high pressure and low pulse

[petname]

I have high blood pressure and take medication.  I take my blood pressure 3 times a day, morning, noon and night.  This morning my pulse registered at 44 beats per minute.  Normally its in the 60's except for this morning.  Should I be worried?  What would cause this.  

[ed34]

Having given this more thought, I would have a potassium level blood test. If your potassium has reached high levels, bradycardia can be a symptom. So, I hope you have lots of blood because it looks like lots of tests are needed.

[ed34]

Well you can obviously have a high bp at anytime with a fast or slow heart rate. The body might be trying to keep bp high to ensure a good blood flow due to your heart rate being low. If your heart was able to speed up, then it's likely your bp will drop again.
Maybe ask your GP to do a blood test to check your thyroid gland hormone levels. The Thyroid gland in your neck (just below the Adams apple) produces two hormones T3 & T4 which control how quickly your metabolism runs and how quickly your body reacts. One side effect of low hormones is bradycardia. The Thyroid gland production of hormones is controlled by two other glands, the hypothalamus and pituitary. Blood tests can see if there is a problem with any of those glands. A big cause of an underactive thyroid can be a lack of iodine, but this is less common in the UK because it's added to salt in manufacturing. The most common cause in the UK is the gland being attacked by the immune system. If you have this problem, then treatment is simple, you take a tablet to boost the hormones. No side effects are felt because you are simply replacing a hormone that should exist.
There are many other reasons that bradycardia can occur but usually this is the first test if your heart electrical signals look fine.

[Wolfdog]

Thanks for responding ed34.  No I don't think that Toprol XL is a beta blocker.  I have had those experiences you are talking about.  Having electrical embalances of the heart, can give you abnormally low or fast rates. I can't take beta-blockers such as digoxin or lanoxin and such, as it keeps me bradicardic.. and that's not a good thing.  My heart rate is almost always in the 70+s.. but these past few days its been relaly low.  Not quite sure what is causing that.  I am currently without a cardiologist.  I have one.. but I am not comfortable with him  Every time I saw him for a check up, he'd look at my EKG and say GREAT!! Your pacemaker is working so good!  The thing is .. I DON"T have one! And I have been with this Doctor for three years!! (so impersonal)  He didn't just mess up that once with me.. it was 3 times! Soooo I am not going to see one that doesn't even take the time to know which patient he's seeing.  I want to see an EP Doctor.  I will soon.. for now my GP is helping me out. I just wish I knew what a low heart rate with a high BP meant.

[ed34]

Are you on beta blockers to lower your bp? This will slow your heart rate down as the dosage increases. I was on 1.25mg daily and a cardiologist told me to raise it to 5mg so my angina will be relieved. I was in hospital two days later with a heart rate of 33. This was dropping to 25 when I was asleep, to the annoyance of other patients because all the alarms kept going off. I was woken up on average six times a night in hospital by nurses panicking. When I returned to 1.25mg it still didn't pick up but they discharged me after three weeks. When I got home I stopped the beta blockers until my rate went back to 68 at rest. This took exactly 24hrs, then I resumed the 1.25mg. I think although I went back to 1.25 initially, it somehow locked my heart at that slow rate. Stopping the medication let it catch up so to speak.
Oh, I didn't feel light headed with a rate of 25.

[Wolfdog]

Today I found that my resting heart rate is in the forties. A little bradicardic.. not too bad.. but what is confusing me, is that my BP is 148/98, and even though it is time to take my BPmedicine again, (Topral XL 3x day) I am afraid that it may drop my heart rate even further.
I'm 52 yrs old.  and have AVNRTSVTWPW (supraventricular Tachycardia-wolf-parkinsons-white.) I've been ablated 2 times. Topral controls the tachy, but also lowers my BP. I'm not usually ever bradicardic. And don't have a pace-maker.
  I am really worried about taking another dose of the BP med... worried that it might make my heart rate even lower.

[va_tony]

petname

This is just my opinion but I don't think you should be too concerned about the occasional low heart rate unless it's affecting your ability to function normally (i.e., if you feel tired, faint, lightheaded, etc at times.).  As you mentioned, your resting heart rate is typically in the 60's. It's quite common among those on blood pressure meds to have lower than normal heart rates once in awhile. For example, I take 3 meds for BP (cardizem, altace and HCTZ) and my resting HR is typically 50 to 55.  At times it drops down into the 40's but I feel fine... and that's ultimately what counts. Also, it's quite common for those who exercise frequently to have low heart rates. Runners and pro atheletes have heart rates that dip into the 30's at times and they are perfectly healthy.

While it is true that conditions like sick sinus syndrome and heart block will cause low heart rates, generally a doctor will simply monitor these over time and not treat them if they are unsymptomatic.

If this is really weighing on your mind, you might call your doctor's office to discuss this or to set up an appointment... but really, this doesn't sound like a problem if you have no symptoms.  

Tony

[Jack54]

I would be worried if my pulse rate was this low (44 bps). This is a condition know as bradycardia, or heart rate <55 bpm. Some docs say <50 bpm. Did you feel as though you were going to faint?

Jack