Woke up and then had rapid heart rate at night...

[jmd2005]

Last night for the second time, my heart beat rapidly in the middle of the night/morning after I had woken up.

Two months ago, I woke up in the middle of the night around 3 am. (I may or may not have gotten up first to go the bathroom. I can't remember). When I came back to bed or was in bed, my heart began pounding in my chest and beating rapidly. It scared me enough that I woke my wife up, who is a nurse.

She checked my BP and HR with a monitor and the heart rate was 110 bpm while the BP was 159 over 80(? I think). The HR had been faster but not sure how much. My normal rate without any anxiety is around 60-70 while sitting. It lasted for fifteen to twenty minutes and gradually going down to normal within a half hour. After being reassured by her that it was not a heart attack, I think it started slowing down and I feel asleep.

Since I had taken two dosages of Cialis that day (accidentally) totaling 20 mg, I attributed this to it. I have been taking it for the past year and a half, so this is not new. However, the dosage is normally 10 mg, although I have taken 20 mg a couple of times before with no ill effects.

Last night it happened again. Around 3 am, I felt the urge to go the bathroom which I don't get every night. When I came back to bed, I felt my heart rate getting faster and pounding harder. I went and got the monitor and my heart rate was 146 bpm and the BP was 162 over 84. My normal BP is usually around 120 over 60 something when relaxed and sitting. As I remeasured a few times, my heart rate came down to the 120s and then below 100 within fifteen to twenty minutes. But a few times, it seemed to get faster as I worried about it too, which I suppose is natural. I wonder if the heart rate rose because I worried or did I worry because it rose.

I am a 50 year old male in decent shape at a couple inches short of six foot and weighing in at 165#. I do not smoke or drink or do drugs. I like my coffee but have for years. I drink it three times a day and have probably 20 ounces each time at most.

I do have more stress than usual IMO. I have major dental work with sedation that needs to be done and I am paranoid of the dentist and even more paranoid of being sedated (with some pill not IV) which allegedly will make it easy. I am waiting for a call back to set an appointment. This weighs on my mind alot because I honestly have no clue what it will be like.

I have a sister with terminal cancer. She may live for a few weeks, months or even a couple of years. We don't know. I feel more concerned about my health than usual and don't feel relaxed very often lately. (Of course, this didn't help that.) I do notice every ache and pain and worry about every spot and wrinkle. I tend to the hypochondriac and have had periods of anxiety but no panice attacks (unless these are them). There are also the normal worries of life: finances, children, and work to a degree. I am not getting enough sleep even though I try to get to bed earlier. My weekday sleeping hours are around 6 hours. On the weekend, I can get seven.

In January of this year, I had blood work done for a physical and all of the numbers looked excellent as they did the previous year. Nothing is out of range or really even close to a problem.

The question is: Is this anxiety? I remember that when I went back to bed, my heart rate seemed faster, so I wondered (worried?) that it might get faster, and it did. Did I trigger a slightly faster pounding heart to go even faster? When I was laying there talking to my wife, then it did get slower for a bit then sped up/pounded more as I remeasured it. So which do you think came first...the anxiety or the fast heart rate? Why would it suddenly beat rapidly in the night?

Could it be the Cialis? This time I took one two days ago, so it shouldn't affect me as much.

The only other drug I take is a nasal spray for allergies. And no, I don't breathe through my mouth regularly when I sleep.

I have read that it might be connected to sleep apnea, but I don't think I have any other symptoms that point to this, and I can sleep through the night. My wife never hears me snore (although I do hear her snore!)

What else might it be? My nurse wife seems to think not to worry, and she is one who does worry fairly quickly and assumes the worst often.

Your opinions and thoughts?

Thanks.

[jmd2005]

After doing my own research (and now posting it here that others may benefit), this is what I found so far.

If it is svt, then it is a relatively harmless tachycardia that can be "cured" (but not really) with meds or surgery if it becomes too bad. It can last for minutes or hours. There are ways to stop the speeding heart such as gagging, cold water in the face, or holding one's nose and then exhaling.

If it is anxiety, then it is necessary to deal with the anxiety.

In my case, I am thinking it is probably anxiety, so the svt will take care of it self when the anxiety and stress are lessened.

But if anyone has experienced a racing heart that is pounding and seems out of control, then you know how scary it can be!

[uru]

I wake up with palpitations quite often.

[jmd2005]

Palpitations as in when and how often? Is there a trigger?

Both times mine were either triggered by me waking up and then getting out of bed or perhaps a dream I didn't remember. It is possible that they were "in process" before I even woke up, but honestly, it seemed to me that I was normally beating until after I climbed back in bed.

[trus75]

I can tell you that it can be anxiety for sure. (I'm not saying it is, but there's a good chance).

When you wake up and get up, your HR naturally increases, you can do this test in the morning in a regular day. It's not very difficult that your HR goes above 100 for a few minutes just because you got up. If you notice any increase on your heart rate and you are focused on it, you get anxious, then it becomes faster very quickly! You heart rate can speed up from 100's to 140's in a very short amount of time, I know this because I have some episodes like yours.

I can tell you a good trick, take a deep breath and hold it for 4-5 seconds. Then release the air slowly and deeply. This process will slow down your heart instantly, then it gets faster again, but not so fast as before. Then keep taking deep breaths until you calm down, and I bet your problem will go away much faster

P.S. Sometimes I can have my HR on the 100-120's range for half hour just because I'm focused on it... As soon as I forget it, it goes back to normal values... It's amazing what your mind can do to the rest of your body!

[jmd2005]

Thank you. You are correct. I have noticed the same thing when waking up, and you may be right. My anxiety simply made it really fast and anxiety kept feeding it to keep it fast.

Last night, I had a moment where something made my heart race and then I wondered if it would lead to a SVT, and voila! my heart began pounding and beating really fast. I didn't have a monitor so I really don't know how fast.

Next time I will remember your trick.

[uru]

Palpitations as in when and how often? Is there a trigger?

Both times mine were either triggered by me waking up and then getting out of bed or perhaps a dream I didn't remember. It is possible that they were "in process" before I even woke up, but honestly, it seemed to me that I was normally beating until after I climbed back in bed.

As in my heart rate was normal but it felt fast/noticeable. It happens in the middle of the night often. They happen:

If I drink too much or sometimes even if I don't drink
For about 1 hour
Accompanied almost always with anxiety/feelings of dread.

[Strawberry_3]

Hiya,

I woke up with a HR of 165 a few months ago and after going to hospital to be on the safe side, it turned out to be 'normal' sinus tachycardia. I attributed this to anxiety as I was having a really, really rough time that month.

I think it's common for people going through a tough time or who suffer from anxiety to wake up with a racing heart.

Would you consider beta blockers?

[jmd2005]

I guess if I needed them. But from what I read and from what my wife tells me, it isn't necessary.

My guess is that understanding what it is and why it happens will decrease the occurrences. That is how my mind works. Once I can attach it to a cause, then it becomes less of a problem.

[Sparkling_Fairy]

I have this quite often. My triggers are either too much alcohol, or eating too much/too late in the evening.
I spoke to my GP about it and she said: yeah, lots of people have that. With too much food it's the vagus nerve (I think) and with too much alcohol it's pure dehydration.
Usually I get up and either go up and down the stairs, or go to the bathroom. Apparently bearing down like you have to do number 2 helps stop it. And you know what? For me it always does! I never seem to have it for more than 5 minutes