NOCTURNAL PALPITATIONS

I am a 58 year old male.In the past few weeks I started experiencing palpitations while I am sleeping.They seem to start when I take a deep breath.They started to last for a couple of hours and I tried getting up  to walk about ,exercise , have a hot drink- anything to distract attention away from the fast beating heart. I have stopped all coffees and t eas containing caffeen and my cardiologist prescribed magnesium effeversent tablets(300 mg  Magnelon) 2/day for 5 days and then 1 /day for 25 days. I  have 4 more days to go.
The palpitations still occur about 2/3 times a night but do not last for so long,I do not need to get out of bed . Are they going to disapear completely or is this the best I can hope for?Is there anything else I can do to get rid of them?

[CCF HeartMD-1]

Palpitations are very common but unfotunately also very annoying for patients.   Most of the time they are totally benign (normal) as long as you have a structurally normal heart.  To evaluate palpitations, we normally recommend you have basic labs checked including a TSH (thyroid level).  We would then get a baseline EKG, an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart) and likely give you a Holter monitor to see what the palpitations are to make sure you are not having an arrhythmia.  There are medications we use (beta-blockers or calcium-channel blockers) which can slow down the abnormal beats and allow you to feel them less.  These meds can sometimes make people feel a little fatigued or tired so if the palpitations bother you most at night maybe that would be a good thing for you.  I would make sure you have been fully evaluated with the above tests in addition.  

Hope this helps.  Good Luck1

[Mom2four85]

have you had a sleep study done to see if you have Sleep Apnea?

[Princess2011]

Hi Andy, I have had palpitations for about 5 years now.  I get them anytime of the day or in bed. I dont know if I get them while I am asleep, they have never woken me up anyway.  I had ECG monitoring for a week which I had to click if I got one and it recorded it. I also had a transthoracic echocardiogram which showed I had a structurally normal heart.  Apparently some people are just more aware of them than others. They dont really bother me except sometimes they make me catch my breathe.  I am quite used to it now and like to put my hand over my heart to feel it - strange I know but I think I would miss them now.  :-) Hope that reassures you.