I'm so sorry you are going through this. My Mom has had this for a while. I'm studying up on this again and don't have a lot of helpful input as of yet but wanted to reach out and let you know someone saw your post.♥ Seems like the CPAP is a good thing for you to be using - I do know that sleep is so important if you can work on being able to get more quality rest, that's when the body does its repair work. (I read and listen to a lot of different things on health.) One thing I can always recommend is getting more than one opinion on things if you haven't already. I hope some folks on here have some comforting words to share.

Wow, you made my day! This is such a mess, in 59 years I've never had issues with my heart. Then all of a sudden the world comes to an end. I guess I just need to get used to it, but it's awful frightening at times. I'm not sure if the CPAP is helping or hurting, when I wake up my chest feels like I've been working outside in very cold weather (if that makes any sense). Once again, thank you so much for taking time to respond!

Nplug, sorry to hear this beast has found its way into your life. There are worse conditions or diagnosis's, but of course for the moment this one is a challenge for us all with diverse triggers and multiple degrees. There could be something wrong with your heart and we need to rule that out first, but this is not usually the case for most with AF and wasnt for me. Im not a fan of CPAP because to me it is treating a symptom and not addressing a serious underlying issue, low oxygen in our blood.
There are some things you can begin to do now that may help your condition, naturally.

Thanks Hwkmn, it is a beast. I've been dealing with cancer since 2010 and this is tougher for me. The flare ups are so random and uncomfortable, I'm second guessing every activity, every meal, and I'm starting to get anxious when it's time to go to sleep. I'm getting hit hard at night while I'm resting. I'm seeing allot of posts that talk about what side you should sleep on, so obviously I'm not alone. My medical team is at MD Anderson in Houston, so I'm in the best possible hands. I really just need to wrap my head around it and deal with it! Thanks again for your response.

Np, Youve got the medical part covered, but I wouldnt stop there. My afib, knock on wood, which I last had 2 yrs ago this Dec, never got better until I took control of it myself with the help of a Naturalpath. Im done going down the allopathic rabbit hole at least with this condition. The meds usually fail and then they push that barbaric procedure called ablation, which has its own issues with success and long term side effects. Of course there are several things you can do on your own right now, but to be sure I would have a serum test done to check for Magnesium, Potassium, Vit D, and a few other things you may simply be deficient in. No surprise that with any cancer treatment you have depleted some things and added some dangerous chemicals/toxins. Only you know what that is. But one thing is certain with afib, doing nothing is not a smart option.

Hwkmn, I have already suffered through the Ablation procedure. VERY unpleasant. I'm taking large doses of Potassium daily, on top of all the other meds. I'll get it figured out, thanks for taking the time to give me some guidance,

Np, sorry to hear that. Some swear by ablations, having multiple ones. Its a tough decision to make and I am always hoping for the best when someone takes that path. Potassium has been talked about on other blogs as being a way to battle afib. I think we need a good balance of Magnesium , which is known as the heart supplement along with a few other good adds. Why do we require supplements and vitamins now? Quite simply there is little or no nutrition left in our foods.

You wrote that the symptoms come at night and when you lay flat. Sounds like you may have ‘Vagally-Mediated’ A-Fib. The Vagus Nerve controls the abdomen and is part of the Parasympathetic Nervous System that tends to slow the heart and dilate blood vessels. ...Have you told your doctor about these symptoms? Also, are you seeing a cardiac Electrophysiologist, a specialist in heart rhythm problems? Read more about vagal a-fib at: http://a-fib.com/faqs-understanding-a-fib-5-adrenergic-vagal/

The vagus nerve is also impacted in our upper spine/neck region. I was able to rid myself of PVCs with a few adjustments through Kinesiology. I self treat my neck area now with heat and backward stretches. By the way, Ive had both Vagally and Adrenal mediated afib.

Sleep on your right side ....at least to start