nikigrl8883 Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 hi ive noticed that i wake up at times with a racing heart (really fast beating) it usually goes away after like 30 secs....are these panic attacks? ive only gotten like this since ive had pots ...it hadnt happened for awile and then lastnight it happened again...i was dreaming having a somwhat bad dreamand i woke up with my heart beating out my chest...does anyone else get this ? is it pots>? or panic or both? it scares me though i never use to have that and ive had horrible dreams in the past///never got the racing heart once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 When I first started having POTS symptoms this would happen to me. And yes, it is scary! I could be a panic attack, but it is more likely POTS causing it.Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiactec Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 i'd say it was more anxiety if anything, since you mentioned you were having a bad dream (and most potsy moments occur when one is upright, not supine, but i can really only speak for myself on that - just going by clinical criteria really on this one) .........if you were having a nightmare, that could and would speed you up. i just had a terrible dream a couple nights ago and woke up with my heart pounding out of my chest. i think us POTsy people are probably more prone to a greater sense or level of tachy or higher adrenal stimulus than say someone without pots/auto dys who has a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 i dunno its wierd because it has happened other times when i wasnt having a nightmare just sleeping and i wake up like that i dont know what it is ....my heart doesnt race unless i stand so i dont know why it does that unless its panic attacks...i dont snore at all so if i have sleep apnea its only once in awile it doesnt happen all the time....and i know i dont snore so if i do have apnea its the kind where u dont snore ....just another mysetery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Have you had a 24 hour ECG done? If your heart is slow when you sleep but speeds up as soon as you wake it could point towards anxiety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 i have had a holter monitor before once for 24 hrs it of course didnt speed that day or night lol...that was when i first got sick in like may or june i have had alot of ekgs done since then all normal i have also had an echocardiogram in august normal but i want to have another just to be safe .....ya it happens as im waking up but i wake up becasue its happening...it wakes me up but im dreaming when it happens usually...i mean laying around not sleeping it doesnt do it, only when i stand of course....but i mean it will be racing like u wouldnt belive waking up like i ran a marathon.. it concerns me of course,,, ive also noticed i am extremly sensitive to stimuli now / like a noise i jump if im relaxing the slightest thing i m jumping outta my skin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNsue Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I have this problem frequently since my POTS flared up last December. I take clonazepam at night to keep it under control. I notice that it fluctuates with my cycle. I had a 24 hour halter monitor last spring, and it showed a slow HR and then it would shoot up to 165 toward morning. If I don't take clonazepam, I will have multiple episodes of tachycardia at night. I would wake up exhausted as a result. The clonazepam lasts until about 4 or 5 am, so I can at least get some restful sleep. I am meeting with a new cardiologist next week and will be asking him about this, as it is so persistant. I also feel like I wake up short of breath throught the night. Does that happen to you. Clonazepam is an addicitive drug, so I am very careful to use as little as possible. I wish I had more answers. Good Luck,Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 WW2,im not really short of breath just extremly fast rate i dont even check to see how fast lol i dont really care to be that scared...i noticed u have a thyroid condition,, i dont yet...i dont know what to do ive had alot of heart tests and blood work im actually going to the doc tomrrow and tell him all about this..once im awake i take a few deep breath and it slows it down within a min or less so once im awake it stops doing it .....although the reason it happens at night i have no idea..one time i was dreaming i was in my car driving and i lost control of the car on the hwy i was speeding really fast and just as i was crashing i heard somone in my dream say you wont die of a car accident youll die of a heart attack and i woke up with my heart racing liek u wouldnt belive...scary yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 hey i just came back from the doctor (heart) and he did the ekg again to test my heart it was normal again...he plan out said he didnt know what was wrong with me and to follow up with the hormone doctor...so far everything comes out normal not that i want somthing horribly wrong but its just frustrating that i never get to the bottom of things i do have pots though thats the only thing ive been diagnosed with so far and i have a slight abnormality on my pituitary gland not a tumor i have taken the pills for the prolactin level being high and it has gone down to normal...i stil have to take it of course and it makes me feel like crap at night but according to the doctor the abnormality on the gland isnt casuing all this unless its throwing my hormones off somhow ,,,which when they do the blood work the main hormones....thyroid adreneal that would casue this are ok....sighhh i have one more adrneal test for cushings disease the one for addisons i passed...after that im on my own again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sonotech Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Nikigrl,I know you must be frustrated with the entire ordeal.....I can tell by the tone of your last post. You have every right to want answers and when we don't get them it can be tough to deal with.I also get the racing heart at night, though have never related it to any dreams. It can be quite scary and very difficult to go back to sleep. I think it is my heart racing that wakes me up, not any anxiety or panic attack.......but the suggestion of the Klonopin is a good idea. I have used it on occasion when this happens and it does help. Maybe talk with your doc about this.Klonopin is one of the meds listed to help treat POTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenwic Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 This happens to me fairly often. I, too, have noticed it is tied to my menstrual cycle. Usually the worst time is the week after my period, which is odd. I am on a birth control pill so I don't know how that ties in. Sometimes when I wake up with my heart racing and pounding it is after a scary dream, sometimes not. It usually takes a while for my heart to settle back down to normal, as much as 30 minutes. Sometimes I don't sleep well the rest of the night. I have seen this topic posted on here several times and a lot of people with POTS seem to have this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aprilmarie52 Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 it happens to me too! Its very scary to wake up and feel like your heart is beating out of your chest. I dont know what causes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 i guess it pots related then unfortunatly for us...not a fun symptom, i wish i knew what casued it maybe hormones or maybe its just the dysaumia who knows but at least im not the only one although im sure its not a club many would join lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 i wake up with racing heart all the time.. its not anxiety for me... I wake up thru out the night tachy like clock work between 2-6am...and im usually drenched in sweat.. wet hair kindof sweating... and normally i dont sweat to save my life..but in the middle of the night i doNow i have adrenaline surges between the same hours everynight.. that is what causes my increased Hr and sweating and other things...I used to get the surges quite severly everynight where i'd wake up at like 4:45 on the nose.. with night sweats.. witht eh chills at the same time.. severe gut pain..diarrhea.nausea, and on and on it goes.. But dr. g started me on CLonidine in the morning and a higher dose before bed.. and ive found that clonidine has really helped the adrenaline surges... the severe ones that i was talking about above.. instead of everynight.. its only like 1 or 2 nights/mornigns a week now..unfortunalty the sweats and the tachycardia have stuck around nightly.. but even those arent as severe... though not enjoy that is for sure...but clonidine has helped me greatly in the surges department.. have you had your catecholmeans? (i spelled that wrong).. checked?.. to see if your adrenaline levels and stuff are high?good luck to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 how do you check your catecholmeans? is that when you go to the endocrine doctor? ive had my thyroid and adrenal checked and pituitary/.,,,,no one said anything abotu that so i dont know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 I have strange and unusual heart rate "skips" "palpitations" "racing" rather frequently and without a dicernable trigger. I've learned to ignore it.I've decided that my heart racing at night has something to do with my body trying to keep up my blood pressure during sleep. I think it probably falls during sleep.It's all part of the dysregulation of the ANS as far as I'm concerned.By all means, get yourself checked out by an endocrinologist and whoever is willing to help, but do not be surprised if a cause cannot be identified. Obviously, in some cases, a cause for heart racing is determined and then appropriate treatment can be started. For us, it's dysregulation of the ANS, hence, dysautonomia.I hope you can lessen your anxiety about POTS and all the symptoms it can cause or you are going to live in fear. Hopefully, you'll find a medication that can help. In the meantime, ask us questions on this forum and do some searches as well and realize that you are not alone. Hugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxine Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 I bet it's from your BP getting low in your sleep. I can't imagine having anxiety in your sleep---it has to be your POTS, but it can't hurt to check out all avenues.That has happened to me before, but it was more in the beginning, just before I was diagnosed---and it was never explained how I could wake up that way.I hope this passes for you soon.Take care,Maxine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 thank you for sharing your experices with this fun fun experience lol.....i think it is the pots and possibly the low bp thing because when i lay down my bp gets really low....but people can also have panic attacks in there sleep where that happens too....but with me its probably the pots as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momdi Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 could this be what Dr. Low calls *autonomic storms*? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiactec Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 doesnt anxiety/panic attacks make your blood pressure spike, not drop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikigrl8883 Posted December 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 yes normally i dont know what my bp was i didnt check Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 if you have a pots specilaist or a doc willing to do the work.. you need to get blood drawn to check cathecolmines...Um not al hospitals or labs facilities check these.. so you blood might have to be shipped out to get check.But it would be helpful to know what you norephineephrine levels and stuff are (cathecolmines)good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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