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