Hi,

I have been doing my exercises every day for the last 20 years. I have
always been into ballet, dancing and sports since I was little and all
through highschool and after.
I used to walk once or twice a week 10 km each time, also over here, it
is much easier and faster to walk distances or hop on your bicycle than
it would be togo by car to run errands etc. (Everything is close is enough).
I had to give up on a lot of all of that movement when I was diagnosed
at first with SLE or RA (they weren't sure) and now (since 2yrs) with RA.
Rd. thinks this has helped my body to cope better with the RA.
Anyway, in less than 1 yr after I was diagnosed in 1996 with SLE/RA I
needed crutches for walking and had to use wheelchair whenever going to
e.g. some event.
I never gave up on doing my daily morning exercises though (without
husband, dirty minds! ;-)) , not like before I had reuma, 1 hr but now
30 to 40 minutes and more careful when suffering from flare.
I have been on Prednisolon (up to 50 mg), on Plaquenil, on MTX (not for
very long), on Sulfazalazine, (not all at the same time) and on
Arthrotec 75 (3 times a day).

When I had my first Remicade infusion my pulse was around 54 when
resting during the hours in hospital. They then thought that was low but
thought this was because of good condition.
I don't know..I never felt very good.

After a year I had to come off Remicade and start on Enbrel because of
serious allergies to Remicade.

Since I have been on Enbrel (on and off because of side effects, but no
on a again, the 50mg shots seem to work better for me than the 25.g
ones) I have taken up on walking again.
This started about a year ago and I try to do at least a 50 minute walk
at least 3 times a week, sometimes more often.
I walk on my special ortho shoes to do that.

Now, the only meds I am on are Enbrel, one 50 mg shot every 8th day, and
5 mg prednisolon per day. (thank god, lost weight coming from 50 per day)
Once a week on Fosomax.
I haven't had to take any painmeds anymore since I started on Enbrel
which is the most amazing thing to me. The world was a (purple) haze
when on Arthrotec.
Well, maybe once or twice just one , but I am talking maybe 3 times in
one year.

I just came home from a 1 hr 20 minute walk at  (very) steady space, not
running, I measured pulse and blood pressure right away:

113/70 and pulse 55

Waited a bit and now bl pr and pulse are:

116/67 an pulse 49

I used the same kind of appts my rd does: an automatic thing you have to
put around your wrist, it takes about 15 seconds before I get results.

I wonder, does your pulse stay low even when there were years of hardly
and walking and sports?

I don't know about condition, in the beginning I couldn't walk the
longer stretches like I do now, so I guess my condition is okay,
considering.
But I do still feel very very tired always, though the walking makes my
joints feel better.
Maybe it's just inherent to having RA.

 I read somewhere about low pulse and some of it's causes, I don't
think it's the meds, but just assume it's the walking and exercises so I
am not too worried about it.

It's just that I noticed when my pulse goes back to normal, the
bloodpressure seems to go up ( a bit) and was wondering if this is
normal and why this is?

Sorry I am taking up so much of your time with this story, but I thought
it would make the low pulse more understandable, maybe maybe maybe..?

Nikki

I take my blood pressure every day and the pulse flocculates any were
between 50 --60. I use a wrist and they are not too good. At the Dr.
it's better.
Fay

It might be too low if Nikki isn't working out a lot, but when I check
mine while still in bed in the AM it's about 42. When I was running
marathons it was below 40. Certainly it could be a problem if there is
no good explanation, but it could be a sign of good health.
Cooly