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Anyone else have problems sleeping - is it the AF or the pills?

Posted , 6 users are following.

maggie34838
maggie34838

Since starting with PAF some months ago my sleep has deteriorated. Am having to go to bed much earlier because of tiredness but then either can't get to sleep or wake after an hour or so and lie awake for hours. I imagine it might be a combination of worrying about my heart etc but may also be a side effect of my Bisoprolol? Anyone else have this experience and if so have you found any solutions, please?

Maggie

0 likes, 24 replies

24 Replies

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  • jess101
    jess101 maggie34838

    Posted

    Hi there Maggie

    I try to keep busy and stay awake all day with no naps but since I started on Bisoprolol, I can fall alseep holding a cup and spill a drink over myself, sometimes a hot one.

    Have you tried having no tea or coffee after 6pm.... or cutting it out altogether?

    (I am now on Decaff. but Jury is still out on how healthy it is).

    For during the night, there are good techniques for calming the mind.... I find it doesn't stop the heart waking me up but it does help me get back to sleep.

    Regards

    Jess

  • lankylass
    lankylass maggie34838

    Posted

    Hi Maggie, Lankylass here again. Sorry you have not been sleeping well, I have the same problem and will be interested to see the replies you get. My sleep pattern is very erratic these days, it's a good job I don't have to get up for work. My problem is the 'knocking' as I call it, when I can really feel the heart beating irregularly. I got an appointment with my cardiologist last week, I shouldn't have had one so early as it's only 4 weeks since I left CCU after being diagnosed with AF but as I had been back to A and E with a couple of fast heartbeat scares he saw me after my own GP rang his secretary. I wonder if this happens to anyone else? I have 5mg of BIsoprolos in the morning and at night, 3-4 mg of warfarin at tea time. The Betablocker really calmed the loud beating/knocking of my heart and it almost felt 'normal'. Then, for no reason, I had no alcohol, chocolate, caffiene, it started to jump about all over the place during the night, I had gone to bed feeling ok then got this 'little' feeling in my chest which just grew. Never slept a wink, can't understand why, when I am on the bisoprolol, this happens. A GP friend of the family said that sometimes this happens when the body is getting used to the drug. I'm not sure, there is nothing really I can do about it. I have to wait for a few weeks before I have a cardioversion and can just hope it goes away and sleep is restored. I had some calming tea last night, it tasted like someone had washed their socks in it? Why do these things taste so awful. Any suggestions anyone for a nice tasting, calming bedtime drink that doesn't taste of soap??? Ah, I remember the old days, (about 6 weeks ago!!) when a glass or two of wine would do the trick, happy memories.  My cousin in NZ was telling me they had a ground frost last week, flippin' eck!! You will be knitting all that sheep wool into bedsocks. As I write this I hope you will be tucked up in bed having a restful sleep, here's hoping Maggie. Cheers. 
    • Carneuny
      Carneuny lankylass

      Posted

      G'day lankylass,

      Sorry to read of your dramas. When I was first prescribed Bisoprolol (5mg daily) it was prescribed it to take in the morning. I had massive, just massive problems and went back to my GP in a rage and told her to get me off the stuff. She got out her book of Magic Potions and Brews and said take it at night.

      I have taken it at night ever since ( was diagnosed with AF in Jan 2010), along with my Warfarin with either water or a cup of tea and have no problems at all with it now - except maybe this tiredness I was talking to Maggie in NZ about. Occasionally I get very cold extremeties, cold hands and feet, fingers and toes and have to go to bed with an electric blanket on and/or a hot water bottle. Sleep for about 3 hours or so wake up and I'm as good as new. BUT - the Bisoprolol is working for me but I reckon, depending on the individual, it can take 6 months or so to get used to it.

      Cheers

      John

    • derek76
      derek76 Carneuny

      Posted

      The coldness is due to the Warfarin. That seems to be it's most common side effect.
    • lankylass
      lankylass Carneuny

      Posted

      Hi there, Thanks for replying so promptly. I was originally prescribed 5mg of bisoprolol in the morning and 3mg of warfarin in the afternoons. As I said to Maggie this did not seem to settle the heart really 'knocking', the sensation was horrible. After seeing own GP and being referred 'early' to cardiologist, ( I say early as I am only 4 wks out of CCU and probably will be another few weeks before my next visit to cardio) he prescribed another 5mg at night, because at night after I tried to settle down to sleep I started with the very 'noisy' knocking feelings again and just could not settle to a nice sleepy rhythm. I thought the bisoprolol would 'calm' this feeling when it slowed the heart but I keep having these feelings. I don't really want to see the cardio again, he will probably be fed up of me!! I could actually function quite well with the 10mg a day, I do get odd bouts of, not quite breathlessness but not able to get a 'full' breath when breathing normally, it's difficult to explain!!. Anyway , once again thanks for your advice, I do think this forum is a real help to AF sufferers even if the advice is not good for all of us. Oh, one thing I didn't mention is that I seem to be in permanent AF, the irregular heartbeat didn't go back to sinus rthythm when I was in CCU, even after the amid( can't remember the name of the med) given to me in the 'drip'
    • Carneuny
      Carneuny derek76

      Posted

      No Derek76, the coldness is due to the betablocker (Bisoprolol) - nothing to do with the warfarin. These times of coldness I was describing are always associated with my fall in heart rate and on each occasion my heart rate drops to around 45 bpm. Ideally, for me a 6 ft bloke weighing in at 96 kgs, I need around 70 bpm to survive. Prior to AF my heart rate was around 88 bpm  (which was far too high). Certainly 45 takes me to my end days. So the Bisoprolol is doing its job, sometimes too well.

      John

    • Carneuny
      Carneuny lankylass

      Posted

      Yeah lankylass - I know exactly what you mean about not quite getting a full breath. Happens to me regularly - even now after 4 and half years.

      I think you mean the Amioadrone or something like that - I had it administered in A & E by the Dr. and she warned me that I'd feel like I was going to die - she wasn't wrong either - absolutely dreadful but after about 24 hours it did bring my heart rate down from the 160 bpm I was hurtling along at. As I spin off - I am one of those weirdos who can at times be in AF and not know it.

      John

    • derek76
      derek76 Carneuny

      Posted

      I got cold extremities from atenolol.

      A good job that my heart rate in the 40's does not have that effect on me.

      I'm your height but a lot lighter.

      Heart rate:

      "A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats a minute" 

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