I'm a 43 yo female who was very healthy until some 3 months ago when I had a bad viral infection & bronchitis. I always had low blood pressure, but it never affected me in a negative way. In recent months, however, I've been having an awful lot of very strange symptoms, such as weakness, shortness of breath, anxiety attacks, a slow heartbeat (around 50), ringing in my ears, and repeated fainting episodes.

My doctor sent me to a cardiologist for an echo/stress test, and that went well. Can I assume that rules out heart problems? (I have no other risk factors.) What else (other than stress) could cause these symptoms?

Thanks!

Have you taken a tilt table test yet?

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I have a lot of the symptoms hummingbirdkiss mentioned, such as the heart racing if go up a flight of stairs, or even if I stand up! And doctors also blame my symptoms on anxiety, even though I have no history of anxiety.

I just read up on pericarditis and a lot of symptoms match. But the doctor listened to my heart many times, and I had the echochardiogram. Wouldn't they have detected it by now? If not, what tests should they do? My sed rate was high for quite a while, but it's back to normal now. If it is pericarditis, can it just go away by itself?

As for the tilt table test, my doctor mentioned it but didn't seem to want to do it. What does it indicate?

Thanks for your feedback.

The tilt table is usually given to those who faint. However your Dr may have his own reasons to believe it would be inconclusive at this point. Having the stress test and echo may be all that was needed, and I believe an echo can rule out pericarditis.
You said you have anxiety attacks, and that you have a low heartrate(50). Does your heart race during an attack? How low is your BP? When you passout is it right after standing or after you have been on your feet for a while(standing still).

Have you had a chest xray to look at your lungs?

If you get the opportunity, I would take the tilt table test. These symptoms may or may not be related. I don't know if ringing in the ears would have anything to do with your heart. Just keep pushing for tests and don't let them tell you its anxiety if you feel its not. Let us know what turns up.

Take care
Abby

Thanks for the response, Abby. Yes, I did have chest x-rays and they were normal. I just wonder how much an x-ray can detect.

My normal BP is low 90s over 50+ or so, with 80s and even 70s at night. Sometimes the systolic is around 100 with dyastolic as low as 40.

When I passed out I was standing (had been standing and talking for about 10 minutes). If it had been just this one incident, I wouldn't worry too much, because I was talking about something upsetting at the time and felt increasingly lightheaded for a few seconds before I went out. But I often feel like this (or close) when I'm at home at night, and then I just lie down and I'm ok. In that instance I was on the street -- I think that was the only difference.

Its good that so far all tests have come out good. I have heard that a chest xray isn't as good as a ct scan in some situations but I don't know how true that is. I guess it depends what you are looking for. My grandfather has a similar problem. He has had low blood pressure all his life and was told yrs ago to eat a high salt diet. He was okay for a long time but lately he has been dizzy and passing out. They gave him some support stockings to help prevent blood from pooling in his legs. Did your Dr mention anything about circulation? Fortunately I think everything will be ok, as long as they find something to keep your BP up, that may be the tricky part. Hope all is well.

Abby

As for the tilt table test, my doctor mentioned it but didn't seem to want to do it. What does it indicate?
Your doctor probably doesn't want to do a tilt table test because it is very expensive. With me they did several blood tests, an echo, chest x-ray, and 24 hour telemetry for 2 days and found nothing. Luckily, my insurance is very good and my cardiologist ordered a tilt table test.

Like you, my blood pressure has always been low (mine averages 90/60) and my heart rate averages 60 beats per minute. I always assumed that my dizziness came from a sudden dip in my blood pressure. The tilt table test will tell you if that's the case. During my tilt table test I ended up passing out and then flatlining for 6 seconds. Up until I flatlined my blood pressure was normal (well, normal for me). What did drop was my heart rate. This is the second documented time that my heart rate has dropped to a dangerous level.

I'm not sure why they deleted my response from yesterday. If you read my thread titled "31yr female scared about heart" you can see what my symptoms were. Currently they suspect I have vasovagal syncope caused by a low heart rate (which means I may need a pacemaker) but they still have a lot more tests to run...

Sara -- I"m not sure what's going on here. I also posted a reply yesterday that vanished. Any idea why? I just listed my stats (BP, etc) and recent history. Now I posted in your thread. Seems like so many of us have similar problems.

One thing I keep forgetting to mention: I tend to feel fine the first half of the day. It's usually in the afternoon and especially at night that the symptoms get real bad. Anyone else with a similar pattern?

One thing I keep forgetting to mention: I tend to feel fine the first half of the day. It's usually in the afternoon and especially at night that the symptoms get real bad. Anyone else with a similar pattern?
Yes! Sometimes I don't feel good during the day but most of the time the bad symptoms only come at night! I mentioned this to my doctor but he didn't act like that was important. But if there are several of us who's symptoms come primarily at night, then it must be..