Anyone Work Nights?

[ramakentesh]

Most of us would agree that they tend to feel better in the evening. So I wonder - does anyone work nights? I worked nights for a few years before I got sick and it was alright for me. Has anyone thought of this seriously as an option? Like a security guard perched at a desk or something?

[icesktr189]

When my POTS was more stable I did as a caregiver...it really worked out for me. Now that I am 90 percent worse there is no way, but I hope with the right med combo I can drive again and start to work... I really miss it. I have no urge to get on disability even though I applied.

[ramakentesh]

Yeah I can relate to that last part. But my mother in law told me to get over my pride and accept it if it has to happen and I guess she is right.

[Chaos]

I'm luckily in a profession and in a work situation where they want me to stay on so are willing to make accommodations for me. During bad periods I will sometimes not get into work until about 2:30 in the afternoon. Sometimes I'll start feeling better in the afternoon later and will stay at work until 9:30- 10 at night. But haven't actually ever tried working nights.

Your mother in law sounds like a real "gem". Yeesh! Not one to give a guy much empathy, is she?

[Chaos]

A security guard perched at a desk works as long as that's all you have to do... and they don't mind you keeping your feet on the desk all day. LOL What happens if you have to chase a "bad guy" and you happen to do the POTsie thing, or faint when you stand up?

[ramakentesh]

yeah good question... LOL

[icesktr189]

Well you can always get off it if you go into remission I am hoping that if i do get accepted that it wont be a forever thing. I am still going to go to school online and finish my degree and hopefully one day I will be able to use it!

[L4UR3N]

I work nights and it definitely works well for me!! In fact, I feel better working nights than days. I have always been a night owl though and used to joke that I should move to the other side of the world for my body to be in tune, lol. I cant really put my finger on WHY I feel better on nights, but my body definitely seems to like it. When I get 8 hours of sleep and wake up late afternoon I feel much more rested than if I get the same 8 hours but wake up in the morning. Working nights is also the only way I could do my job right now. In nursing you have to stand for 12 hour shifts as well as lift things (and people!), bend down to pick things up (or check pts feet), and RUN when there is a code. Thankfully working the night shift gives me some opportunities to sit down. It is also a great pay differential . .......I do worry about vitamin D though, as well as the plethora of studies linking night work to cancer.

[lissy]

In response to the feeling better at night, I also feel that. The only thing I have to really add is my cortisol is high in the morning which may cause the adrenaline to start becoming wacky which makes me feel worse earlier and it declines throughout the day feeling better at night?....Is there any study or research on this someone could add?

SO yes working nights would be possible if sitting, to me unless I was feeling too awful to be anywhere.

Also I can add if I fall asleep at midnight and wake up any time before 10 I feel so sick, but when I use to be able to sleep until 11-1 I felt somewhat normal. But I can't do that having children to care for.

[jangle]

Back when I worked at a grocery store I used to love the late night shifts around midnight. I guess it depends on how severe your symptoms are at the moment and if there's anything that can give you relief. I wouldn't recommend working late night shifts though because it throws off your circadian rhythms and probably would make your POTS a lot worse.

Although if hard pressed to become a security guard, I'd be sure to rig up traps so that I wouldn't have to be doing any chasing in case of emergency.

[icesktr189]

Right before I came down with POTS, I was working a grave yard shift... after that I could never get back to a normal sleep pattern..

[tigerkate]

I actually work nights! 12 hour nights as a nurse assistant.

It was a lifesaver in the summertime, because I got to sleep during the heat when my symptoms make me pretty useless and miserable.

However, a few things have happened since being on nights for 7 months, which made me concerned enough to go back to the neurologist and get another cardiac workup... One day, I was about to go to sleep, and felt some palpitations. I took my heart rate and it was 42. I couldn't believe it and I started to panic, because my heartrate has never been below 65 even with beta blockers (when I took them, currently I am on nothing so we can see a true baseline).

I started monitoring my BP and HR more religiously, and discovered when I wake up my HR is usually in the 50's. I still have my POTS-y thing going on, but it is pretty extreme since standing I am still running 120-140.

My neurologist said working nights was okay, because it is good that I am functioning and doing something with my life (was a problem before). However, she strongly urged that I don't flip-flop my hours during my days off. Because that is what ends up messing my circadian rhythm.

I got my labs done and even though I am out in the sun for a little bit at sunrise/sunset, and I drink my milk and eat my ice cream and have my Vit-D added ovaltine..... I am pretty deficient in Vitamin-D, with 13iu/d ("normal" is 30-100iud).

I also found my RBC is slightly low, my hemoglobin and hematocrit are right on the very edge of low-normal. My lymphocytes are high and my neutrophils are low.. but everything else is all normal (if not on the low-side). I eat well, I eat a good amount of red meat too (which was my childhood anemia issue).

Not sure what is going on exactly, but I have my follow-up cardio appointment on Monday-- to get answers on my labs, my repeat holter monitor, and my agitated-saline bubble echo . (Had to find a good cardiologist who would listen to me about my dysautonomia, so it has taken me a while to get all this stuff done. )

I'm not sure if it is night-shift related, but if it turns out that I am falling apart because of that... I'll post here!

I also wanted to point out, that if you read the actual studies that point to nightshift workers being obese and cancer-filled (lol), you will see that most of those studies are sampling women who do ROTATING nightshifts.

Nearly all of my coworkers are healthy individuals, and a few who have issues mainly caused by switching back and forth and being really tired and worn down from it.

[L4UR3N]

Kmaod- totally agree with you! It's the rotating of shifts that is the worst. I keep the same hours whether I am working or not. Socially, its not the best schedule to have, but physically--it works.

[potsgirl]

I am one of those who can't function much past 5 pm. I go in to bed about 5:30 - 6 in the evening, read until 7:30 or so, and then it's light's out. I get up around 5-5:30 am, but am not able to leave the house until 9:30 or so (on a Good Day, when I can leave the house!). I usually take a nap between 1:30 - 2:30 or so. I guess I have a very small window of when I am at my "best" - from about 9:30 until 1 pm.

I would love to go back to work, and to have some night life as well, but that's the rhythm my body is in right now. Makes it very difficult to socialize! Lunch anyone?

[s-pot]

I have also experienced working nightshift's in hospital (im a midwife) and totally agree with above. I found night shifts quite good but only if its a consistant thing...the change over from nights back to days is a nightmare with POTS and totally messes with my body!

I assume thou the night shift work is totally dependent on how severe an individuals symptoms are and exactly what kicks it all off too...i find if I end up doing alot of sitting-standing it takes a terrible toll on my body. It seems to be either one or the other for me....keeping moving on my feet or keep sitting for long periods. The fatigue kicks in when im doing too much sit-stand!

I worry about the future of this for me thou and how long I would realistically be able to keep it up. A mental busy night on the labour ward is stressfull...added adrenaline surges when your rushing to emergency theatre on a fairly regular basis doesnt help a whole lot POTS wise!!!

The last night i did a nightshift and this happened I checked my pulse and it was easily running at 180-190...i didnt notice it symptom wise cos i was so wrapped up in my work but im guessing it seriously added to my fatigue later. Cant be too good for the aul bod!

I am only newly qualified and will havto experience more nightshift work to get an idea of exactly how feasible it is for me personally but if any of you who have done em have any tips on managing routines and pots while doing them i would appreciate your advice!!