roxie60
Senior Member
- Messages
- 1,791
- Location
- Central Illinois, USA
I woke up last week early AM (4AM?) and I was 141/? I was shocked.
Welcome to Phoenix Rising!
Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.
I just realized that I never answered your question, sorry about that.... Do you ever have the opposite problem where you cant wake up almost like your heart rate gets too low?
I just want to put it out there for consideration but apparently a fast heart rate can be caused by dehydration (See one of the above threads on POTS) and did you know that most people die at night when they get most dehydrated in the wee hours of the morning? Drinking extra water seems worth a try. Please see the other thread for quotes explaining what happens. You should be aware that caffeinated and sugary drinks do not hydrate and always drink plenty of water whether you are thirsty or not (sometimes people's thirst mechanism doesn't work as they get older).Fast heart rate while sleeping, wakes me up - dysautonomia?
Hi folks,
This is my first message to ask a question about one of my ME/CFS symptom. This is probably going to be a long message but I'll try to make it as clear as possible.
One of the symptoms that has been increasing a bit over the past few years is rapid heart rate while I am sleeping, usually in the early morning hours (4-6 AM), beating fast enough to wake me up. For example, one instance of this showed up on my last holter monitor as 134 beats per minute at about 6 AM. Sometimes it happens more than once (2-3 times) in the early morning. I'm able to fall back to sleep but it is very disruptive to the sleep.
First, I should mention what this problem is not. I have had another type of tachycardia, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia, since I was about 11. That problem, while annoying, is not at all disabling for me. It is apparently caused by a short circuit in the heart. It feels quite different. First, the switch from slow to fast heart rate, and back again, is within a single heart beat. Second, when that type of tachycardia happens the heart rate is a lot faster, around 180-190 beats per minute, not the range of 100-140 beats per minute that wakes me up. Third, while it has happened a couple times during my sleep in my lifetime it almost always happens while I'm awake. I've had this other type of tachycardia for almost 40 years now so I know what it feels like. I generally just rest for a bit, or try the Valsalva maneuver (that works sometimes), and it usually goes away by itself after a few minutes (there are a few times when it has lasted longer, up to 20 minutes, but that's another longer story).
So, back to this new type of rapid heart beating, the kind that wakes me up while I'm sleeping. I assume it is part of my range of problems with the autonomic system. I have a type of OI (Orthostatic Intolerance) called by various names, e.g., NMH (Neurally Mediated Hypotension). I've had two different abnormal tilt table tests (one in 1995, another in 2003 due to the evil disability insurance people) and my blood pressure dropped to something unmeasurable after 20 to 30 minutes. And while I did not seem to have POTS when I was first diagnosed with NMH back in 1995, the last few times I took my blood pressure while standing up (another long story, again related to evil LTD insurance people) my heart rate was quite variable but was as high as 150 bpm.
Back to the OI issues, I understand (sort of, LOL!) that body postures of sitting or standing stress the body and cause blood pooling and that affects the body's ability to regulate blood pressure and heart rate. And getting overheated, eating a full meal (blood goes to the stomach) and a few others triggers can cause symptoms for me, too. I watched that recent CFIDS Assn sponsored webinar not long ago and unless it was in the Q/A section (I cut out before that section) I didn't see anything about rapid heart rate while lying down and fast asleep.
Anyway, what I don't understand is what is happening while I'm lying flat, asleep, that is causing this rapid heart rate that wakes me up. It's not anxiety. It's not a nightmare. I just wake up and wonder, huh, why is my heart going this fast? I often feel too warm so maybe that's part of it--my body is trying to cool off and it can't? I throw off the covers to try to cool down. Then I thought, could it be sleep apnea? But I thought I read somewhere that the heart actually slows down when that happens. And it doesn't feel like I'm gasping for breath (and my husband has not noticed that, either). Sometimes I get up and drink some ice water. What's strange is that as I get out of bed my heart rate SLOWS DOWN, which is odd, because that action requires more physical exertion, minor as it is, than just lying still. But why would moving around make the heart slow down? But even if I'm really too groggy to think or move around, and I just lie there in a daze, my heart does slow gradually after I wake up.
So, I guess I have two questions:
1. Has anyone else, especially those patients with some form of orthostatic intolerance, ever had this symptom?
2. Do you have any guess as to what might be causing it? Or how to prevent it?
I'm obviously going to mention this to my doctor at my next visit but thought I'd ask some fellow patients for their thoughts. Generally, my doctor is very supportive but I think I need someone who is a specialist in autonomic dysfunction. I've been avoiding trying to find yet another specialist (I really don't like going to doctors) but it's time to stop ignoring this symptom now that it is happening more and more frequently.
Thanks!
I just want t put it out there for consideration but apparently a fast heart rate can be caused by dehydration ...
Hi ahimsa,
A past thread dealt primarily with BP but it contains some comments on HR spikes (http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/showthread.php?1968-Help-Blood-pressure-TOO-HIGH...) but I too have been there and felt that. I began waking every night with steadily increasingly HR and higher BP (heart beat was just pounding though my entire body). I also started to experience lots of tingling, numbness and pain in my arms and legs, episodes of Bells' palsy, TIA's during the day and syncope, often upon waking or would be woken up by these. Eventually my cardiologist prescribed an ace inhibitor. In retrospect it was viral co-infections causing inflammation and autonomic nerve dysfunction with HR and BP spikes exacerbating the effects of inflammation.
I'm still on the ace inhibitor (and a low dose beta blocker) but BP and HR have become more controlled on lower doses after 6 months on acyclovir. I should note that the ace inhibitor took 10 days to take effect but once my BP was normalized all of the severe neural issues (palsy, neural Sx, high BP and HR spikes) calmed significantly. They flare occasionally if I push too hard. I'd strongly recommend being procative with these Sx. Things got pretty scary for me; last summer had approx. 8 ER visits and 6 days in the hospital from late April to early July (about 10-11 weeks). Haven't had a single "non-scheduled visit" since starting on the ace inhibitor.
Good Luck,
Shane
Fairly new here . I just joined yesterday. I'm looking for answers to my own high BP and have had many experiences and symptoms closely related to those I'm reading about. This includes waking up with palpitations. I'd really like to avoid synthetics so that's why I'm reaching out. Hope to join forces with a naturopath within a few days. With luck , I'll learn a great deal more from him and from this group..i got this problem many times (waking up at night due to tachycardia and palpitation) since 3 years ago. eventhough i got my tachycardia and palpitation since long ago way before that but it didnt wake me up at night, i noticed sleeping really does play big effect.
sometimes almost every couple of days after i sleep for >6hours i get bad palpitation and tachycardia and then after waking up for 1 hour it went down. which makes me afraid to come back to bed.
even only for changing position on bed causing my heart goes up and pounding hard.
lots of times when i spent days with lack of sleep, eventhough i got tachycardia but i noticed it doesnt pound hard(palpitation) then later when i pay my lack of sleep and sleep more those days later usually i got worse palpitation (heart pounds hard). before it gradually got better again if i continue to restore my sleep.
another weird thing. there are days when i feel bad during day but when night about to came usually it got better. but sometimes there are days when i feel ok during the day but when i go to bed lying there it got worse.
the palpitation actually worse then tachycardia sometimes because it pounds really hard even if its not that fast.
i also noticed there are times when my heart pounding when im about to doze off. anyone ever experienced it too?
... I was curious if you ever discovered what caused the tachycardia in your sleep?
This got very long but I'm not sure what to cut out. I have not idea whether it will help anyone but I do hope someone gets something out of it!
@ahimsa it soundslike u have arrythmia?
Anyway i also wanted to get it tested for infection, etc but lyme, and other but not so common test is hard to get here also metabolic, immune, etc and its also expensive.
But i wonder, isnt infection or activation cause fever? If no fever for now could it be still from it?
Do you know about heart rate monitor? (Handheld or mobile phone type application) for heart problem it could be useful.
I dont think waking up with tachycardia only from dysautonomia. Maybe mostly but could be also hormonal, and other issue.
And apnea could be caused by ANS i used to get central sleep apnea randomly where the brain doesnt send signal to breathe and i was dying. And waking up breathless.
Although it rarely happen in 2012 when my health got better or maybe from food im not sure. I used to get episodes of breathlessness too all day in 2006-2010 but then it got better. Dont know why.
@Anjikun also on my own and very lost try and want to find a good doctor that could help but feels like waiting for a heaven sent
@therooster Hi & welcome here
Have u been to a cardiologist? And do u maybe have dysautonomia?
I think thats the firstsuspect. And itll be hard not to get drug involved i think.
Huh, I guess so? It's funny but I never thought much about it.@ahimsa it sounds like u have arrythmia?
I don't know. I see people talking about re-activated infections and blood tests that can detect them but I don't understand the topic very well.But i wonder, isn't infection or activation cause fever? If no fever for now could it be still from it?
I had one for a while. For various reasons it wasn't helpful for me so I stopped using it. Eventually I gave it away.Do you know about heart rate monitor? (Handheld or mobile phone type application) for heart problem it could be useful.
It's possible that my fast heart rate during sleep was due to hormonal issues (instead of overexertion? or in addition to it?) because I am now starting menopause.I dont think waking up with tachycardia only from dysautonomia. Maybe mostly but could be also hormonal, and other issue.
Yes, I have heard of central sleep apnea. I have one friend with a CFS diagnosis (not sure which criteria) who also was diagnosed with this. But since my at home sleep screening showed no apnea at all, obstructive or otherwise, I don't seem to have this problem, fortunately.And apnea could be caused by ANS i used to get central sleep apnea randomly where the brain doesnt send signal to breathe and i was dying. And waking up breathless.
i suggest a sleep lab cause apnea could be the culprit. good luck.No, actually, kisekishiawase. I haven' even seen a doctor (MD) in over 35 years. Had 3 colds in all that time. My dilemma has been mostly environmental on the basis of amalgam fillings that I got when I was a much younger man in my 20's. My partner complains that my snoring is louder so I think it's time to see what I can do. I'm doing some research on some things that were listed on an email that a practitioner sent to me earlier today.
Huh, I guess so? It's funny but I never thought much about it.
I guess I always thought the word arrythmia meant irregular heart rate (e.g., fibrillation) which I don't have. My heartbeat is always quite regular when it's going fast. But after looking up the word arrythmia it seems to include any kind of abnormal rhythm. So, any kind of SVT tachycardia is considered an arrhythmia? I think I learned something new.
I don't know. I see people talking about re-activated infections and blood tests that can detect them but I don't understand the topic very well.
I had one for a while. For various reasons it wasn't helpful for me so I stopped using it. Eventually I gave it away.
I might consider one again but there are many different options and complications -- too long for this thread!
It's possible that my fast heart rate during sleep was due to hormonal issues (instead of overexertion? or in addition to it?) because I am now starting menopause.
Yes, I have heard of central sleep apnea. I have one friend with a CFS diagnosis (not sure which criteria) who also was diagnosed with this. But since my at home sleep screening showed no apnea at all, obstructive or otherwise, I don't seem to have this problem, fortunately.
I had an at-home screening prescribed by a sleep specialist. I posted a link to the device used in my other message. It was more than just a pulse oximeter.your apnea device is it an pulse oximeter? from what i read pulse oximeter can only help detect OSA but not CSA.
I don't have one any more. I gave it away.what type of heart monitor you have?