Resting heart rate and the ladies cycle!

[HelsBells81]

Do any of the other ladies notice a trend between resting heart rate and the monthly cycle?? This is my 3 month track of heart rate and shows massive changes depending on where I am in the month! Is this

normal?

[Emma-Sarah]

Hi, yes mine varies by about 10bpm throughout the month. Gradually rising a week or two before my period and peaking a day or two before. I usually find excercise more challenging at this time as I feel more tired and out of breath.  Then after my period it drastically drops for a week or two. I feel much better physically and mentally during this time. I find being ill with a common cold for example also has a similar effect on resting heart rate. Thankyou for sharing, its a relief to know that others experience the same 🙂

[Jukilop]

I'd love to see the association between various women's health issues and RHR. 

My RHR peaks consistently (12/12 times over 14 mo) the week before my period - exactly 7 days. It's a bit of a relief to realise this, as my cycle varies from 25-48 days, but the RHR measure is consistent. I am currently having various tests to try discover why I'm so inconsistent. My variation between highest and lowest reading is about 7-9 depending on the month. 

[Kate1983]

Sorry if this post duplicated but for my pregnancy there was a clear increase in resting HR.  Scan last week everything was fine.  Resting HR dropped 2 days ago and today I miscarried as confirmed by a ultrasound scan. I was just wondering if that was your trend as well. 

[jacksonmook1947]

Yeah 😊

[Vic1987]

Yes completely! Mine goes up by nearly 10bpm which is annoying as the Fitbit takes ages to reduce it back down to c. 63pbm even if my RHR goes back to normal overnight (which it does!). It makes my RHR look a lot higher than it actually is because Fitbit doesn't allow a drop from 72 bpm to 63pbm in one day, it does it gradually in 2bpm reductions 🙄

[Vic1987]

Yes, mine goes up to 72 before menstruation and drops down to c.63bpm after the first day of my period. Crazy what those hormones do to us! 

[Vic1987]

I feel better when my RHR is better too. When it increases and the hormones are taking over, I get all sorts of symptoms! 🙄

[Vic1987]

I have the exact same difference - around 10pbm. At the lower end, my RHR is good but at the higher end it's not so good. Its annoying as Fitbit takes a few days to accept that the RHR has reduced, reducing it only by 2bpm today even if it has gone back down to normal, meaning my heart health score doesn't look as good as it should. You should judge your fitness by your lower end, as that's your bases rate when hormones aren't taking over and Fitbit isn't sophisticated enough to accept fluctuations of hormones within its algorithm.

[MommaOfDwagons]

Mine varies up to 18bpm every month! You want to talk exhausting? 😞 I have POTs, and heart rate is a big deal in monitoring my condition. I have a resting heart rate of 65 when my period starts and just afterwards.. and 83 by the time Im premenstrual!

Due to my condition, my sleeping rhr is always higher than my awake rhr. It never drops during the night. 

[Vic1987]

Bless you, that's quite a jump. Do you feel it too, in how well you feel when it's at the higher end?

[Sushi3456]

Omg I get the same! I have high prolactin levels so i'm on cabergoline now but I've noticed it hits 65 then goes down to 57/58... This year the spacing has been a bit more but maybe that's because I started taking Cabergoline! So this is nothing to worry about right? I always think omg my RHR has increased so i'm dying then i'm happy to see it go down. I'm due for my period and i always get shaky and bloated and feel very... off! Am I the only one???

[hpe0001]

I have mild POTS, mine doesn't always vary drastically but the last couple of months it has. It's crazy, end of Feb it was 61 (but heart rate dropping into the 40s at night) and I felt horrible. Mid cycle in mid March, it jumped up to 78 (heart rate in the 60s and 70s while sleeping). Now a few days after my period, its back down to 61, heart rate in the 40s while sleeping again, and I feel horrid again. It's a really bad POTS day (again mine is mild, but my HR was in the 120s while standing doing the dishes today). I'm hoping it's about to start going back up, I can hardly function when it's in this dip like this. My period this cycle was horrific too, worst cramps I've had in the last fifteen years (I'm 29). I'd say my hormones are out of whack, but my periods are very regular otherwise (starts almost exactly on the predicted day, occasionally a day before or after).  

[Sushi3456]

That sounds so hard... must be tough on you :(. Have you tried doing blood tests on your hormones? FSH prolactin oestrogen etc. Would be good to make sure they are all in check 🙂

[Laird_girl]

Same thing here!!!  I asked the nurse at my health appointment about it and she said she’d never heard of it before.  It has to be hormone fluctuation, but it’s really dramatic.  It creeps up to its highest right before my period and then starts dropping as I have my period.

[YojanaFitbit]

Great topic @HelsBells81. Throughout the month, our body undergoes many hormonal changes that affect factors such as your resting heart rate and body temperature. On average, your heart rate increases two beats per minute during your fertile days right before your monthly period.  😌

[Starlight1983]

I noticed this as well.  Googled it,  and found this thread.  My heartrate goes up right before my period and I get emotional.  

[Sailormoon73]

Hi Sushi3456 … I’d love to post my picture also, but no idea how to attach an image. Could you tell me?

[OntarioMudGirl]

Yup!! All the peaks are just before period. And each month my anxiety goes crazy thinking wth!! Then I go back and see, oh okay it’s normal. All good. 

[Beanicus]

Yep, mine varies 15 beats from 61 to 76 each month. HRV correlates too, trending downward as my heart rate goes up. At first I didnt make the connection and had a lot of trouble making goals for my health, and worrying every time my RHR went up. Thanks for posting, glad to hear its not just me.

[OntarioMudGirl]

Yes!! Mine HrV also goes down as RHR goes up. Glad to see yours is about 15 beats also. So is mine. Highest so far was 76 from 62. I’m so happy for forums like this to ease anxiety and see it’s normal. Not enough studies done on women.