Unpleasant Night

  Last night I was sound asleep but woke suddenly at 2am. I felt my heart beating REAL fast. I think that is what woke me up-the fast heart beat. I wasn't having a bad dream or anything. In fact I don't remember dreaming at all at that point. I felt my chest, then up by my neck trying to count the beats. I really couldn't very well. It was so fast! I wasn't sweating or nauseous or dizzy. I remembered that my doctor had told me to bear down real hard and try to cough to disrupt the arrhythm when that happens. So I did and it did work to put me back into a nice calm, normal rhythm. However for the rest of the night i was a little nervous about it happening again. I don't know why because I seemed to be doing OK when it happened. However I often wake up in the middle of the night. So now I am wondering if that is why I am waking because my heart is in a funny rhythm and it wakes me. ??? Who knows? I hate it when these things happen but who doesn't.

Hopes, it sounds like you have answered your own question, lol. I also know a night like that would not be funny :(

It seems totally possible that your heart could have gone into any type of arrhythmia that could cause your heart to stop pumping correctly. That might explain the dizziness, and maybe nausea resulting from the run of whatever, due to lack of circulation and pressure.

Then again, could it have been a coronary artery spasm? Theoretically
you could have come close to a myocardial infarction (MI), and that could have caused your nausea and dizziness. Did you have any chest pain when you woke?

These are just about the worse case scenarios that my mind can conjure up, right now. I just always expect the best, from any of my symptoms including abnormal rhythms, but am prepared for the worse.

I think you may have mentioned taking CCB's (calcium channel blockers) for the spasms, but I have forgot.....Anyways, I would see my cardiologist about these events. As Delta says "listen to your body talk". I have my ear to the ground, on my body.... :)

Well, I have talked about enough scary stuff for ya in one post. I guess I am trying to impersonate Erskine today, ha ha ha.

Hopes ya have no more nights like last night :)

Rj

Hi Aldo,

I am on a CCB for the coronary artery spasm. I did not have any chest pain when I woke up but I have had plenty this afternoon. :(

Sorry, I quess I was not too clear in my post. I did NOT have any dizziness or breathlessness (of course, I was laying down so maybe I didnot really know.) Also I was not nauseous or sweaty. I was thinking it was A-fib or more likely Atrial Flutte because the beat was regular and I could not count it for a full minute. Either too fast or I was too sleepy. ???

    Then again-what do I know!?!?!?!?!?!? I am only quessing.

Sorry...I guess my mind is conditioned to perceive the worst. I re-read your post and you plainly stated that you "were not" having these symptoms. I got my new glasses today :)

Rj