PM and Sleep Apnea

I just got my dual lead PM a week ago today. I had an emergency temporary PM the day before. I also have to adjust to using a BIPAP at the same time. Been sleeping in a recliner. Not sure if I could lay on my left side to sleep without messing up the wiring. Leg gets uncomfortable on right side where temp PM was. Not supposed to sleep on my back due to central sleep apnea. So sleeping sitting up in recliner. Does anybody have any experience with both? I so need some pointers.

4 Comments

They work well together

by Theknotguy - 2015-05-13 07:05:19

I have a dual lead PM (Medtronic) and also use a CPAP. They work well together.

After your scar for your PM heals you can sleep on your left side. However, most PM's are placed on the left side so a lot of people have trouble sleeping on the left side for quite a while after getting the PM. In any case, you don't have to worry about sleeping on the left side and causing any problems with the leads.

One of the things I did at first was to use an extra pillow. That way I could lay on my side and not have problems. As things healed, I was able to omit the extra pillow. The extra pillow might help with the sore leg.

The good thing about the PM is it is sure to keep your heart going. I think I was running into the situation where I was going into a real deep sleep and then my heart was stopping. There were several times I was really groggy when I woke up. Post PM I'm getting better and more restful sleep and I don't wake up groggy. There's also the comfort of knowing the PM will keep your heart going regardless of what the central sleep apnea does.

The big thing is you have 4-6 weeks before the PM scar heals. So you have to allot time for that. There may also be some adjustment at first because they have the voltage set higher on the PM and it may cause your heart to "thump" more. It would wake me up sometimes. After they dropped the voltage I didn't have that problem. You may have some trouble sleeping due to a faster heart rate at first too.

Once everything settled down I started sleeping a lot better. Now I'm back to six hours before waking, but can sometimes get an additional two hours. I attribute that to the PM keeping the heart rate steady.

I hope everything goes well for you and things get progressively better.

Oh, and welcome to the PM club.

Wake Up Call

by Artist - 2015-05-13 11:05:25

I have been using an autoset CPAP machine for four years and had my PM implanted 6 months ago. I have to confess to being lax at times in using my CPAP machine, especially when traveling away from home. I skipped using it for 10 days and experienced a noticeable increase in my chest discomfort and cardiac rhythm problems. I am much more conscientious about consistently using my CPAP since they diagnosed my Bradycardia and various cardiac rhythm problems. It stands to reason that when my BPM was consistently falling below 40 and I was stopping breathing an average of 17 times every hour, that the lack of oxygen and adequate blood flow was having a very detrimental affect on my health. No one has ever advised me to not sleep on my back or to not sleep on my left side even immediately after my PM implant, it is mainly just uncomfortable and not a threat for dislodging your leads. Now at 6 months post op, I can sleep on that side. Pillows do help along with my memory foam bed that I love. This makes me wonder if there is a connection between the lack of nerve impulses that regulate heart and breathing functions. I wish they would do more research on a possible correlation. My EP even insisted that I wear my CPAP during the PM implant surgery. I hope you can find the right combination of pillows and beds to feel more comfortable and get the quality of sleep that is so important to the post op healing process and your heart health. I definitely am sleeping better now that my body is not sending out distress signals. Please find a way to get out of your recliner and get more comfortable sleep in bed.
Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. FYI, I am a 73 year old female, attend exercise classes 5 days a week and am learning to live with my devices. This web site has helped me learn and adjust.

Back in the bed!

by Cowgirl56 - 2015-05-14 08:05:59

I was able to sleep in the bed last night. I used lots of pillows. My AHI WAS DOWN TO 5.8. So, that confirms I shouldn't be sleeping on my back. Saw cardiologist & PM rep today. All is well. One more week of not raising my left arm over my head. My estimated battery life is 6-8 years because my ventricular lead is pacing at 100%. I was told today that my condition could reverse itself someday. Wouldn't that be a miracle?! Thanks for all the info, it helps to get advice from people who have been here.

PM and Sleep Apnea

by Cowgirl56 - 2015-05-14 12:05:52

Thank you all for your input. I am going to try to sleep in the bed again tonight. I am having 11 to 17 AHI sleeping in the recliner. However that is way down from 103 where I started 3 weeks ago. I was too late & a dollar short to prevent my heart problems. Now I need to minimize the chances for further damage. I had my BIPAP only 10 days before the PM was required. I have a couple of wedge pillows to try. Wish me luck! Thank You! It helps to know I am in good company.

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