Hello @jubilant
This is my personal dealings with meds and heart attacks, not meant for advice to anyone.
My Cardiologist put me on Lopressor(Metoprolol) after my 1st heart attack in 2003. I had never had a high BP in all my adult life, but he wanted me to keep it as low as I could, and still be able to function at levels normal for my type of activities, active.
Started me at 25mg twice per day. My BP was running about 90/60, which is alright for me. The Diastolic gradually started dropping into the low 50's, and that is when it starts to effect my movements, and how I feel.
He cut my dose down to 12.5mg twice per day, and that is what I took until about 8-9 months ago. I then told him I wanted to try going off all BP meds and felt my BP would still be lower than what is considered "normal". I wanted to cut back my med numbers and felt I could do without this one. I also wanted to buy a Teeter Inversion Table, and it is not wise to Invert 90° when on BP Meds.
Since I had stayed at a high physical fitness level much of my adult life, my Heart Rate always ran in the 40's, even in the 30's when taken prior to getting out of bed. Most seasoned athletes have a lower Heart Rate than non-athletic individuals.
Now the Metoprolol does effect the pulse rate. Without it my HR when working out was around 135-140 beats per minute(bpm), on Metoprolol at that same level of exercise effort, my HR was only 115-120bpm. All because of Metoprolol, I had to relearn my Aerobic/Anaerobic Threshold numbers. That has been my method of knowing my body's intensity level of effort for decades.
It took me a long time to understand and somehow correlate my Pre-Metoprolol levels to my levels while taking it. My resting heart rate was low, but it had always been low because of my fitness levels. Even at my lowest fitness level, while on Metoprolol, it was in the Mid to High 40's in bpm.
I am now as fit as I was long before my 2 Heart Attacks(1st one with Aspiration Pneumonia)/2 episodes of PE(Lung Blood Clots), and my many other battles with serious illnesses. Off Metoprolol my Heart Rate now is always in the 40's when resting, and my Maximum Heart Rate when ice skating(doing short distance high speed intervals) is 150-155bpm. My easy skating HR(Aerobic) is about 125bpm. I always wear my Heart Rate Monitor when doing any type of exercise, and I have for well over 30 years.
What is a safe range? That has to be decided by your Cardiologist and he/she will have to base some of that on your Physical Fitness Level. I don't remember if you had a Heart Attack, or had your surgery because it was needed.
If you did not have a Heart Attack, your heart is probably not damaged, ask your Cardiologist. My lower heart was damaged and no longer can function at it's Pre-Heart Attack Levels. Once that part of the heart muscle died, it will never return. That is where I will be from here on out.
Somewhere in this long novel, you are able to find something that might help you, or at least you can check with your Cardiologist. I know my heart's ability by trial and error, on BP Meds and no BP meds. I have watched my Heart Rate closely for decades, so in that respect, my Cardiologist does not consider me "normal". He does however say "I wish all my patients were your type of(not normal)", when it comes to understanding their heart and how it functions.
My very best to you with this
hckynut(john)
hckynut(john)
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