Fludrocortisone and low heart rate; What's up with that?

Question

Sup Swooners,

I have a general enquiry. Just a quick tone indicator: I am in no way anxious or overly concerned about this. I just want to gauge other people's experiences with taking Fludrocortisone.

Yesterday and today I had episodes where my resting heart rate sat around 41–44 bpm for about 10 minutes while I was lying down awake.

I've been on 40 mg of Propranolol twice daily for over a year and 70 mg of Vyvanse for ADHD for 4 years with no issues at all.

I finally got in to see a POTS specialist and he prescribed Fludrocortisone. I'm two weeks in: I took 0.1 mg the first week and increased to 0.2 mg the second.

I've had some mild, unproblematic swelling and a bit of mild mood irritation until this started happening. My heart rate isn't getting this low when I'm asleep, and it recovers fine when I stand up.

Yesterday's episode involved light-headedness, a bit of confusion, shortness of breath, and sudden fatigue. Today it was just sudden fatigue and slowed breathing.

I know about the potassium issue and am planning to mention it to my doctor when I see them next. But has anyone else experienced this? Did it pass over time? Did you have any complications I should keep an eye out for?

Thanks for helping a girl out. ✌️

Posted Mar 4, 2026, 10:34 PM UTC

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