Heart Rate Panic

[bellabum]

OK, normally my heart races when I'm anxious. However, over the last few years I've noticed it become lower tahn normal (usually when I'm feeling run down with a bug or stress, although the two are often synonymous). This morning, for the first time in about 3 months the old blood pressure monitor came out because I felt ill and I've got myself worried because my BP was 104/57 and my pulse was 51.

Has anyone else fixated about this and is this part of the anxiety? I have had 24 hour ECG's in the past which haven't shown anything, although it's been commented that my pulse is a little lower than average sometimes. Has anyone else noticed a low pulse? I feel exhausted and run down at the moment and just want to lie in bed.

My Mum had a pace-maker 6 years ago after her heart- beat went too low (I'm talking in the 30's) and I suppose this is worrying me too.


Any comments/advice would be more than welcome.

[House fan]

Hi Bellabum

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling a little out of sorts at the moment. Bradycardia can be very alarming, especially to an anxious person, but I can assure you that many very healthy people have a heart rate under 60. In fact, most endurance athletes have a low heart rate, some as low as 30.

I obviously don't know your medical history, weight, fitness level, diet etc., but if you are not experiencing any other symptoms like dizzyness, breathlessness and chest pain, especially having been tested in the past, I would imagine that your heart is in good shape, and you don't have anything to worry about.

Low potassium levels in the body can also cause bradycardia, as can certain thyroid conditions, which can also cause exhaustion.

Your mothers internal pacemaker obviously wasn't working properly, hence the need for a pacemaker, but your physician would have been aware of this when doing the tests on your heart, and any faults with the wiring would have shown up straight away, so please don't worry about that.

Another thing, these home blood pressure kits can be very unreliable. If you take a reading 3 times in a row, I can almost guarantee you 3 completely different readings.

Hope this helps a bit.

House.

[bellabum]

Thanks House Fan.

Unfortunately, I've had both chest pains and dizziness this week (went dizzy and fell on Friday) but had put this down to anxiety.

I'm female, 31, 10 st 2lbs (looks like I've lost 4lbs this week without even trying - never happens when I diet LOL) and have a good diet, although i could probably do with eating more fruit.

[House fan]

Hi again Bellabum,

Could you take your pulse again just now, not with the machine, but the old fashioned way with two fingers and a watch.

House.

[NervousNellie]

Hi Bellabum!

When I was hospitalized in October for a fast heart rate (not by my choice - the doctor sent me straight from his office!!), the paramedic told me that for someone my age (30 years old), my resting pulse rate should be somewhere around 60 and my blood pressure should be around 100/60. So it seems to me that you are right on target!! I've checked my pulse when I've been very relaxed and it was right around 57-59, but when I have a panic attack, it can get as high as 150!

Did you check your blood pressure and pulse first thing in the morning? Or were you already up and moving around?

[nickieb]

Many people have low pulses & if you are asymptomatic & tests have come back normal then that is normal for you hun xxx

[bellabum]

Hi

I took it in the morning - I had got up, but went back to be because I felt unwell (I always do when my pulse is a bit lower, which is why I checked it).

House - just checked my pulse - it's 64.

[nickieb]

64 is fine x

[bellabum]

Thanks Nickieb

Can I just ask (I know, I know I need the reassurance) - why do I feel grotty when it does go low if it's normal? I'm not saying there's something terribly wrong, but I always know when this happens because I feel really tired and, well, grotty is the best way to describe it.

[nickieb]

Yeah u will feel grotty hun especially if your focusing on it. I would see ya GP & tell him. They may wanna rule out some things & give you a full blood count xx

[bellabum]

Thanks Nickie.

[bellabum]

I've found this thread which has calmed me a lot: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2078.

Maybe mt pulse is that low often but I only notice it when i am feeling unwell or am anxious?

TBH, I think this is health anxiety again - if 3 24 hour ECG's have said I'm fine, i'm sure I am.

[bellabum]

Well, it's happened again today and, yet again, i'm feeling in a fine old state about it.

Started feeling tired, weak dizzy and having that really odd feeling in my stomach when this happens - I knew my pulse was low even before I took it - it was 56 bpm.

Of course, I started to google, which has scared me and have had a cup of tea with caffeine in (I never drink caffeine normally) which has brought my pulse up to 72 (which is about my normal). however, I'm scared that when the caffeine wears off, my pulse will go down again. I'm also having some ectopics and just generally feel really, really grotty.

I started Citalopram 10mg two weeks ago and on wednesday changed to 10mg Cipralex. I also haven't had much sleep for the last couple of nights as my youngest has chickenpox.

I did have a little wobble during the night, but I talked myself out of it. However, now I feel very anxious (although this isn't causing me to have a fast pulse like I normally do) and I'm worried in case the dizziness an shortness of breath isn't panic but something to do with my heart.

Help!!!!!!

[Alabasterlyn]

I worry obssessively about my BP and pulse too. My resting pulse is usually 60 but if I do something that I don't even consider that energetic, for example doing the hoovering etc., I take my pulse and it can be as high as 125 which to my mind is very high. No matter where I look I can't seem to find out what a person's pulse should be when they are doing normal activities. If I go on my treadmill at 5mph, which I have been doing for 2 1/2yrs now, my pulse will go up to 125 and I daren't go any faster than that as my maximum heart rate for exercise should only be 132 and I'm not that much below that just doing stuff in the house :scared15: