Low heart rate = anxiety??

[blondielady]

I constantly hear of people getting racing hearts when they are having a panic attack. Last night I went into full blown panic mode because my heart rate was low. I wear a heart rate monitor/calorie tracker on my arm and I checked it because I felt tired and a sense of lightheadedness while sitting at my desk doing some school work. My pulse was at 59 and I freaked. Its normally around 70-75 when I'm sitting down at my desk. So suddenly I felt like my heart was just going to give out on me and I started shaking and trying to breathe deep. When I took a deep breath my heart rate seemed to go down a few more bpm. So I panicked even more. I got up, walked around, checked it again. This time it was at something like 75bpm. I panicked some more thinking it should be more like 90 when I'm walking around (since that's where it usually is when I'm walking). I wound up walking around the house and was feeling so anxious I thought that my heart should be speeding, since that's what it normally would be like if I was panicking. Well it never did.. it stayed under 90bpm and as soon as I would sit down it would go back down in the 60s. It was about an hour before bedtime.

I actually had a good day yesterday. I wonder if my heart was slow because I was really just very calm??? I don't know but it threw me into a panic. I woke up this morning and anxiety started up again... kind of shaky. I looked at the HR monitor and it was down at 59. I moved around in bed a bit and it was up to 70. I've been nervously checking it the past couple of hours since waking up and it will go between 59 and 80 while I'm just sitting here watching TV, moving around just to grab things that are near me, etc.

My rational mind says this is normal, my irrational mind says something is terribly wrong. I am guessing its some sort of extended anxious thing.

I just started online coursework at college 3 weeks ago and I am a wedding photographer photographing weddings every weekend until mid October. Oh I'm also a mom and the kids aren't back at school yet. So I do have stressors.

[n3r0x1k]

Hi,

I'm the guy from the other thread (33 year old male, out of shape, lots of tachycardia, PVCs, etc) and if this can reassure you, I have to monitor my blood pressure, which also gives me my pulse, and it's often in the 50's, even 40's sometimes when I'm really relaxed. Here's a recent reading:

http://i.imgur.com/kmJ75K2.jpg

You say it's "normally" at 70-75, and that's a good heart rate, but lower is not dangerous. Some athletes can go down in the 30's (no joke), and that was my cardiologist who tried to reassure me because yes, low rates once made me panic.

Your heart will obviously go up when you move about, but don't stress about it going down, it's normal :)

[kiiing]

i got the same fear nd feel the same sometimes if im to relaxed feels like my heart is going to stop but it hasnt yet well not in the past 9 yrs of battling anxiety disorder
mine is anywhere from 60 to 70
29 yr old male
sometimes ill cough or move around so i can feel it pumping again
the struggle

[MidnightCalm]

I have the same anxiety. Most of the time I'm worried because my heart is always beating fast (80-100) and during exercise or movement it can go very high. Sometimes however, my heart rate drops to what feels like it could be around the 50 mark and it freaks me out because I'm not used to it. I (like you) worry that my heart is slowing down to a halt but on the other end of the scale, when it's beating fast, I usually worry it's going to give out from having to work too hard. I also do stuff to try and keep it up, like dance about or eat something... Even alcohol or cigarettes (I get that worried).

[mourningdove]

Actually a low pulse is a sign of physical fitness :) Not too low, mind you, but an athletic person can have a resting heart rate of 40 bpm and be totally normal. Nothing to worry about at all.

[arislie]

thanks for your information