Jolt in heart when trying to fall asleep

[tmjourney]

Hey guys, I notice that when I’m extra stressed in the las year I get these jolts when trying to sleep. Basically right as I’m about to fall asleep my heart will jolt and I’ll wake up. It’s super scary but it will happen several times in one night making it impossible to fall asleep. Does this happen to anyone else

[Cathybm]

Are you taking a Beta blocker? This was an issue I had with Bisoprolol...only when initially falling asleep. I now take the Bisoprolol at bedtime instead of morning, with GP approval, and it has stopped happening. I also sleep much better.

[tmjourney in reply to Cathybm]

Wow I just started taking a beta for first time today to try and help my problems! Lol

[Cathybm in reply to tmjourney]

I hope it has a positive effect for you. These meds are all so different for everybody and have so many different purposes you can only use trial and error to find what works with you. Good luck

[JoleneJKT in reply to tmjourney]

I’m waiting to see cardiologist for same problem. Did he say what may be causing this?

[KylieSmath1234 in reply to JoleneJKT]

Has your cadiologist confirmed why this is happening to you?

[KylieSmath1234 in reply to JoleneJKT]

Hi, any news on what caused this issue? Was it Bisoprolol related?

[KylieSmath1234 in reply to Cathybm]

I've has the exact same issue. I have taken mine at 2pm today and aim to take it later and later until eventually taking them at night to see if this helps. It's the most awful feeling. My doctor keeps telling me it's anxiety but I have never experienced this before taking the medication.

[KylieSmath1234 in reply to Cathybm]

Hi Cathybm,

Did you doctor ever state why Bisoprolol was causing this?

[Padayn01]

I get the exactly the same jolts but during the day, not when i fall asleep they are horrible, been reduced to 1.25mg of Bisraprol but they are still happening, and when going to the GP to tell them they think you are nuts. My question also are you on Beta Blockers? cause they only seem to happen when im on them

[tmjourney in reply to Padayn01]

I actually just started taking one today to try and help my problems!

[Hidden in reply to Padayn01]

Are you still getting this problem? I'm getting constant little adrenaline jolts to my heart area all day long, and they coincidentally started when taking metoprolol (25mg once a day). It's been three months of this and I'm feeling hopeless. I feel trapped, since it would take so long to taper off.

[Padayn01 in reply to Hidden]

Since I switch beta blockers from bistesprol to metraprole they have been much better I’m only on 25 mg a day also

[Hidden in reply to Padayn01]

Did they stop right away as soon as you changed to metopropol?

[Padayn01 in reply to Hidden]

Pretty much yes

[Hidden in reply to Padayn01]

Thank you for replying.

[Padayn01 in reply to Hidden]

Describe the shock you are getting? Mine use to run through my body it was a terrible feeling lasting a second

[Hidden in reply to Padayn01]

Mine are like little jolts of adrenaline to my heart or near it, dozens an hour. It might be related to anxiety, since I've had severe anxiety this whole summer. But it just seems odd that it started happening around the same time as starting beta blockers in late July. It sounds like our jolts are a bit different though.

[Padayn01 in reply to Hidden]

The might sound differ but like you I suffer with extreme anxiety

[JoleneJKT in reply to Padayn01]

This is exactly how I feel. Waiting to see Cardiologist

[JonathanH]

I am very familiar with these. In my case, they are connected with my microvascular angina. What else are you experiencing? (I have looked at your other posts on your profile and you say that you have a lot of health problems, and I see that you have been undergoing diagnostic procedures. However, you don't describe your symptoms and my journey to a diagnosis of microvascular angina involved a lot of health problems and a lot of diagnostic procedures.)

[tmjourney in reply to JonathanH]

Thanks Jonathan! I have been experiencing spitting up blood over the last ten months (4 times). Shortness of breath occasionally, bad GERD on and off and nausea, heart palps on and off and more recently racing heart when resting and moving.

[JonathanH in reply to tmjourney]

That is really bad. I am sorry that you are suffering so.

Spitting blood is presumably a sign of bleeding in your oesophagus or perhaps nose. I would have thought that justifies investigation. Have you had a gastroscopy? (Not a bundle of fun.)

Everything else that you describe is potentially consistent with my experience of microvascular angina - but it might be consistent with lots of other things as well. Still, if you are at the end of your tether and numerous diagnostic investigations have failed to find a cause, then MVA is worth considering.

Firstly, my MVA is definitely (?) associated with gastro-oesophageal dysfunction. I think that I know that because (i) I experience heart jolts in conjunction with oesophageal unpleasantness and (ii) treatment of my MVA by a procedure called external counterpulsation very effectively treated my gastro-oesophageal dysfunction, in fact my oesophagus was made more comfortable than for years. There are scientific papers reporting the existence of an association between MVA and gastro-oesophageal dysfunction. I will send you some links.

From my experience, GERD and nausea can both be caused by or associated with MVA, as can other gastro-intestinal problems. In addition, my heart symptoms have included not only chest pain but also feeling short of breath and palpitations/arrhythmia. Therefore, I have had shared all your symptoms, except spitting blood, and that presumably might be the result of microvascular-associated oesophageal problems.

MVA is likely to result in indications of ischemia in ECGs, in the shape of relatively subtle changes that I have found often to be dismissed or ignored by hospital staff. I therefore recommend that you keep copies of all ECGs that you have done in case there is a future opportunity for specialist analysis. (The ECG changes that I have experienced are primarily T-wave flattening and ST-depression).

There is info about MVA on the BHF website:

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

I think it would be worth your asking your GP or cardiologist about MVA. Of course, I might be barking up entirely the wrong tree so please don't cling tightly to my thought - it is only a thought from a layman.

Let me know if I can help further.

Jonathan

[JonathanH in reply to JonathanH]

Here as promised are some links to publications that seem to teach that oesophageal dysfunction is associated with microvascular angina (previously called "syndrome X"), which you might like to take along to your doctor:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/169...

amjmed.com/article/0002-934...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/108...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/983...

Kind regards

Jonathan

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to JonathanH]

Can I suggest everyone takes note of this advice from Helen one of the BHF nurses

healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to tmjourney]

Hi tmjourney

I have lived with microvascular and vasospastic angina for many years.

Spitting up blood is not usually associated with non obstructive coronary artery disease such as microvascular or vasospastic angina

It is really important to check that GERD is the cause of your symptoms not Microvascular or vasospastic angina.

I suggest you go and see your GP to discuss your symptoms further.

There are other possible causes of your symptoms.

[TinCool]

I get these jolts throughout the day and have also become more pronounced at night which are driving me crackers. I too am on bisoprolol (2.5mg). I take my tablet in the morning, and have been on it for about 6 months. I was originally prescribed bisoprolol to alleviate these palpitations/jolts and were having a very positive affect for me for several months, but the past 4 weeks it's like I'm back to the way I was before I started taking it in the first place. It's etremely irritating.

[tmjourney in reply to TinCool]

Hey Tin! I’m so sorry you get these too. They suck really bad if I get them one night it tends to happen the whole time and I can’t sleep I just started on metoprolol, but I’m having not good side effects and haven’t taken it today (this would be my second day).

[TinCool in reply to tmjourney]

I've been getting them when I go to bed for several weeks now. Some nights are worse than others, but generally I can still fall asleep. I don't think I've been woken up by them yet and when I do wake in the morning they don't tend to start for the day until I've been up and about for a bit.

[Hidden]

Yes I do occasionally. Got used to them now mind. Am on quite a lot of Tablets and think it's something to do with them. Which one though I really don't know!!

[anduce]

Has your condition been fixed? Been having the exact same thing for a over a year and im finally seeing a specialist soon.

[The_Hun]

I have this problem for years. Other symptoms: wake up at night for painful heart beats. Just a few and not fast. Just bumps. Can happen during the day. Scare to fall asleep cause as I just about switch off I get chest pain. It feels like dying. What made me write? I was searching for similar complains, finding this site. My problem, beside having heart problem, and having stent in my heart is the anxiety. Life long matter. I am almost 70 now. Life long sleeplessness. I noticed if I take diazepam this pain does not occur. I know the medicine has side effect. but works. I can sleep better and not getting the pain. Change sorrunding, job, life stile. If I go on holiday to another country, this problem disappear. Come back and have it again. this my adopted country for 40 years . PLS. Read about GABA. This acid needed for the brain. You can buy supplement. I will try to replace the diazepam. I only take diazepam here and there. 2.5 mg help already through the night to avoid pain. 5mg gives more sleep. If diazepam works for you, then you have nerve problems beside maybe your heart. look for alternative then. Like the mentioned GABA or food that contains it. Although concentration better work. will get back here after try for a few weeks.