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Who gets worse at night?


JLB

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Is it common for PVCs to worsen at night? I've had some half-decent days here, but I'm still up late because the heart rhythm problems start up in earnest as the evening wears on. By bedtime, I can't sleep, they're so strong - last night, I had those darned "flutters", too. Woke me up 2 or 3 times.

I can't wait to get in to see a new MD. Pretty sure she'll refer me to the cardio the neurologist told me to see - this time, I'll go. :)

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yeah, I get em at night ... actually, I couldn't tell you if it was pvcs or just plain ol tachycardia, but it's really uncomfortable. Last night I tried to go to sleep about 11; I don't think I fell all the way asleep (I'm out of ambien, can you imagine?) but at midnight I suddenly became conscious of the time and that my husband hadn't come up to bed yet and my heart rate suddenly went through the roof. It was really scarey at first ... but I understood what was going on, so I just took a quarter of a xanax and about 15 minutes later it kicked in and I was asleep.

I think you were going to talk to your doctor about that option JLB, right? I hope you pursue it...

best,

m

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Yeah, I'm going to a new MD as soon as my records get there (sent the release request today.) I'm definitely going to be pushing for the xanax - if they want to just dx me with anxiety, that's okay by me.

The neuro I saw several months ago referred me to a cardio, but I decided not to go then - if the MD I'm seeing okays it, I'll be doing that, as well.

EM, I used to get symptoms sometimes on my left side, too. Don't know if I do anymore, because I never lay that way now. :) Funny, 15 years ago, I was laying on the bed, on my left side, with my then-infant daughter - felt a nasty flutter in my chest...

Guess it was a harbinger of things to come. :P

Well, off to bed, see how it goes...

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I always get worse at night. Normally, the day is a piece of cake with only a few minor flare ups. But because I know I get more symptomatic at night, I also have more anxiety before bed, (dreading what the night may bring) and this of course only adds to my symptoms. I have found that Natural Calm magnesium before bed really helps. I think Earth Mother or Blackwolf also suggested this.

I know I've read either on a POTs article or on an MVP/dysautonomia site somewhere that symptoms get worse when you lay on your left side. I simply cannot sleep on my left side without getting a lot of arrythmias and tachycardia. My right side is okay, but the position that is best is on my back with my head slightly elevated above my heart. If I sleep on my side, I inevitably wake up with tachycardia and often have nightmares. I would imagine that it has something to do with our heart valves/chambers getting kind of compressed when we sleep on our left side and not able to pump blood effficiently? Not sure.

Hang in there!

Gena

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Actually, sleeping on the left side is recommended for pregnant women. Here's what I just found after doing a quick search on answers.com:

Two quotes:

"Sleeping on the left side displaces the uterus so it does not compress the large blood vessels (the aorta and vena cava)," says Dr. Shanahan. "This optimizes blood flow to the placenta and, therefore, the baby. It also helps prevent swelling in the mother's legs."

"Some doctors recommend that pregnant women lie on their left side in the third trimester to allow for the best blood flow to the fetus and to the uterus and kidneys. Because your liver is on the right side of your body, lying on the left side also helps keep the uterus off that large organ."

I know not many of us are pregnant right now (but Jess is!)

I had heard that it's easier on the heart also to lie on the left ... but I'd have to continue searching on Google or something and don't have time. This is just what I found when including "pregnant" in my search question.

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I always get worse at night. Normally, the day is a piece of cake with only a few minor flare ups. But because I know I get more symptomatic at night, I also have more anxiety before bed, (dreading what the night may bring) and this of course only adds to my symptoms.

Ditto.

But...

I slept for 8 solid hours straight last night!!!!!!!

:angry::o:(

Just really wanted to celebrate that - it was the first time in WEEKS!!!!!!! I even ate with almost NO trouble with the postprandial hypotension.

Decent day physically. Only a couple of minutes-long episodes of irregular h/b. Feeling a bit odd now, but this day was just golden for me. Thank God for the good days... :(

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Thank you so much for sharing!!

Too often I only write in when I've fallen into the Potshole and I forget to mention any successes (usually because I think they are too small.)

But every small step is a victory worth celebrating!

I made every meeting this week!! Even shaking like a leaf with tremors in my big meeting this morning. I just turned to the committee and smiled as I said "My body should settle back into itself in 30 minutes or so. Just ignore this." And everyone did. Including me!

Congratulations on a good nights sleep JLB.

EM

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I always go way down hill at night. Lots more arrythmias. I can't sleep on my left side either, and I'd done it for a million years, but I find even in my sleep, I can stay off that side, which shows you how deeply I must sleep! B) Anytime I get near my left side if just reclining, my heart goes nuts. morgan

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:)

Amazing, the way we keep our sense of humor, isn't it?

Know what I'm wondering? As the parasympathetic NS is the one that kicks in to promote sleep, maybe the shift at night has something to do with the exaggeration of symptoms.

2 good nights of sleep in a row... ;)

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