AFIB and side sleeping

[Horse57]

It seems that I am in normal sinus rhythm until I lay down and particularly on my sides both left and right I start having irregular heart rate. I noticed that a couple of you mentioned you sleep in a recliner‘s. When I lay down on my side and the heart rhythm starts to be a regular I sit up and it goes away so I am wondering if I should sleep in a recliner. Thanks for your thoughts

[BobD Volunteer]

I have always thought the heart is the same but because you are on one side you are more aware. of ity as it leans onto other interanl organs. Since I sleep on my front none of this is of any use to me anyway.

[secondtry]

Sounds to me like you have an over sensitive Vagus Nerve i.e. resting contributes to setting it off as does pressure on both sides. Plenty on here about fixing the problem but it will take a while to return equilibrium to the nervous system. In the meantime try some meditation or similar relaxation techniques before you lie down so it becomes a more gradual relaxing process and use pillows on either side to stop you turning onto your side - I just have pillows on the left side as that is usually the problem one, not both. Hope something there helps, good luck.

[yanbart]

Occasionally I get this when I go to bed and lay on my left side. Sometimes it can be very disturbing but I just toss and turn and swap positions, sometimes laying on a pillow, until it doesn't feel so obvious. I always eventually get to sleep. I also take my flecainide just before bed too so it probably kicks in at this sort of time. Maybe if I took it earlier it would rid this issue for me!

[Horse57]

I have my first appointment with an electrophysiology MD on the 23rd. I have waited too long. I have been having a fib pretty much 2 to 3 times a month maybe more some months for 2 years I now have found a way to decrease it quite a bit but the problem is it’s still rears its ugly head like last night. I woke up at 1:30 and my I watch said that I was in a fib and that lasted for about an hour and a half. I’m not on any blood thinners what I take is clonidine which seems to work for me to bring down my heart rate and my blood pressure when I need to and a lot of times that will help put me back into normal sinus rhythm. I also take 40 mg of the Telma Sartain in the morning.I take about 600 mg of magnesium taurate daily and that has really helped But I always take about 3/4 of a 0.1 mg of clonidine around 2 o’clock and that seems to hold me most days. I know I have a problem and I’m not on blood thinners and I don’t have any anti-arrhythmic medications so we’ll see what he says. I have learned a lot from all of you and I’ve always been against blood thinners because I’m an RN and I see too many things. But I know that there are Millions of people on blood thinners that have no problem. I really appreciate this forum and it is so helpful to know that I’m not alone with the situationNot that I wish it on anyone