low heart rate, high blood pressure

Doctor over about the last 6 months I have been suffering from a low heart rate it has been as low as the mid 30's. I had a ekg for a physical which was at around 35 if I remember correctly and since then I have been to see a cardiologist and done and echocardiagram and stress test. The cardiologist said my heart rate was slow and I had a slight murmur. Since then I have experianced sharp pains under my ribcage on the left side and tightening over my left breast. I have been to the doctor a few times and my pulse is anywhere between 50 and 56 even if I was just active. My blood pressure has also been higher than normal, which most people don't catch because mine is usually lower than most people's. I am of native american decent and female I can't seem to get anyone to take my concerns seriously all of my doctors want to blame the symptoms on my hypothyroidism even thought those tests have come back normal. Any advice on the causes of this would be helpfull.

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

Hypothyroidism can cause a low heart rate but if you are on appropriate thyroid replacement and your TSH is normal then you shouldn't be having low heart rates. I would suggest a few things:
1) check your TSH (thyroid)
2)I would put you on a treadmill if the thyroid is normal and make sure your heart rate increases appropriately with exertion to make sure you are not "chronotropically incompetent"...with heart rates in the 30's I would wonder if perhaps you need a pacemaker (have "sick sinus syndrome")
3)I would also place an event monitor on you to see what your heart rate is when you feel bad to see if they correlate. Please do not minimize your symptoms...if your thyroid is normal then it is not normal to have a pulse in the 30's. I would get a second opinion from another cardiologist and perhaps you can ask those directed questions.With the combination of low pulse and chest pain I think you warrant an evaluation such as a stress test (with imaging). Thanks for writing-- hopes this helps