Insomnia

I have had a pacemaker since Feb. 2007 on which I am 100% dependent because of an ablation. I had extreme palpitations and atrial fibrillation. I cant sleep well at night and its really getting through to me. I am talking about all night with no or little sleep. I was wondering if the setting on my pm could cause this. My low setting is 60 and she tells me if it goes below 50 to let her know. Some say they had theirs lowered and it helped. I can feel my heart beating in the ends of my fingers when I lay down to sleep. I should also explain that I was on an anti-anxiety drug for about a year and also sleeping pills for at least that long. Does anyone else have any of these problems that is 100% dependent and is worried about lowering the settings on the pm? Also my info from the internet tells me that it can take from 6 months to l year to get off the anti-anxiety sleeping pill problem. Thanks you guys you are great! DD

4 Comments

Alternative Medicine

by ppt - 2009-01-03 06:01:39

For sure I cannot answer your question to the effect of lowering the rate setting on the pm - I am a newbie to pm (Thanksgiving 2008). But I can address anxiety and insomnia. I am in business for myself and have had a really tough contract for 3 years. The stress has been more than anyone should encounter. There are many reasons why I stayed rather than leave. I went to my Dr. and have been on Lexapro (for anxiety and depression) and Ambien (sleeping pill) for over a year now. They helped a lot - but the stress has been really tough. So I added Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine. In 3 months I was sleeping after the Ambien wore off (on Ambien I was sleeping a precise 7 hours) . Once the acupuncture (for stress) and Chinese Herbs kicked in I was falling back to sleep after the 7 hour mark and basically started getting the stress under control. I was doing so well. Then wham. CHB and the pm.

Still doing well if not better. The anxiety is gone and I am sleeping like a baby.

So maybe consider alternative medicine in addition to what your Drs say? Also consider getting your Cardiologist's approval to pursue this path. Mine did not have a problem with it.

insomnia

by Susan - 2009-01-04 02:01:46

I am 100% dependent and I have atrial fib. I have some questions for you. What kind of an ablation did you have? Are you taking meds for afib? Some of the meds do contribute/cause insomnia Are you still in fibrillation? Do you know what % of the time and/or what time of day you are in fibrillation? I found that just being in fibrillation contributes to no sleep or very restless sleep.
I would tend to think that it is not a pacemaker issue but, hey, I am NO doctor. Not being in afib, for me, means much better sleep.
SusanD

Insomnia

by donb - 2009-01-04 02:01:49

Hi! All I can say is "wow" on all these postings. I'm new on this site and have gathered bucku info so I'd like to share on this sleep thing. I had my PM removed about a month ago (alergy problem). Immediately I found resting was a new venture without the PM. I'm normally only paced 20% for past 16 years but have always got the bumps trying to get to sleep. Now my resting BPM is 53 without my PM and sleeping is a breeze. My PM was set 60-130 and when I get a replacement I would like my bottom lowered to 50 BPM.Guess you just can't buy the good info you gather on this site and it's FREE. Don

Sleep

by janetinak - 2009-01-04 12:01:17

I am 100% dependent also. I had a sleep problem also (woke up every two hrs) & had a sleep study & now use a CPAP machine. Now I take Tylenol PM for my arthritis & sleep 6-8 hrs straight. We had quite a discussion on this site about sleep apnea a few wks ago & if you want to see the comments look on the left & I think it'd be udnder conditions.

Good luck in the new year working this out,

Janet

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I, too, am feeling tons better since my implant.