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Tachycardia worse in middle of the night?


Gena

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I have to ask if anyone else gets bad tachycardia when you have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom or waking up from a nightmare? My BP and HR get very low while I sleep, but they are manageable during the day (although still low). After I've been a asleep a few hours my bladder and kidney ache to use the bathroom, but I'm scared to death to get up because any time i do, my heart races wildly and I get dizzy with chest pain. My husband has to roll me in a wheel chair to the bathroom. We joke about it, but it's getting really old because it disrupts our sleep. I drink tons of fluids during the day but try not to drink anything past 7pm to reduce the # of trips to bathroom. Any other ideas?

Also --Last night I had a bad dream and woke up with severe tachycardia, but I hadn't even tried to sit up or anything. I was lying perfectly still in bed with my heart going a mile a minute. This gets so confusing and frustrating. ;)

Thanks!

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Yes, when my POTS was at it's worst, and still now on occasion, I waken to tachycardia, or it gets worse on getting out of bed at night. I have always wondered about the physiology behind that, too. I guess it is related to the dehydration and blood pooling that occurs when you are prone for a period of time, but I also wonder if there is some connection to the body's diurnal cycle and hormonal changes.

Hope it eases for you soon.

Katherine

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Dear Gena, This is an everynite thing that I have grown used to. I continue to drink as much as I can as often as I can to help reduce the symptoms. I would suggest getting up and moving very slowly. Begin by just sitting up, wait a few minutes, lower your feet over the side of the bed, wait a few minutes, etc,etc. I know it takes for ever and ever move you make, you need to "go" more. However, try to remember that, even though you feel like it, you are not going to die from what is going on(ie. the tachy, dizziness and chest pain). On more than one occasion I did end up in the hospital with these symptoms only to be told to go home and rest, drink plenty of fluids and learn to live with it. Have you tried any beta-blockers? Low doses can healp some people, if you can take them. Also, if you are using a wheelchair and would like to give you hubby a break, try checking with your local hospital or a PT(physical therapy) group on teaching you how to move even though you are dizzy and etc. I have been in your currenet position on several occasions and hope you get out of it soon.

Good luck and my prayers, Blackwolf

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Yes, I too get terrible tachycardia when I have to get out of bed during the night to use the bathroom. I assume that at least a good part of the reason is that I'm not wearing my compression hose (which I wear during every waking hour, but not to sleep). Sometimes I swear I can feel the blood pooling in my lower legs--so of course my heart will then race as I'm walking back to bed. It's weird, and I wish it weren't so, but I guess I'm used to it and I know it won't kill me. Sigh. My heart also races when I awaken during the night from a dream or nightmare, even when I stay lying flat. Not fun!

PS good advice to get up super slow and in stages; does nothing for the tach, but everything for the dizziness!

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Thanks everyone for the responses, info and support. I guess it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one dealing with this stuff in the middle of the night! I just wonder if it will be like this forever or if I'll eventually be able to get up out of bed to go to the bathroom without brining on a tachycardia episode. What's odd is that I can sit at my office desk for a couple of hours during the day and then get up without a problem, or even take an hour nap and get up without any episodes(sometimes slight dizziness but that's it). I guess the blood has longer to pool in my legs when I'm sleeping at night. Oh well, I am determined to keep my spirits up and deal with this head on. It sure helps to have this forum!

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I have this problem too. I won't get up at night unless I am about to bust. I also have lots of problems first thing in the morning. I try and put my hose on as soon as I get up and drink lots of fluids, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. I have been on a beta blocker for years and still have the problems with the meds. I can't imagine going off my atenolol. I have tried a few times and within a few days my resting heart rate is 120's, then when I stand it goes up to as high as 180 and up. That is with tappering my med very slowly, so it looks like I will be on it for the rest of my life.

I too get up very slowly when I have to get up, but like you said, you can just be laying completely still and off your heart goes-boy does it have a mind of it's own.

Wish Ihad more suggestions for you but what everyone else has said are wonderful suggestions.

Hang in there :)

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