Best side to sleep on.

[Brandibell]

Hi all,

I have two minors things to run past you?

If I sleep on my left side I sleep fine. If I sleep on my right side I can suddenly be shot awake and I feel like I am looking down on myself. I have read up it could be paroxysmal nocturnal dypsnea? How would I make my cardiologist notice this. I am on 4 pillows reduced from 7pillows in May. Everytime I have brought it up with my GP all they say is we can’t prescribe sleeping tablets yet... GRR 😠I don’t want sleeping tablets I can barely tolerate half a paracetamol. 🤯 I want to go back to my 3 pillows as my neck and back are starting to suffer.....

Another query I have is my BP is in the ideal 117/74 roundabout doesn’t go any higher than 122/81 blessed in that respect. But I suffer ectopic beats (LVSD) and when I can’t catch my breath my diastolic drops down to 45 if asleep(24 hr BP monitor from GP)and to 60 if I am awake. It also takes a few Good Coughs to get it back in Sync...Whereas my diagnosis is about the top number..... (systolic dysfunction).

I am seeing him on Monday, do I mention this? I don’t want to sound like I am moaning or I self diagnose off google. But when I was only getting 2/3hours a night due to the above I needed answers......it has improved considerably after coming off all tablets.

[Modeller3]

Try raising your mattress then you con just have three or four pillows hope this helps

[Sunnie2day]

Yes-yes-yes mention it and politely push it if he seems disinterested. I've found using certain words and phrases seem to trigger a more active response from medics, you might think of something you can say that may seem over-the-top to you but will act as an alert to the GP, something like 'I'm deeply concerned (or 'terrified', I notice that word in particular generates a far higher level of interest from GPs ) not getting enough sleep is making me more (pick one: clumsy, irritable, fuzzy-thinking...)'.

More phrasing suggestion: 'When I wake up in the middle of the night in such pain and with frightening beats, I'm terrified (there's that word again ) it means I'm about to have a heart attack!'

Using the right words and phrases does seem to get their attention, but even if you've Googled or shared 'war stories' with friends with the same condition, avoid mentioning that 'Net searching and sharing with friends, that always raises the medics hackles. Always.

Re the sleeping position, have you tried a wedge pillow? I find that really helps with not only the medical condition(s) but also keeping neck and shoulder pain happening from sleeping in awkward positions.

[Brandibell in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thank you for your reply and yes, I will choose my words carefully. Over these last 6 months when the ambulance has come out the paramedics have said I look terrified. Only to be put in the ambulatory unit for 17hours no food/drink and sent home with a deranged liver. All better now. That was statins.

I have 5 big ones and a corner pillow and the mattress raised. Not good.. 🙄😀

[dunestar]

I would definitely mention the ectopics during the night. What did your GP say as a result of the 24 hour monitor? I would also mention the waking up suddenly. If you get breathlessness during these episodes I would mention that as well. I always think these things are worth mentioning rather than not. It's best to give your cardiologist all the information you can and let them make the decision about whether it's relevant or not.

[Brandibell in reply to dunestar]

Hi,

Thank you and yes I will mention the full shebang as I kept a diary of events...The Nurse rang and said everything was fine on the monitor BP is normal. The reason I did it was to see what happens when I was jolted awake and sure enough it is the diastolic dropping to 45-50. I guess they do an overall assessment.

[JaiMataji]

I have a same prob;em sleeping on my left hand side, I am on Clopidogrel, Atorvastatin & Omeprazole, I always thought that the reason behind this was my Hiatus Hernia

Acid Reflux.

[AJCov in reply to JaiMataji]

I'm diagnosed with Angina and prescribed Clopidogrel, Atorvastatin, Isosorbide Mononitrate and Nitrolingual. When I had my Coronary Angiogram I was told by the cardiologist and staff to sleep on my right hand side as it takes pressure away from the heart.