Sleepless nights

I just got my PM installed and have not sleep since. I also seem to have some high anxiety to go along with it. They set my PM on 70 and I seem to be speeding. Sleeping pills work for 4 hours only and are dangerous. Any suggestions, or is it just me.

7 Comments

sleepless

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-26 03:07:39

It's normal to not sleep much the first week or two. It gets better as the soreness goes away.

Do you know why they set you at 70? Why did you get it? For some of us, esp those with av block, the minimum setting is irrelevant because our heart is setting the pace, the pm is there to keep the ventricles in sync. You can ask them about lowering it, but it does feel fast for a while, esp if your rate was very low before. I was in the 40's all my life then dropped to the 20's. When I was first paced,it felt like I'd been mainlining coffee! You get used to it, now it feels normal and if I went back to 40 it would feel unbelievably slow.

Sleeping

by Lurch - 2014-07-26 05:07:19

The first few nights I often woke up because I can not still in my position when sleeping. with my tossing and turning I often woke myself up by rolling onto my left side and feeling so pain.

I am not typically paced, but 70 sounds high.... might be worth a call to your EP or Cardiologist.

Good luck

Overdrive

by PeteFindlay - 2014-07-26 06:07:08

Mine was set to default 60bpm minimum against a natural resting pace just under 50, and that was difficult to sleep with. I can't imagine trying to sleep with an enforced 70!

It was quite disconcerting to me, so I went back at 3 weeks and they reset me to 50 - instantly felt better, and had the first decent night's sleep post-op. I might even ask them to turn it down a bit more next visit - if only to save some battery life!

Definitely worth asking whether they can adjust your settings, or if there's a good reason you've been set relatively high.

Pete

Sleeping poorly.

by Selwyn - 2014-07-27 09:07:26

I certainly would not take sleeping pills. They are short acting and make you feel more anxiety the next day as your body tries to adapt. If taken for even a few nights you can get tolerance, a withdrawal state, and they destroy your own natural rhythms.

Relaxation therapy works well. Practice some of the breathing techniques ( Google diaphragmatic breathing) There are excellent on line demos. available.

The resting base rate may be set to 70, the upper rate limit is higher. Anxiety releases adrenalin and causes an increase in heart rate.

Some doctors prescribe beta blockers for anxiety and associated palpitations and racing heart.

Been there too ....

by Duke Heart Patient - 2014-07-28 04:07:28

December will be 3 years I've had my PM and I still have sleepless nights ..... Stress , life , worrying , meds ... Who knows ....... I don't do sleeping pills ...... Just pray about it ........ Talk to friends .........

Thanks to all

by willronl - 2014-07-28 09:07:06

I got the PM soon after a heart attack because I was dizzy. After surgery I was still dizzy so they set it up from 60 to 70 and cut me loose. If I don't take the sleeping pills I will start climbing the walls in a few days. In fact after 5 days of no sleep ended up in ER short of breath, anxiety I guess. Xanex helps me sleep also, but only last 3 hours.

Sleeping pills...

by Lurch - 2014-07-28 10:07:52

I take a sleeping pill every night. Fortunately, for me, it allows me to get a good 6-7 hours of sleep.

I am a very light sleeper and most anything will wake me. I sleep with a box fan running on the floor next to my bed to cover other noises.

Been taking a sleeping pill nightly for about 3 years... don't notice any effect in the mornings, generally wake feeling refreshed and rested.

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