I wake up vibrating

[Michelle]

I know it sounds wierd, but several times over the last couple of years, I have awakened from sleep, feeling like my chest is vibrating.  No pain, no sweating, no faintness, but it scares me.  At first I thought I was imagining it.  Then I thought perhaps I was having some kind of muscle spasm or something.  Now I'm beginning to think it's my heart.

It happened most recently this morning at 5:00 a.m. and I was having a lovely dream about skating around alone in a peaceful setting.  So I don't think it was an anxiety attack.  The vibration is very rapid and regular, but it seems to stop when I become fully awake.  I'm not a medical person, but I felt my wrist for my pulse this morning, just as soon as I became aware that I was having another "episode," and it felt like my pulse was vibrating along with my chest.

I am 45 years old, female, 45 pounds overweight, don't smoke, don't drink.  Don't take any kind of medication for anything.  No allergies.  I'm pretty active; my job involves regularly lifting 30-lb boxes and climbing up and down ladders pretty often. I do drink two cups of coffee every morning.  Could this have anything to do with being pre-menopausal?  

Thanks for your help.

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Believe it or not I have had other patients complain of this sensation.  I don't have any explaination why some people feel like this.  Has anyone observed you when you have one of these episodes?

[Michelle]

No one has observed me having an episode.  I live alone.  Actually, I haven't mentioned this to any of my family because I don't want to alarm them.  My parents are elderly; they don't need the worry.  Do you think I should see if I can buy a stethoscope so I can actually listen to my chest to make sure it's really my heart beating?

[[e-mail]]

My husband had a heart catheterization at Penn yesterday.  The cardiologist changed his medication from Prinivil and Procardia to Cozaar.  He also wrote a prescription for Atenolol which he said we should decide about with our internist.  Is the Cozaar the same as procardia?  Should I make an immediate appointment with our internal medicine physician or may I wait until the first week of January when we have a follow-up visit scheduled?
The result of the catheterization yesterday was good. Although there is some arteriosclerosis, there is no blockage.  My husband is 40 years old, 50 pounds overweight, does not smoke, and until he experienced extreme shortness of breath at high altitude, we did not know he had a problem.  Prior to that time, he did fairly strenuous exercise on the treadmill without incident.  His blood pressure, even with the prinivil and procardia has been running 160/90-95 for the past two weeks.  It was again that high this AM, before taking the cozaar.  Thanks for your help - - - I hope I am doing this right.

[Melissa]

Michelle,

It is very funny that you wrote that, for about 2 weeks now, I have been noticing something like that, I know it has happened before, but I finally got to the wrist in time to check my pulse and it was exactly as you described fibrating like my chest felt like it was doing.  It kinda wakes me up when it happens, although I am not in a sound sleep at the time, as soon as I sit up it stops.  I called the Doctors office yesterday to go over the results and asked the gentleman I spoke with (a ekg tech) about it, and he said a lot of patients that come to the office complain about it, although he said it was probably nothing, I should mention it to the Dr. when I see him again.  It must be fairly common.  But what is it, he said it could actually be PVC or PAC but it isn't what I normally feel as those, however I have noted that it occurs more if I am lying on my back, or slighly on my left side.  It is exactly as you described.  Doctor do you know what it is?

[Michelle]

Melissa:

Do you mind saying how old you are and if you are overweight?  Now that you mention it, I did wake up on my back this morning when I was doing the vibrating thing.

Michelle

[Melissa]

Michelle~

I am 29, a little over weight.  I also asked someother people about it and a few of them have had the same sort of thing, the only common thing is we were all on our back.  I don't know what it is, I know it is weird.  I am going to ask my doctor when I see him in the middle of January.  I haven't had anyone observe it either.  I don't live alone, but like I said as soon as I sit up it stops. Maybe the Doctor on here can offer us some sort of answer.

[Ben]

I've been experiencing something exactly like what you guys are describing, and you're right, it doesn't feel like the PVC's at all.  It feels more like someone is gently shaking me.  When I've checked my pulse it's been regular, but maybe I just haven't caught it.  It only happens when I first lie down at night, and makes it pretty hard to sleep.  Could it be some kind of muscular tremors, maybe related to stress?  It sure does feel like it's inside the torso, rather than the muscles of the ribcage or something...

[Michelle]

It's nice to have input from other people who are experiencing the same thing I am.  I'm going to try to stay off my back when sleeping and see if the waking-up-vibrating episodes go away.  Perhaps I should be sleeping with my torso elevated a little, too.  I imagine when you lie down, especially flat on your back, it's harder for your heart to do its job than when you are standing or sitting up.  Maybe a little torso elevation would help.

Michelle

[jan]

I have read about this before on this forum and couldn't imagine what they were talking about, but it happened to me yesterday.  I wasn't sleeping or on my back, I was face down on a chiro table.  My heart had feelings of pacs or pvcs and palps. with a feeling of racing most of the day, but when I felt my pulse there were no pacs or pvcs and it wasn't really racing, it was only around 90. (I am on antenolol for IST).  The feeling of palps started and I wanted to cough to stop them ,but I didn't want to bother the chiro, then the vibrations started.  I stopped him and coughed a couple of times and it stopped.  It was so weird!  I am 43 yrs. old and 5'5" at 118#.

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Thanks to all for the comments.

[Laura Green]

I am wondering can this be caused by the physical activities a person do during the day.  I had mitral valve replacement a year ago.  I remember when I was growing up me & my sisters would wake up with that same symptom of feeling like we were vibrating!  But, we thought it stemmed from us skating on those Philadelphia Streets.  The next time you feel that vibrating remeber the activity you did the previous day & start ruling some things out. Also my heart disease started at the age of 10 y/o.  An allergic reaction to strept throat.    I thought this might help?

[Let me answer your question]

I am not a doctor, but I STRONGLY believe what you are describing is either sleep paralysis related, or a variant thereof. I personally suffer from it (non-narcoleptic related), and a vibrating, heavy sensation in the chest, as well as a feeling of your heart beating slowly and the blood coursing through you very hard is AN EXTREMELY COMMON manifestation of sleep paralysis (a totally benign sleep condition wherein your brain wakes up a bit before your body). Not everyone suffers the full paralysis. I don't always. Sometimes it's mainly just the heavy feeling in the chest. Have you ever seen the famous painting by Fusilli called "The Nightmare" depicting a demon sitting on a sleeping woman's chest? It is believed that it is an image of sleep paralysis. You might look on Stanford's Sleep Disorders Boards to find info. Or the BiSleep forums.

Do you generally have a hard time waking up? Along with the chest heaviness, waking up can be very hard for me. I often keep dreaming awhile after I am awake in the am, and dream I get up, but don't, over and over again. During this time I have extremely vivid, realistic dreams. Sleep paralysis can be extremely physically uncomfortable as you feel like you are being sort of crushed.

Incidentally, I do have heart problems, which is why I am on this forum, but the other sleep problem has been documented through an overnight study at a sleep center, and despite the bizarre chest feeling, the overnight EKG was unrevealing.

CCF take note! :)

[One more thing]

A whole body vibrating sensation is also a sleep paralysis key symptom, as is the total remission of all symptoms when sitting up from sleep. If it were a cardiac problem it would likely continue! Definately SP, IMHO. You can also try deja.com alt.support.sleep-disorders

[Jittery]

i wake up in the mornings feeling very jittery likesomeone is struming me from the inside. i have mvp and this started then and my nervous system is causing it. every morning and sometimes during the day, kinda feels like you have had tons of coffee when i have had none. just gotta live with it i gues at least in my case.

[Michelle]

I'm the person who posted the original message.  The suggestion that this may be a sleep disorder is very interesting.  I have no sensation of a weight on my chest, only that my chest is vibrating.  I have no trouble waking up, in fact, I'm a light sleeper and a morning person.  It makes sense that if it were a heart problem, it would continue when I wake up.  But if it is a sensation caused by my brain waking up before my body, does this mean that it's all in my head?  My chest isn't vibrating?  My brain only THINKS my chest and pulse are vibrating?  How could that be?

[Shawn]

I thought I imagined the vibrating or humming until my husband asked me if I was aware that my body was "buzzing".  It usually happens when I'm waking up.  I have cardiomyopathy with some murmurs, PVCs, and the usual.  My doctor told me the vibration may be what they call a "thrill" which is apparently caused by turbulant blood flow through a (damaged?) valve.

[Virginia Perrin]

I have atril-fib and have had since june 1996. I first noticed the vibration about 3 years before atril-fib. One day I started shaking and vibrating. It lasted one week and then stoped. I couldn't sleep and didn't know what was happing to me. When I went into fib in 1996 and had a cardoversion and was back in regular rythum again the vibration remained. I still have it. It has taken over my life and my cardiologist can not find anything that is causing it. so he says its all in my head. Just to hear someone else has this sympton makes me believe I am not going crazy after all. I am 64 and about 15 lbs over weight. I don't drink or smoke and am otherwise healthy.

[mmanelia]

I have not had this experience when waking up but when relaxing or going to bed at night.  I have no pain just this humming in my body usually in my chest, but I have had it in other parts of my body.   This happened when I had the Holter Monitor on and it did not show anything.  But it is a very weird feeling.  I am a 62 year old female with minor MVP, heart palpitations and one episode of rapid heartbeat.

[Paul in Munich]

I experienced vibrations upon waking a couple of years ago. I too was very anxious at that time about my heart and had become very stressed out generally. I caught my pulse on a few occassions and it was normal, yet my whole body felt like it was shaking as if my heart were racing. I had been on a an anti.anxiety drug Alprazopam, which had helped a little, but at the time I started with the vibrations, the doctor he had tried to stop this and replace it with other anti-depressive type drugs that I can't remember the name off.
I came to the conclusion that the vibrations were a muscular/nervous thing, I even found I could stimulate a similar feeling by casuing tension when I lay still by forcing my jaw out so that the muscles became tense. While this was not exactly the same I could perhaps understand that my body could have become tense in some way and I have sarted to wake as a result.
During the same period I also suffered from regular sleep paralysis, were I would wake up in the night and spend what seemed several minutes trying before I could persued my arms or legs to move. Agian this scared me to death at first but over the years I just accepted it was something a bit wierd but I never had any other serious neurological symtoms that followed.
During periods of greatest stress I also suffered muscle fibrillaton, sometimes so bad it would result in great pain. Agian while it was distressing at the time, nothing was long lasting became of it and the symptoms have come and gone.
At the same time I satrted to suffer sudden increased heart rates and extreme sensitivity to body posture, my heart rate would for example rise from 70 to 110 just by standing and then just as quickly go down agian when I sat. I stopped taking the new medication and ecentually the symtoms subsided. I have over the years realised that stress can do very wierd things, and I still struggle to understand it all. I currently suffer from infrequent bouts of absolute openloop heart racing and arrythmia that usually occurs late in the evening and lasts for an hour or so. I went for over a year without any such bouts but now they have returned. I have been under a lot of stress recently, and on a few occassions I could honestly say there was probably a stress related cause. I can't always convince myself that is the cause and hence it still scares the hell out of me.
The last few times I have really noticed that my heart is very irregular, my wife has confimed this by listening to it but she always recons it sounds strong and the beats themselves sound OK.
I was diagnosed during one check up as having a keener than normal sinus arrythmia, which in itself I understand is nithing to be concerned about. However could anyone tell me if a very exgagerated sinus arrythmia which is what it feels like does sa anything or poses a risk. My B.P also usually rises up to say 200/100 during these bouts, and my pulse averages about 95-110 for the entire time.
I have called the medics on a couple of occassions and have been admitted to hospital, but this are normally satbalising by time I get there and I'm just made to look a fool as usual.
I have also been diagnosed with Fibromylgie Syndrome, although I think this was just a way of saying we don't have any idea's. Consequently I have almost continous aches and pains especially in my back and left chest and shoulder, none of which helps me understand what I'm actually feeling when I'm having a bad heart night. I hope some of this helps with a few fears, I just wish things could be simpler to diagnose.

[Jim C.]

Message to Michelle:

You're an absolute God-send.  I've thought I was going crazy for almost a year now!

I have absolutely, 100%, identical symptoms.  Did you ever get a definitive answer?

[Sheila Ritucci]

Michelle,
         WOW!   I have the exact same symptoms!!Can't believe Ive heard someone with the same symptoms. I went to my family doctor, to no avail....gave me the wrong diag. he said that
I had a silent heart attack...long story short. Went to a cardiologist, he said I didnt, he called it pre excitement syndrome. There is a procedure to fix it with sound waves. I am currently fighting with the ins. co. to pay for an event recorder that you keep with you for a month...you hold it up to your heart when you have an episode, it records it so the doctor has a good look at what is going on. Since I got the prelimimary info from the doc....I have been busy on the net. This is what Ive found ....the real name to my knowledge is Wolf Parkinson White syndrome, the treatment is called a radiofrequency ablation. Apparently there is a mixed electrical single to the heart chambers that causes this buzzing feeling or vibration. My doctor said it is something that I was born with...and that I have an extra nerve which causes this extra signal or miss firing of the electrical impulse to the heart chamber....so thats it try any search engines ...about.com or the American heart ***.....or get into the web site of the Cleaveland Cardiac care unit...I am 50 about 15lbsover....no smoking, drinking etc. and I allready passed this by my gyno.in regards to menopause....she said no,just keep in that direction   with your  cardiologist....Good luck   Sheila

[Michelle]

Dear Jim and Sheila:

I am the original message-poster and have continued to have episodes of vibrating while waking up.  I have an appointment with a regular doctor in a few weeks and I'll bring it up.  Since I have had no other symptoms (sweating, faintness, pain, pressure) I haven't felt like this is an emergency.  I have been surprised at the response from other people with the same feeling.  That's been re-enforcing. I guess I'm not being imaginative after all!  My daugher is a vet tech and she told me where to go nearby to buy a stethsoscope.  I finally told her (but no other family) about my problem and she was, of course, alarmed.  I think the fact that it goes away when I wake up is an indication it's probably not going to kill me.

[Helen from Australia]

Over the years I have experinced something similar.
Only seems to happen when I have been under periods of stress.
I wake up because I feel like I'm shaking or vibrating from my chest for about 30secs. My chest feels heavy but my pulse seems to be normal and my body is not moving but it feels like it is.
It feel like one would expect an attack of nerves or jitters but my husband says that my body is not moving, I havent had an episode for a long time thank goodness. I've always wondered what this is, but I havent bothered mentioning it to my doctor as I thought it just bad nerves sometimes...???

[[e-mail]]

I appreciate all the comments made and find them very interesting from a personal view.

[Pete Skirrow]

I found the comments about 'waking up vibrating' on the Web,
having for a while been bothered by occasional irregularities of
heartbeat which, after two days of great stress and sleep
deprivation turned into frightening sudden changes in rhythm just
for a few hours.  I too have often noticed the vibrations, at
times when my heartbeat was regular and normal.

Having studied the mechanisms involved (I'm an electronics engineer)
I'm surprised no one seems to link this with Attrial Fibrilation.
I understand that while Atrial flutter is a rapid but all-encompassing
depolarising of the Atria, Atrial fibrillation is a more scattered
depolarisation, each bit triggering off another in random fashion.
In theory therefore, mild fibrillation could begin without taking
over from the main, sinus node triggered, rhythm, and any depolarisation
is going to result in contractions of the Atria and hence modulate the
blood pressure, so that it is felt in the pulse alongside the normal
beat.  I see this as a jitteryness that shows a degree of irritability
not quite enough to go into full fibrillation.  The latter presumably
demolishes the Sinus Rhythm so that the ventricular contractions
become irregular, the ventricles picking up randomly on the Atrial signals
which are 'overdrive limited' by the AV node.

Suggestions that if this were a heart problem it would persist on
getting up make no sense. The heart becomes more irritated when
oxygen is low, so it seems likely to me that low oxygen while
sleeping, and perhaps posture too, are just what it takes to shift the trigger threshold
a little and bring on 'partial fibrillation'.  Any support for
this theory?  I guess an ECG may not reveal much here because the
p-wave from the Atria is small anyway, so partial triggerings are
likely to just add a bit of noise around it.

Pete

[[e-mail]]

Thanks to all of you, you made me very happy today.
I thought I was going out of my mind,
and I never even told my wife about the vibrations.

I was looking for information about blood pressure
when I found your discussion.

To add to your info:
1. I have vibrations only when I wake up.
2. It stops when I sit up.
3. The frequency of vibrations seem to me too fast
to be explained as my heart fluttering. IMHO. I may be wrong.
4. I am 57 years old, in good shape, former Olympic athlete,
never had any heart problems, quiet the opposite,
I represented my country in Bicycle Racing.
5. My "vibrations" started only few months ago.
6. I suspect it has some connection to my recent jump
in blood pressure from 130/85 to  150/95.
7. I suspect both are the results of being recently under emotional tension.

[Wayne]

Michelle..have I seen you on the TAPIr Anxiety boar before? I hope you see this as here it is last day of June. Well..after reading so many posts on here and trying to digest all the different symptoms, problems and diagnose's, it at least makes me feel better knowing I ain't the only one with this vibrating torso feeling! Mine..usually when I get near the bed or later at night ONLY! Mine started about three yrs ago after quitting my 25 year job carreer and going into a different field. That didn;t work out so I started my own biz here at home and lately it's been slow, along with in laws being sick and wife's anxiety over her new job position. So I'm certain mine is anxiety related as I have dreams about strong physical activity and/or sadness or maybe about my old job and BOOM!..I wake up with a rapid hard pulse, a sort of gurgling sensation in my chest and that vibrating too..mainly in the torso. Scary stuff but Dr says I had a perfectly normal EKG. I seem to dwell on recurence constantly and I know that does not help. Med hels some but not always as I had an Ativan along with my Lopressor BP stuu at bedtime...although last night's event was mild. Thanks for listening!

[Anne]

Michelle,  I also have had these vibrations and what appears to have been causing all of my excessive ectopic heart beats (99 per hour), tachycardia, high blood pressure, AND vibrations in the early mornings was hypothyroidism.  This probably was effecting not only my muscles, but also the heart.  See Pete's answer above concerning low oxygen levels.  I know my whole body would slow down markedly during the night.  Since I have been on Synthyroid I have not had these vibrations or chest pains with exercise, and the general muscle weakness is getting better.  The vibrations started before the general muscle weakness. Please note that if you are on Estrogen therapy it may mask any hypothyroidism.  Also, please note, that most doctors do not apparently have a good medical foundation in diagnosising hypothyroidism.  At least, that has been my experience.  Good luck.

[richgruber, robin]

My 15 year old daughter has been diognoised with SVT and POTS. Rapid heart beat (supraventricular tachyardia) and elavated heart rate upon raising from suplime position expecially upon awakening (postural orthostatic tachycardia sydrome). She takes antenenol 50 mg 1x a day. Her heart rate when runnning elevates to 220-240, and when elevating from bed 180. Lately she complains of "chest pains" she explains to be a tightening sensation to the outer left side of the breast area mostly just beneath the breast line, no other symptoms occur. Also she has experienced a couple of heart "fluttering" sensations. We have discussed the posibility of a abalation procedure to possibly correct the SVT. The difficulty would be in getting her heart into an episode in order to locate the the causal tissue to remove it via carterization. The problem is whether the SVT or POTS is creating the major problems and if we would be able to create an SVT episode, would this be worth the risks? Candace did begin about nine years ago to exhibit anxiety after her father's death. And although I do believe that anxiety may aggravate her problem it is not the cause or a major issue. It is more the heart problem that creates an anxiety state.

[charlie]

I also wake up vibrating sometimes. I thought it was my heart on super warp speed from a bad dream or something, but it feels like my whole body is vibrating. When it happens it is difficult to get back to sleep.  I also get a similar feeling when I hardly get any sleep.  If for example, I only slept a few hours I often get the vibrating feeling, although milder. Feels like my heart is responsible somehow.

[annie]

I've been suffering from a pounding heart and a fluttery chest along with chest pain for a few weeks now. At times my BP will be high and I've been treated for high blood pressure in the past. I'm currently on Atenolol to slow my racing heart down a bit. It was suggested to me by my doctor that i could be having panic attacks but since i have been doing some reseach on them, i'm not sure. My racing/fluttery heart does not really peak, it lasts for the better part of the day and night and races/flutters more so when i eat, or perform even light activity. I also have experianced a pounding heart upon waking or lying on my stomach. EKG's have showed a sinus tach. rythem but nothing else. I do have a murmer, but it hasn't been looked into. Im so frustrated, i'm 24 and im about 50 pounds overweight. COuld i be having panic attacks? I feel no apprehension when my heart races, only annoyance and a bit short of breath. I've also been tiring easily lately as well. Help?

[dave]

Since about 6 weeks ago I have had this EVERY time I wake up including cat naps during the day sat in a chair. I can clearly feel the rapid pulsation in my right hand in particular, but sometimes also in my right leg.

The vibration lasts 15-20 seconds after waking up then subsides.

I thought I was for some reason going into AF every time I slept, however nothing showed up on the 12 lead monitor in hospital.

Feeling my pulse/heart directly (with the non-vibrating hand!) it doesn't seem linked - sometimes it's beating fast (120-140), mostly it's normal.

I have frequent ectopic beats (trigeminy fairly common) but docs/cardiologist have done echo and stress tests and assured me I have no big heart problems - it's down to anxiety.

I've just come off Atenolol and my blood pressure is fine but this sleep thing is still there.

Strange.

[Ch]

About 2-1/2 years ago, when taking a nap, I felt like someone was shaking the couch.  I actually looked up to see if the dog was scratching.  It felt like I was leaning against a generator.  It continued on when at rest for quite a while.  My GP said it was stress related.  She prescribed Paxil.  That helped me stop obsessing over it.  I've had occasional "flare ups" of this.  But have more or less convinced myself that it's not life threatening, can't hurt me, and is only annoying.  It's comforting to know I'm not the only one experiencing this sensation.

[Kain]

Comment By: Michelle on Wednesday, December 29, 1999



It's nice to have input from other people who are experiencing the same thing I am. I'm going to try to stay off my back when sleeping and see if the waking-up-vibrating episodes go away. Perhaps I should be sleeping with my torso elevated a little, too. I imagine when you lie down, especially flat on your back, it's harder for your heart to do its job than when you are standing or sitting up. Maybe a little torso elevation would help.

Michelle

actually from what I have read laying down alot of times is more burden on your heart than sitting up thats why alot of ppl when they are having haert attacks feel somewhat better in the sitting up position.At any rate I think I would get it checked out chances are its not heart releated but I would not gamble with something Like my heart since it is the one of the organs in your body thast you cannot live without

[trudy]

Annie, I would ask your doctor to let you wear a 24 hour heart monitor.  I'll bet it would record episodes of atrial fibrillation.

I was having the vibrating things.  They seem to have stopped when I (with my doc's okay) decreased the amount of my beta blocker (for afib).  Some beta blockers make people extraordinarily sensitive to cold, and it dawned on me finally that I seemed to actually be shivering fairly violently even though the room was just slightly cold.

[Random/Rhytmic Vibration]

This is great! I have many new leads. I haven't read anyone with my exact sensation yet, so here it is:

BACKGROUND: I'm taking Protonix for Hiatal Hernia with reflux.

VIBRATIONS: I'm feeling a vibration, (in my chest? it's very hard to localize) mostly in the morning and during the night. The vibration turns itself on and off at a different rate than my breathing or my heart beat. It is not continuous. The vibration stays off only for the length of time between heartbeats. It lasts from 2 to 9 heartbeats and the duration is seemingly random. When the vibration stops, so does my heart and it can be really frightening. I've learned that if I stop breathing (hold my breath) while I'm having this vibration, that my heart continues regularly, but the vibration almost completely stops! (anyone else?) I still don't know what this is and it's driving me nuts.

In the past, I tought this vibration was my heart beating (it IS tied to my heart beat) and I've gone to the ER thinking my heart was stopping. That's what it feels like.

[strongfp]

A related discussion, I started getting the same thing. was started.