Low heart rate

[jak555]

The other day I went to the emergency room as I had chest pain going down left arm.They did a ekg blood work and checked me in hospital overnight. All night they would wake me up as heart rate fell to 39 bpm. I snore and stop breathing and have for years. Now I am up for a sleep test.I wake up unrested and I am tired all day. I have always been high energy and lately I am just tired and crappy.  I also did a stress test dr. says I did real well and have a strong heart. Heart rate during the day. 89 to 100 bpm. why am I so tired and crabby. I have never been like this. Age 53. Both my parents had heart problems and 3 family members also. They say My mom died of heart attack in her sleep. I hate feeling like this.

[kay2486]

hi, what problems run in your family with their heart? is it electrical or the structural? if you really wanna know you're fine,  tell the doc you have heart problems in the family, and ask for 24 hr recorder and an echo to see it its structure is fine that will probably put your mind at rest, my dad had a minor heart attack at 48 due to stress, my younger sister has vsd and a murmur and doesnt worry at all and me i get pvcs and worry like mad, your electricity in your heart is fine the ecg was normal, i'll tell you the stress test/ treadmill test are fatal for some people as they keel over and die, a doctor told my dad this but they dont tell us that before so well done for passing that

[cindy707]

Sounds like you probably have sleep apnea and it is really effecting your rest.  Its no wonder you feel tired and "crappy" all of us do when we don't get a good nite of rest. I think that the hospital did well in keeping you overnite  and congrats on passing your stress test.  I seriously wouldn't worry about your families heart history UNLESS anyone has passed away from heart attacks under the age of 50 which is the standard for red flagging and even if they have it doesn't mean that you are pre disposed to having one just that you are in a higher risk group is all.  Another thought is that we are about the same age and trust me there comes a point when all of a sudden all of that energy we had starts to decline a little.  I cannot believe that physical changes in myself over the past two years and find myself needing a little more sleep lately and not being the off the charts type of person anymore w. racing here, going there, doing this, doing that.....i guess its just that time in our lives.....and yes your pulse is low unless you are a pro athlete or run marathons and there is all kinds of things the doc can do to raise it...when our heart beats slower the adrenaline is not pumping thru as fast and our heart is actually very relaxed so that could also be another explanation of feeling tired....the answers are there for you but only testing will find the source...good luck

[Jerry_NJ]

The sleep test may uncover a path forward to feeling better and being safer.  A 39 bpm is problematic, but there are treatments that can address that problem.  I'll not list any as I don't want to suggest any specific answers... that is something you need to get from your doctor(s).