Morning all. My meds seem to be working, I sleep well, yet every morning I wake up feeling shaky, dizzy and a bit nauseous.

[Mamamarilyn]

It's a beastly start to the day but then it all seems to subside. Anyone else have something similar? Is it meds related?

[Hidden]

Hi gosh I don't get those symptoms but sometimes when I wake up my heart is racing, or appears to be as I have a low heart rate anyway so probably racing is other peoples normal. I always tend to lie awake for a few minutes then sit up slowly and sit on edge of bed to make sure my head is singing on same sheet as my heart, lets things equalise I suppose then I am ready to walk in a straight line. I think is I jumped out of bed I would end up on the floor. If your balance is out of wack it is going to make you feel sick and dizzy, when I was briefly on bisoprolol it dropped my heart rate and probably my blood pressure which made me feel like what your describing. May not be the same cause though.

[Mamamarilyn]

Thanks Ms-J-W, the balance tack is really helpful as I quite often have to take a step to steady myself. Especially this morning when one of the cats ran right across me! I'm taking regular BP readings and there's quite a lot of fluctuation so maybe it's time to get my BP med reviewed.

Keep well!

Marilyn

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Mamamarilyn]

Hi Marilyn - Yes, I'm feeling a little dizzy and nauseous too. I don't know if it's my heart constantly racing at 120bpm or medication. I feel fine if I sit still and I feel my body's telling me not to move. This morning I've decided to hope that its the sleeping tablets Zopiclone that I've been taking for the last few months. Going to see how I am without them tonight. The only other pills I take are Amiodarone and Warfarin.

Oh to be normal!!!

[Mamamarilyn in reply to jeanjeannie50]

My body too! Is that your "normal" heart-rate? I have Paroxysmal AF which is a b..... because I never know when I'm going to get an episode. Really undermines my confidence! Had my INR checked this morning, that was fine.

Hope coming off the sleeping tabs works for you.

I was on an Amiodarone drip during my last hospital stay and all it did was make my arm so sore they had to stop it!

Yes, life without AF would be "luvverley"!

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Mamamarilyn]

My heart has been racing at around 120bpm for around 5 weeks now and I'm waiting for a cardoversion on 12th March. My normal heart rate when I'm feeling good is in the 60's. Like you I used to have PAF where the sessions just lasted hours or perhaps a day or so. Now they last for weeks, but I've been told now it's atrial flutter, which is mentioned the the AFA booklet 'Complications of AF Ablation' as one of the side effects of ablation. I've had two ablations, the last oen in June of last year.

[Hidden in reply to Mamamarilyn]

Sorry just read your reply, so glad it has given you an insight, I have had vertigo in the past and I know balance can give you that sick the room is spinning feeling when your ears are telling you one thing and your eyes another. So lack of blood to the brain, in my case low heart rate so very easy for my bp to drop when I go from sitting to standing. sounds like doing things in slow motion to begin with might help worth a try.

[rosyG]

I'm only on warfarin at present but my BP is higher in the morning and I have to get up slowly as the others describe above. At present, I have vagal type of AF which is affected by change of position but also the changeover from one nervous system to the other- one while you sleep another when you wakeI think this may account for rotten mornings!!

[Mamamarilyn]

Hi rosyG, thanks for your reply. I was really interested in your comments about position. I always used to sleep either on my front or my left side whereas now I can only sleep on my right side, which feels weird. Any other position and the colony of little frogs which live in my chest area start jumping around!!

All my episodes (I have PAF) except one have happened around waking-up time, so maybe that when I am most vulnerable.

Keep well and thanks again.

[rosyG in reply to Mamamarilyn]

Sounds as if, like me, it is vagal Af- I find I have to sleep with as many pillows as possible too Mamamarilyn- do you need to do this too?

[Hidden]

Wow I am so glad to see more people with PAF all on one post. I mostly have my attacks in the day and just lately since starting meds my heart rate has been so erratic and is worse at night, Monday night 10 hours straight no sleep. A fortnight before that had palpitations all day then as soon as I put my head on the pillow I was hit by a jump up to 90 bmp in one heart beat. ( I have bradycardia so high for me) I also have a pile of pillows which helps with my sleep apnoea which my friend told me about while on holiday. I always wondered why I kept waking up all night I put being tired all of the time down to that. Vagal AF has not been diagnosed but I will mention it to the cardiologist which at last I am being referred to again after having a difference of opinion with my soon to be ex GP. Hate it that I am getting so many different symptoms that alter from week to week. No consistency at all.

[Mamamarilyn in reply to Hidden]

Oh, just looked at this post. Have you tried propping yourself up to sleep? From being able to sleep on my front or back with only one pillow, since diagnosis I find I can only sleep on my right side propped up on a whole castle of pillows!

[Hidden in reply to Mamamarilyn]

yep have about 5 pillows, have been sleeping on my right side as uncomfortable on my left, but when having persistent palpitations seems better on my back propped up. Have ordered a foam wedge so I don't crick my back so much. Well expensive but worth it in long run as it will stop my sleep apnea also. Now off to my mums for lunch and see my brother before he goes back to Durham tomorrow, he has arrhythmia and has had numerous strokes, guess what he is on aspirin apparently.

[Mamamarilyn]

Enjoy the day with your family! :-}

[Goldiwonder1]

Hi mama I too get the same as you I feel nauseus and very low can't eat until I have taken Valium even then not hungry. I have fairly high blood pressure and highish pulse which I take meds for but feel lousy most of the time. Doc has now put me on Prozac to see if that works better for my low feeling. Hope you can find a solution to this problem chin up Goldie x

[dedeottie]

Yes my meds are also working and I also sleep well but wake up feeling hung over and I don't drink anymore! It improves as the day goes on. I'm on simvastatin small dose of bisoprolol and flecanide. X

[Heyep]

I wake up shaking most mornings. I also have butterflies and somersaults in the stomach feelings. When this is bad I always have a rough day. This site is very helpful as I was getting very upset about all these symptoms.