Fast HR when waking up

[baby_boy]

Hi all.

From about april 2003 i noticed when i awake my HR is very fast, when i stand up its even faster, after about 2 mins it cools down to about 110 then settles at about 80-90. I first noticed it when i used to wake up and go to the toilet, then after i while i stopped thinking about it. I awoke this morning and checked my pulse cus i felt paranoid again, and it was high again, about 160.

Does anyone have this also, and why does it happen? If you could shed some light please.

[MomtoGiuliana]

Hi?this is very common for POTS patients. I know one reason for it is that you tend to dehydrate during sleep. Try to load up on fluids when you awaken and see if that helps relieve it. Has your doctor also recommended extra salt? If so, or if that is ok with your doctor to increase your salt intake, try to also take in some salt when you get up. I also find that sometimes I cannot eat large meals in the AM as blood then tends to pool even more in my abdomen, increasing my symptoms. So you might try small more frequent meals in the early part of the day. Most POTS patients find that they feel best in the later part of the day?I don?t know all the reasons for this, but hydration is definitely one of them.

[sallyann]

hey baby boy,

good question. i have extremely high heart rate in the morning. my cardio was shocked. it is usually around 189 or so just brushing my teeth. i stay in bed a long time after i wake, brush my teeth , lay back down,get bath,lay back down, get breakfast and eat it in bed.you guessed it,lay back down. i have cvs so im usually vomiting in the middle of all that.my mornings are very very long.but as long as i stick to that routine the rest of my day usually goes pretty well.it has forced me to become a night owl and really enjoy the night sky and late night tv.

sallyann

[EarthMother]

Yep that first trip up to the "salle de bains" is like your heart thinks there is a stalker waiting to pounce at you from the comode. My heart beats very fast, even in bed as my body prepares to get up.

I've tried to stop taking my pulse ... this helps. My doctor said for me it's fine. So I try to remember that it can go 200 without a problem (though it is rarely over 150.)

So I try and just let it beat and I go about my "business" and it eventually settles down.

Good luck on your healing journey.

EM

[AJVDK]

Glad to know I am not the only one, I tend to get up and sit for a while, take a shower, and sit on the seat in the shower, get out and lay back down and then most of the time I am ready to start going for the day! My heart rate is alot higher when I 1st get up, but it does last real long! Hopr things get better for you!

[baby_boy]

I thought i was the only one on this one. Its horrible, i feel sick when it happens. Does anyone also get sleeping problems?

[Lukkychrm42]

I get that too, and it's exaggerated when I use an alarm clock.

I just drink tons of water and take meds right when I get out of bed.

I think you'll find lots of us have difficulties sleeping, whether being insomniacs or sleeping all the time.. I'm pretty sure it runs the gamut.

For me, often it's hard to get to sleep at night because my heart is pounding, and then I have breathing troubles and often either can't get to sleep or wake up a lot. I nap a lot, and aim for as much sleep as possible as a general rule, but it doesn't always work out.

[baby_boy]

Yeah i have trouble sleeping, latley ive been sleeping at 3am in the morning. When i do nod off im out for hours.

Latley ive noticed i need more sleep, i can sleep from 3am to 12, then wake up, 4 hour later i feel like i need half an hour, although most of the time i let the tierdness beat me.

One problem i have is while i sleep i can feel palpatations in my dreams, and often feel like i do when im awake.

Over the past to years i just learn to deal with it.

[Poohbear]

Yes, I too have this problem and I get up and take my medicine, lay back down, and keep doing that pattern until I feel better.

I'll share this because I think it's an indication of how sensitive our ANS systems are and because it's a quirky part of me that is kinda funny .... I have a pacemaker because sometimes my heart rate drops, especially if there is a burst of adrenaline (such as a car pulling out in front of me, loud noises etc). The pacemaker keeps me from passing out from heart rate drops. Well, for a while I did not have a regular routine for getting up at the same time every morning. I traveled a lot and had crazy hours so my alarm was set for a different time almost every morning. When I went in to my cardiologist to have the pacemaker interrogated he was shocked to see that my pacemaker went off at such odd times of the early morning, then I realized that my ALARM was giving my system such a jolt I would get a surge of adrenaline. I started waking up to "Radio" mode instead of "Alarm" mode and I don't have this problem anymore. Isn't that funny though?? My heart still races when I get up but since my heart rate hasn't crashed first it doesn't exhaust me as quickly.

The other thing I discovered by accident is that if my heart rate just suddenly jumps up to say 140-150 and I'm lying down if I get up and walk or do something active for even just a minute or two (I have to have someone around me just in case I pass out)...but that will actually help lower my heart rate again. It's almost like it jolts my body back into acting right again.

[MightyMouse]

I don't mean to sound repetitive...but... the issues you report are all on the list of common symptoms from the main DINET site. Also, how and why is listed under "overview", "mechanisms" and the "research" pages of DINET. You will find that the items you have been asking about in your posts are all located on the list: anxiety, tachycardia (fast heart rate), etc. I've highlighted the ones you've mentioned in this and other posts so that you can see your symptoms are considered "normal" with a POTS or dysautonomia diagnosis. Nina

Here's the symptoms list from:

http://www.dinet.org/symptoms.htm

* Tachycardia (Grubb, 2000)

* Lightheadedness (Grubb, 2000)

* Dizziness (Grubb, 2000)

* Palpitations (Grubb, 2000)

* Exercise intolerance (Grubb, 2000)

* Blurred Vision (Grubb, 2000)

* Chest discomfort and/or pain (Grubb, 2000)

* Clamminess (Grubb, 2000)

* Fainting or near fainting (Grubb, 2000)

* Anxiety (Grubb, 2000)

* Flushing (Grubb, 2000)

* Fatigue (Grubb, 2000) (which can be disabling)

* Headache/migraine (Grubb, 2000)

* Shortness of breath (Grubb, 2000)

* Postprandial hypotension (Grubb, 2000) (low blood pressure after meals)

* Blood pooling in limbs (Grubb, 2000) (can make legs feel heavy and appear mottled and purple in color)

* Intolerance to heat (Grubb & Karas, 1999)

* Feeling cold all over (Grubb & Karas, 1999)

* Low blood pressure upon standing (Grubb, Kosinski, Boehm & Kip, 1997) (Some physicians feel orthostatic hypotension is a separate entity from POTS)

* Bloating after meals (Grubb et al., 1997)

* Cognitive impairment (Grubb et al., 1997) (may include difficulties with concentration, brain fog, memory and/or word recall)

* Delayed gastric emptying (Grubb et al., 1997)

* Polyuria (Jacob & Biaggioni, 1999) (excessive urination)

* Diarrhea (Jacob & Biaggioni, 1999) (sometimes with alternating constipation)

* Narrowing of upright pulse pressure (Jacob & Biaggioni, 1999)

* Tremulousness (Low, Opffer-Gehrking, Textor, Benarroch, Shen, Schondorf, Suarez & Rummans, 1995)

* Tunnel vision (Low et al.)

* Sleep disorders (Low et al.) (can cause unrefreshing sleep and an increased need for sleep)

* Cold hands (Low et al.) (and often feet & nose)

* Loss of sweating (Low et al.)

* Hypovolemia (Low et al.) (low blood volume)

* Chills (Low et al.)

* High blood pressure (Low et al.)

* Hyperventilation (Low et al.)

* Numbness or tingling sensations (Low et al.)

* Generalized weakness (Low et al.)

* Reduced pulse pressure upon standing (Low et al.)

* Low back pain (Mathias, 2000)

* Aching neck and shoulders (Mathias, 2000)

* Excessive sweating (Robertson, 2000)

* Nausea (Robertson, 2000)

* Noise sensitivity (Stewart, 2001)

* Light Sensitivity (Stewart, 2001)

* Disequalibrium (Sandroni, Opfer-Gehrking, McPhee & Low, 1999)

The above are symptoms reported by POTS researchers. Other symptoms sometimes reported by POTS patients include:

* Arrhythmias (irregular heart beats)

* Chemical sensitivities (May have multiple chemical sensitivity and can be very sensitive to medications - may only need small doses)

* Easily over-stimulated

* Feeling full quickly

* Feeling "wired"

* Food allergies/sensitivities (some foods seem to make symptoms worse)

* Hyperreflexia

* Irregular menstrual cycles

* Loss of appetite

* Loss of sex drive

* Muscle aches and/or joint pains

* Swollen nodules/lymph nodes

* Polydipsia (excessive thirst)

* Pupil abnormalities

* Weight loss or gain

* Feeling detached from surroundings

* Restless leg syndrome

[baby_boy]

Thanks mighty mouse, ive been meaning to read this.