Arrhythmias

[travelone55]

I woke up from my sleep with dizziness,sweating,nausea with the feeling of passing out.  I also have the same problem while standing.  However this is the first time it happened in my sleep.  All my vitals are fine, but have noticed systolic above 140 while lying on floor with feet elevated.  Ekg,treadmill are normal as well as bs.  I am in great shape and health.  Md thinks it is anxiety but I dont think so.  Tsh is fine also. Please any other suggestions?  Only other thing is maybe it is a combo of antibiotics that I have taken for a long time due to acne with multivitamins and herbal tabs.

[Piparskeggr]

I consider myself very fortunate that the sort of arrhythmia I manifested did no damage to the heart and that the nerve damage I have was very peripheral.

My wife was very proud of me getting myself to the doctor after the first "conscious" blackout.

[Jerry_NJ]

I consider myself luck when I read the very difficult heart rhythm problems described on the forum.  If you don't see posts from me in the future, it may mean I was not as lucky as I now think : (

[Mom2four85]

dizziness and pre-syncope (almost fainting) can be caused by a vast many things including but not limited to ANS (autonomic nervous system) issues, orthostatic problems, inner ear problems, infections, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, anxiety, stress, meds, supplements, bleeding, arrhythmia's, headaches and the list goes on

the dr could do a tilt table test to see if it's ANS or heart related and if they haven't a thyroid panel that includes Free T3/T4 as well as an electrolyte panel

try keeping hydrated and cut out caffeine esp a few hours before going to sleep; sometimes it's as simple as adding a few extra glasses of water to your daily intake, if it is ANS related there are meds such as Midodrine and things like fluid/salt loading, compression clothing but your dr needs to determine the cause first which may take time - it took me 35 years for a dr to take my dizziness, lightheaded feelings and fainting seriously

Piparskeggr I'm surprised that's all the damage you suffer; that's amazing... dr's attribute my brain & cognitive damage as well as nerve damage (neuropathy) to my flat lining & VF arrests..

[Piparskeggr]

I have a two lead pacemaker (implanted as a result of the above stay at the CCU).  At the last checkup (this past June) it is pacing the atrial muscles about 6% of the time and the ventricle about .5%.  At the highpoint, 6 weeks after the implant, it was pacing about 11% atrial and 2% ventricular.

I had a couple of episodes of tachycardia the 1st year, highest one was 214 BPM for over 2 minutes.  None in the last 2 years.

The head nurse in the CCU had read about my sort of sinus arrest, but in 17 years had not had a patient with such (nor had the cardiologist in his 13 years).  With my enthusiastic permission, the trace of my "flat-lines" are now part of her training materials.  She is a nursing teacher at the local college.

Only neurologic damage I appear to have received is a mild sensation in my right ear from time to time as if a feather is brushing against it.

From his extensive questioning of me, the cardiologist thinks I may have had as many as 500 such episodes before the ones that prompted me to get help.  They mostly occurred while I was sleeping.  I only remember about 7 or 8 "dizzy spells" and the 4 true blackouts while I was awake.

The big sensation I got when waking from the blackouts was an intense burning across the back of my head, as well as sweating, heart racing, shakes...

[Jerry_NJ]

I agree with Piparskeggr, wow, flat-line for 23/28 seconds.  Do you now have an ICD?  

[Piparskeggr]

The only way the docs finally figured out my heart problem was through an overnight stay in a monitored bed at the cardiac care unit of the hospital.

I was having blackouts for no reason, according to the physical, bloodwork, echo-cardiogram, stress test, etcetera...everything came back as normally healthy for a man your age, with blood pressure on the high side of normal.

The overnight revealed that I undergo sinus arrests; 13 the night they monitored me between 8 PM and 5 AM, 5 of which were 15 seconds or longer, 2 of these were 23 and 28 seconds (this one they had 5 people and the crash cart in my room, paddles charged and almost applied).  I have normal sinus rhythm, flat-line and then normal rhythm again; don't stop breathing during the episodes.

I would suggest talking to your doctor about wearing a Holter monitor to see if there is an arrhythmia.