Startling Dreams

Since getting my pacemaker two and a half years ago I've been experiencing dreams from which I wake up with a start and an audible cry. I'm trying to figure out if these startling dreams are related somehow to the operation of the pacemaker. They typically take one of three forms: I'm dreaming and I hear someone say my name, but it seems to come from inside my real bedroom, not from inside my dream (it's as if someone is actually there); in my dream suddenly I see someone sinister sneaking into my bedroom; there's nothing, just a sudden explosion of soundless light. In each case, I wake up abruptly with a jolt. It occurred to me this might indicate my heart had stopped and the jolt is my body's signal to my pacemaker to turn on, or perhaps a response to its turning on abruptly. These are becoming more frequent, and it also makes me wonder if my pacemaker might be malfunctioning in some way. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Thank you.

2 Comments

Sleep...

by ePaul2018 - 2018-03-28 15:04:56

I have been on CPAP equipment for sleeping for years. It's amazing, once properly diagnosed and dialed in, how much better you can feel. Often you won't know what you were missing.

As I was reading about your dream experiences, something came to mind- I have a family member whom had bad dream experiences while on a heart drug called metoprolol.  Not sure if that's one that is on your plate or not.  This family member could not get anyone to take her seriously about the bad dreams- until she found a CARDIOLOGIST that also had taken it for his own heart for awhile, and he agreed that the freaky dreams were related.

If you are having pleasant dreams, then hats off to you... if they get scary, I would start asking questions about meds vs. the possibility of dreams. Also a sleep study can possibly offer you so much more in terms of health that it is well worth while.  Sleep disorders and a need for CPAP is linked to heart problems, as it can create a low-blood-oxygen problem and other issues with people.

All the best,

Paul

Take it seriously

by Gotrhythm - 2018-03-28 15:50:10

I do think these dreams are something to pay attention to. Before I was diagnosed, I was having dreams that the doorbell or the phone was ringing, and I needed to wake up to answer it. Oddly enough, I would know I was dreaming, and that even though I heard them, the doorbell or phone weren't really ringing. Still I knew I had to get up, and waking was very hard.

I would finally wake enough to sit up and take a deep breath. Over time the dreams became more frequent.

After I got the pacemaker the dreams disappeared for a couple of years. But for a while, when I was in serious need of pacemaker adjustment, because my underlying condition had changed, I had 2 or 3 of the dreams.

I think both Robin's and Paul's suggestions are good. I would also tell the cardiologist or EP. I do think waking up gasping is something to pay attention to.

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