Should I see a doctor if my heart rate is very low?

[emitchell40]

I’m a 23 year old female with very bad anxiety and suffer from panic attacks. I also have borderline personality disorder and have had some serious suicide attempts. My heart rate is normally in the upper 90’s or 100’s. Even my resting heart rate stays in the 80’s. But about 3 days ago I took about 80 Propranolol trying to overdose but I woke up the next morning with weird side effects. The next night I was determined to kill myself so I took about 70 Prozac. It didn’t work either so I haven’t been to the hospital. But the last day and a half my blood pressure has dropped significantly into the low 50’s and now in the 40’s and I can’t get it to go up. My chest feels a little uncomfortable and I’ve been dizzy, flushed face, nauseated and off balance since my two attempted overdoses. Should I go to the doctor or hospital even though it’s been a couple days since I took all that medicine?

[Red_Star]

Your liver has to process all those drugs. I hope you are alright! My mother has paracetamol toxicity and her liver enzymes were very high. You can die days after overdosing on drugs due to liver failure. I would go to the hospital just in case.

I too had suicidal thoughts. In my case due to vitamin B12 malabsorption. This was my cause of seriously deficient serotonin levels. Serotonin is the happiness neurotransmitter.

The drug Prozac (Fluoxetine) has a black box warning:

"FDA warning: Suicidal thoughts and actions
This drug has a black box warning. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A black box warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Fluoxetine can increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior. This risk is especially high in children, adolescents, and young adults. The risk is higher during the first few months of treatment with this drug. You’re also at higher risk if you have a personal or family history of bipolar illness or suicidal thoughts or actions. Your doctor and family should watch you closely when you start taking this drug and during dosage changes. They should watch for changes in your behavior or signs of worsening depression."

Excerpts from Integrative Psychiatry - Serotonin...

THE FOLLOWING FACTORS CAN CAUSE LOW SEROTONIN LEVELS:
Alcohol
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame)
Caffeine
Cigarette Smoking
Diabetes
Dietary deficiencies of nutrient co-factors
Ecstasy, Diet Pills, and certain medications
Genetic Predisposition
Hormone Imbalances (thyroid, adrenal, estrogen)
Hypoglycemia
Insulin Resistance
Inflammation
Infections
Poor Diet
Lack of exercise
Lack of sunlight
Problems converting tryptophan to Serotonin
Problems with Digestion
Stress and Anger
High Cortisol Levels

SEROTONIN FOODS HELP INCREASE SEROTONIN NATURALLY:
Complex Carbohydrates
chicken
turkey
tuna
salmon
kidney beans
rolled oats
Lentils
chickpeas
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
baked potato with skin
Tahini (sesame butter)
walnuts
avocado
almond butter
Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables (organic if possible)
Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily

LOW SEROTONIN TREATMENT
Once your natural serotonin levels are low enough to cause syptoms it is very difficult to significantly raise serotonin levels enough by food alone. SSRI's or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and SNRIs, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors do not actually increase the amount of serotonin molecules in the brain. SSRI’s are thought to block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin by certain nerve cells in the brain. This theoretically leaves more serotonin available in the brain. However if you have low serotonin to begin with these medications either will not work well, or work for a while then "poop out".

Natural serotonin supplements are likely to be the most effective means to raise serotonin levels in the brain while being safe and without the side effects of anti depression medications. Derived from seeds of Griffonia simpicifolia, a native African plant, 5-HTP, or 5-hydroxy tryptophan, is a safe dietary supplement that introduces higher levels of tryptophan into the blood stream which then enter the central nervous system and facilitate the needed synthesis of serotonin.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO INCREASE SEROTONIN:
Get plenty of exercise (30 minutes at least three times a week)
Eat regularly throughout the day.
Get plenty of natural sunlight
Manage stress and negative emotions
Get 6-8 hours of quality sleep a night
Set time aside for fun and relaxation
Take a multivitamin daily
Prayer and Meditation
Take a serotonin supplement"