Never sure what anyones answer is, but how about if you position yourself with a pillow behind your back to keep you away from your left side and how about something mild to help you sleep, even something like melatonin over the counter , also just in case there is any GERD use 2 pillows......all of my issues in the beginning were related to middle of the night stuff and loss of sleep.....thinkin boutcha and wishing NSR
jan

Sleeping with tv on is normal for people with heart problems. I found this out after I developed afib. I hate to push meds but anti anxiety meds does wonders in taking the edge off when you have afib or svt. I know this from experience. Breathing deeply, bending over, eating spicy foods laying the wrong way can cause an episode. You need to pay attention to your triggers, which are things that
can cause episodes. They are different for everyone.

thats interesting about sleeping with the tv on. My friend HATES it when we go on trips together and share a hotel room because I want the tv on, she wants complete silence and total darkness....oh so much to learn about this wacky ailment....thanks for the input!

" I hate to push meds but anti anxiety meds does wonders in taking the edge off when you have afib or svt. I know this from experience." - DeTalentedOne

I agree and I don't think it's pushing med.s at all. I think these anti-anx med.s are an awesome supplement when taken in moderation to the AF experience.

As I've mentioned countless times here on DS, I'm very surprised at the availability many have to these drugs.

If you can get them, and need them - get them!

I personally, have been told on countless occasions by medical professionals - that they were unavailable. :(

well the only thing they could give me that didn't interact with anything else i was taking is lorazepam which the last time i took that i hated how it made me feel so i have yet to take one. I have gotten pretty good at controlling my anxiety over the years but since being diagnosed with AF i find it more difficult because of the feeling of impending doom when i am having a bad episode. I know they say it won't kill me but its hard to tell yourself that in the middle of your heart beating 180 bpm and skipping beats like a record at a rave...oy! :)

It's weird because I have the opposite experience. When my heart starts to flip flop, I try to force myself to take a deep breath to relax. Sometimes that stops it.

I, too, go to sleep with the TV on or a audible tape or something. It helps stop my mind from going places that wake me up.

I have had a similar issue when lying in bed and rolling over has started my afib, it comes on with a vengeance and it feels like my whole body is pounding. I prop myself up on pillows, but really sleep is impossible. The other night I got 2 hours sleep and had to be up at 4:30 for work. I also avoid sleeping on my left side as that seems to be a trigger. Sometimes I feel like I am in a Clint Eastwood movie, you kow where he says "No sudden moves, or else!" For me the or else is afib.

If you tell ur doctor you're suffering anxiety why wont they help u? I find that EP and cardiologist usually dont give prescriptions for them so u have to go primary doctor. it takes about 2 weeks for them get in system and side effects subside.
Surfrat- hmm that's wierd they told you they were unavailable. Maybe they would interact with your current medications.

yeah surfrat my Dr told me the only one he could give me was lorazepam so thats what i have....otherwise he said the rest interacted with something else i was taking.

Sometimes when I lay down in bed to go to sleep, I will feel a flip or two but then it subsides. I avoid sleeping on my left side, too.

Same here. I avoid my left side. Dr Oz [yea that guy] said on his show once to sleep on your right side to give your heart more room to beat. Maybe he's on to something. Almost every af episode I've had starts at night or early evening.

About the meds for anxiety....
Generally a cardiologist or EP would defer that to your PCP.

Often it depends on how you approach the Dr too.
If you TELL the Dr you need a certain med it can be a red flag and they balk. Some Drs are also very cautious about prescribing any controlled drugs. These are addictive medications and you don't want to end up with more problems than when you started.
Describe to your Dr how anxiety is affecting you...difficulty sleeping, etc. Lead him/her to it and let him think a prescription is his idea!

In my case, I was so obviously anxious about the whole a fib thing, my PCP offered me a prescription for ativan and it has been very helpful. I only take as needed, not daily, and I don't ask for refills very often. I had a good relationship with my PCP prior to a fib and he has been wonderful. He actually first suggested ablation to me and encouraged me to see an EP.

Find a supportive PCP who will be a partner in your health and build a relationship. It will serve you well with whatever health issues you have.

Angie,

When I have bad palpitations, the end of an exhalation can bring them on, especially if it is a deep breath. I've read that vagal tone is highest at that point so that would be consistent with my type of afib.

Also, laying on my left side is a no-no.

I occasionally use ativan SL at bedtime. Usually a small dose like 0.5mg or even half of that. I'm a big guy but am very sensitive to the stuff. I didn't like how it made me feel either butr a low doses, especially at bedtime I don't mind.

Monty

I just had an EP appt and he said you feel the a fib more when you lie on your left side. He doesn't feel that lying on your left side causes the a fib. I say if you feel it does, don't lie on your left!!

I haven't triggered Afib by taking a breath or rolling over at night, but for a long time before I ever had an episode, I had a thing where my heart would speed up when I breathed in and then slow down when I breathed out (sometimes feeling like it would stop altogether). I also have an issue where rolling over at night makes my heart race for about 30-seconds. Very disconcerting, and I feel for you. So difficult to sleep when you're just waiting for something "bad" to happen.