Need to pee

[Mazza23]

I have often Been woken up with a weird feeling in my hear and the need to pee I have mentioned it to my GP And Cardiologist and have been given the are you out of your mind look but I have just by accident found out there is a hormone given off by your heart called a naturetic hormone that makes you want to pee has anyone else had this happen to them

[BobD Volunteer]

Don't understand your doctors to be honest this is a well know AF symptom. The hormone which is released by the distressed heart tells the body to get rid of salt - hence the need to pee. Where have these people been for goodness sake? Back when I had AF is was every ten minutes. Day and night!

Bob

[Mazza23 in reply to BobD]

Yes Bob sometimes I think they only tell you what they think you need to know they forget some of us have enquiring minds and need to know everything when it's your life on the line

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Bob myself and two others not getting e mail notifications of new posts last one i had was friday can you help please i havent changed any settings thanks

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

iT has been very quiet as I haven't seen much myself

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

when i came on here found some that i hadnt been notified about oh well see what happens ta Bob

[jennydog]

Yes. I raised this on this forum many months ago. It's called "increased MICTURITION." I can actually predict the onset of AF by the production of unaccountably huge amounts of urine. Last Wednesday I had to get up at 01.30 to empty my full bladder. I had to get up again at 02.30. By 06.00 I was aware of AF. It is rare for me to have to get up in the night.

My fluid intake does not alter greatly each day. I have tried to link this increased MICTURITION with prior retention but if it occurs then it isn't obvious.

Why does this spell-checker always write MICTURITION in block caps?

Your GP and Cardiologist need to listen to you carefully - they will learn things!!!!!!

[Mazza23 in reply to jennydog]

Yes they do need to listen I also told the. Doc in ER he said good shows your kidneys are working

[Ang3lc4ts]

Yes, I also knew this link. Before I had my AV Node ablation, I was in permanent AF and night time was awful getting up at least 4/5 times a night as well as all day long! Fortunately my Dr and EP were well aware of this link to AF. Since my ablation I am back to normal and only have to get up once usually about 5 or 6 a.m.

I now have my life back and I really do consider myself very blessed to have such an excellent EP.

Hope you have a calm day and can get sorted soon. Angel blessings to all.

Di

[Marion62]

I have the same problem every night. In permanent AF - and I get up 3-4 times between midnight and 7am. My intake is just under 3 litres a day - and I get rid of approx. 2 litres during the night.

Recently I have also been woken up with cramp every night. I asked my GP if this could be connected to me having to get up so frequently in the night - he said he didn't think so. Oh the joys of AF!

[howesgilly in reply to Marion62]

it is well known that cramp is a sign of needing to drink more and slight lack of salt. given the reason AF makes you pee alot this would explain the cramp.

Try a tonic water in the evening.

Hope this helps

[Hidden in reply to Marion62]

With AF, as with other conditions I guess, you have to be careful in 'not jumping from the frying pan into the fire'.

Peeing is an issue for me but I don't cut down on liquids for the first half of the day, in fact I increase to compensate for the second half of the day; late afternoon when is worse and waking up in the night, which is not good.

For cramping, I would look at more regular exercise for circulation and possibly supplements.

[Kodaska in reply to Marion62]

Cramps can be caused by mineral imbalance. I used to take zinc and when exercising (road biking) I would get cramps in my feet. I stopped the zinc and the cramping stopped. If you can find out what your mineral levels are you'll know what to change. Otherwise look into the most common low-level minerals and take appropriate supplements. This is about sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and a few others.

[Marion62 in reply to Kodaska]

Thanks all for your replies - I do plenty of walking at least 5 days a week.

I do not take any supplements - I will have to talk to my GP about them.

I don't drink during the night, so I think I will start tonight having a full cup of water every time I have to get up.

I get cramp mainly around the front of my ankles. I now make sure I don't move too quickly when I turn over and stretch my legs very slowly.

Thanks again for your help

[Mazza23]

Have to see cardiologist next week so will tell him again he is usually very good but like everyone I have had tests come back negetive as the af had resolved Til last time when I just would not stop till they did a cv

[Mazza23 in reply to Mazza23]

I am on fluid restriction as I also have CHF so only have 1.25. Lt a day

[Finvola]

I don't understand why a cardiologist wouldn't associate this well-known effect with AF - it was one of my worries about taking an attack far from a loo! Constant trips to the loo during episodes, producing more liquid than I'm certain I ever drank, usually every 15 to 20 minutes.

Well done for sussing it out yourself - that's what we need to do and why this forum is so useful.

[Mazza23]

During my last stay in hosp they wouldn't let me out of bed because my heart went crazy so I was calling the nurse every 15 mins and they still did not explain it to me the time before that I had a catheter so did not notice but I know now so happy for this group we don't have one in australia

[BobD Volunteer]

You have AF Association Australia and this Forum is the universal AF forum for all AF A groups worldwide.

[Mrspat]

I am trying to work through this logically!

I also seem to need to pee a lot. I try to watch my salt intake without being obsessive about checking everything that I eat. My systolic blood pressure is borderline normal/high thought the diastolic is fine. My fluid intake is less than it should be. I have PAF.

Questions: if I increase my fluid intake, presumably it would do some or all of the following: wash out more salt, wash out the hormones and by default lower my BP? Would I pee even more or would the situation stabilise?

[BobD Volunteer]

Let us know when you find out!

[Mrspat in reply to BobD]

Ha! I am not very scientific but I think the only way is to drink more and see what happens!

[Hidden in reply to Mrspat]

I have found it helpful to drink most fluids am and slowly tail off towards late afternoon/evening.

[BobD Volunteer]

I think we all need to drink more water. Trouble is it dilutes the wine.

[Fletch1 in reply to BobD]

The wine - oh, if only!!!!! Have had to give up (and GT's) because of AF. So sad!!

[meadfoot]

Oh yes every time. Well known symptom. Don't let medics tell you otherwise.

Dee

[purple]

That's interesting, I have this all the time, but periods when it is so frequent its embarrassing, this often is when I also have abdominal pain. No urinary infection at all.

[Hidden in reply to purple]

Same here, I avoid business meetings after 3pm if possible. You do get used to it and once a month or so it happens during the night as well. As has been said before here, presumably that's when you would have AF if you weren't taking a drug - in my case Flecainide.

[howesgilly]

I am an AF sufferer but also work in the medical profession and I personally dont think many medical professionals are aware of the link - I certainly wasnt until recently and it has never been mentioned to me in any admissions to ACU by staff that know me on a working level either. There is a close eye on patients with CHF but not AF re fluid input/output.

You learn something new everyday

[Mrspat]

Not sure what percentage of AF sufferers take a diuretic e.g.for BP or CHF but I'd guess that the AF connection to the increased output is often masked.

[Mazza23 in reply to Mrspat]

I take 2 kinds of diuretic because of chf but the need to pee is different when in AF

[Buffafly]

I seem to get the weebles BEFORE the wobbles! I cut down on fluid because of swollen ankles but if I have had a tiring day I often have to wee quite often during the night even though I am not aware of AF. Sometimes I wake up feeling gruesome and wondered if my heart was wobbling while I was sleeping. A few days ago I 'caught' it, had a nightmare and woke up needing the loo urgently and when I went back to bed I noticed my heart was racing. After a minute it suddenly paused then went back to the usual low 50 s plod. I guess the tachycardia caused the nightmare not the other way round!

[eleanor--1941]

This is one of my symptoms too when in AF,was told by Consultant

this is the Kidneys working overtime to be rid of unwanted fluids.

Eleanor.