Does anyone wake up when paced overnight?

Initial adjustments

by Theknotguy - 2019-12-21 07:53:17

It used to be they adjusted the voltage on the pacemaker a little higher for about the first 30 days to make sure it worked better with the heart.  I'm one of the rare individuals who is a little more sensitive to electrical pulses and could sometimes feel the electric "tickle" just before the heartbeat was kicked off and then feel the hard "thump" of the heartbeat.  It used to wake me up at night.  Fortunately around the 30 day mark they adjusted the voltage to a lower rate and I no longer feel the tickle and hard thump unless there is something else going on.  

You may be a little more sensitive and be feeling the pacing due to the increased voltage.  You can always check with your EP's office and see if that is the case.  They like to keep the voltage higher for about the first month but you can ask to have it adjusted if it really bothers you.  

Sounds like you are adjusting well.  I hope things continue to go well for you.
 

Oh for a night when I *don't* wake up

by crustyg - 2019-12-21 07:57:10

My pacer keeps me from dropping below 50bpm, although I can manage up to about 115 naturally if I'm exercising or upset.  Many are the nights when I wake from a dream feeling my enlarged heart thumping in my chest at 100bpm or more - particularly if I'm on my left side (preferred position).

Having a PM for the first time actually improved my sleeping for a while - 38 kicks in the chest every minute were replaced by 50 smoothly natural A-then-V contractions.  So for me, I'm being paced almost 100% of the time, and the pacer can't be blamed for waking me up.

At the risk of mansplaining, I suspect your menopause is a more likely culprit. Sorry!

Waking up

by AgentX86 - 2019-12-21 14:11:03

When I first got my pacemaker they had it set to 80bpm, because there is a high incidence of SCA after AV ablation at lower rates.  The plan was to reduce it to 70bpm after a month, then to 60 a month after that.  After they reduced it to 70bpm, I started getting wicked PVCs.  To chase that demon away they set my rate back to 80bpm.  However, to make it easier to sleep, they have it set to 80bpm, but throttle back to 50bpm from 12:00 to 6:00AM.  You might see if they can do a loer night time rate for you, too. The caveat is that you have to watch traveling and time changes.  Your paceaker  won't change time zones by itsef.

Menopause and a new PM

by Pacemaker_Sally - 2019-12-21 16:09:02

Hi Brains. I definitely found my hot flashes more intense after getting a new pm. Stress is a common trigger and there is considerable physical and emotional stress involved in needing and receiving a pm. 

You have likely also had to adjust your sleeping positions and for those of us in menopause, even minor changes can disrupt our sleep  

In addition, I have been dealing with pm complications so I have found the hot flashes really intense. Things are starting to settle down now and I hope you find some relief soon too!

Overnight Pacing

by Marybird - 2019-12-21 16:19:52

I've had my pacemaker for six months now, and find the pacing doesn't wake me up. But if I am awake anyway, I will feel ( and hear, with my pulsatile tinnitis-ie, a "whoosh" with each heartbeat most of the time) a definite increase in the heart rate when I change positions, especially from my back to the right side. I think the rate ( sometimes around 90-100 ,) is a rate response thing from the pacemaker, it settles back down in a minute or so. I sometimes think I feel/hear an increase in the rate as I hear the rate falling to the minimum pacing rate ( or sometimes a brief pause-maybe a PVC?). In any case, I find it comforting, it's the pacemaker doing its job.