when you have other conditions too 
But the vagus nerve is a major nerve affecting lots of bodily systems so could be causing all sorts of symptoms! I hope that you get in for surgery sooner than you think 
