slow heart rate with anxiety???

Has anyone experienced a slow heart rate with their anxiety disorder?  I have had pounding heart, rapid heart beat, and extra beats for quite some time now (years) but these symptoms have all but disappeared to be replaced with a slow heart rate. As soon as I lay down it drops to 60 BPM and I get a headache with chest pain.  When I wake up in the mornings it's been as low as 44 BPM.  It also drops to 60 BPM ocassionally when I'm sitting.  I notice the headache and check my pulse, the symptoms always coincide.  Has anyone experienced this??

[tanns]

One of the reasons, and only ONE of many, that I have a hard time accepting an anxiety diagnosis is because my heart rate isn't fast and rarely goes above 100 (except exercise and exertion, of course).  I have noticed it barely at 60 when I thought it should be faster because I felt "panicky".  Sometimes it feels like it "bogs" down.  Scares the heck out of me.

Right now tonight my big thing is heartburn.  I have the worst, severe heartburn.  Antacids don't help and it doesn't seem to be related to food.  Just another one of my many reasons why I don't think I have "just" anxiety.

I hope you feel better soon.

[be still my beating heart 13]

Thanks to your both for responding!!  I'm sorry to hear you are suffering this too, tanns.  It's no fun, an I'm sure you agree that everytime you tell yourself it's just anxiety something in the back of your mind says "but I just don't feel right!"

And to Ryan I don't take any meds as I am generally healthy and only take them in life or death situations.  But I do smoke and find it odd to experience the slow heart rate and not an increased heart rate.  

Has anyone ever heard of slow heart rate being a symptom of anxiety as The Linden Method's symptoms list describes?   I've searched for HOURS and found nothing to the effect.

Thanks again!!

[itsoliver]

Im 19 and I have horable anxiety my arms tingle my jaw numbs my lips turn pale sometimes my heart beat is faster sometimes its slower I get ditzy alot and my feel really light headed as if I smoked a cigarette my eyes sometimes feel as if their going to pop out and im always tired im constantly checking my heart beat every day, I wish it would stop I haven't gone to the doctor I probably should

[exrovite]

This is also a common problem with some people who suffer from blood or needle phobia.

I have also worked with a few people who experience this slowing down of heart rate and lowering of blood pressure when anxious.
The effect can lead to frequent fainting experiences.

One way to deal with this is to flex and release the muscles of your buttox many times as this helps to stimulate blood flow back to the brain.

another helpful method is to combine the above suggestion with putting both feet in a large bowl of cold water


Adewale Ademuyiwa The true source of stress is our interpretations of life events as opposed to life itself. www.stresstherapist.net