Rapid heart beats - can't sleep.

Daver · Feb 29, 2012

Hi all,

I don't know if this is 'diabetic-related' but seeing as it's new to me and I'm only just coming up for my second year after type 1 diagnosis, I figured there may be a link and would appreciate any help/similar experience advice.

For the past few weeks I can't sleep throughout the night and wake up with a very rapid heart beat at around 3am. It feels like a hypo yet 99% of the time, my levels are correct. I'm then wide awake and my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest! Eventually it calms down and sleep can be resumed but the constant interrupted nights are becoming a tad wearing.

I don't want to take sleeping aids as I'm worried that I wont wake on a hypo. If anyone has experienced something like this - did you resolve it and if so how?

HBA1C is 6.6. Currently taking Levemir and Novorapid. Generally speaking, quite good control. I've booked an appointment with the docs for this but not until next week.

Many thanks in advance.

Take care

Dave

weeezer · Feb 29, 2012

hi dave

can't help exactly but sure can relate. i also get rapid beats, and that pounding feeling. i also get 'missed beats' when it feels like heart has missed a beat and makes up for it with a strong beat which makes me catch me breath. i have had the odd missed beat over the years but it increased dramatically during my last pregnancy (she's 2 now) - and although it calmed down after having baby, it has never gone away. the last few weeks it has bothered me more, especially as it happened whilst i was cycling at the gym, then 3/4's thru a spin class.

the racing heart happens in bed also, just as i'm dropping off, and only once has woken me up. i know what you mean, because hypo's cause that adrenalin rush it feels very similar.

don't know about you, but when it happens i'm sure i make it worse because i try to ignore it at first, then when it won't go away, i am convinced there is something wrong= more adrenalin added to the mix!

i'm in my 12th yr of being t1, so i kinda thought it was related (altho my mum been t1 for 37 yrs and has never experienced this, altho she says her heart races every now & again). i first went to docs with it over a year ago, sent me for ecg which just said 'within normal range'. it calmed down a bit so i didn't pursue, but as it's been happening more i went back on monday - saw a great doc who has ordered another ecg so he can actually see it rather than just the comment that it was within 'normal range'. he said if it was a congenital prob it would've presented earlier, and i was too young (37) for it to be a wear & tear prob. (he also said he doubted it was related to diabetes but has told me to mention all this to clinic when i go in april)

said if ecg rules out a couple of things he wants to check, then beta blockers may help (adrenaline causes your blood vessels to narrow and your heart to beat faster. by blocking it's action, beta-blockers cause your blood vessels to widen, slow down your heart and reduce the force at which blood is pumped around your body). i had been prescribed beta blockers previously for anxiety/panic attacks, but no one explained how they helped and i was too scared to use them! with explanation, i am far less worried about taking them and hope they will actually help me (if/when i get any prescribed!).

do you get any missed beats? or is it just the racing? as doc was writing note on the system he described it as 'forceful' and that is spot on, exactly how it feels.

know what you mean about sleeping tablets, i'd love to try but am too scared i'd miss a hypo.

you are not alone! docs is best place for you...they can order tests and see what's what. i've done a lot of googling on this, i'm not sure that helps me though because i'm a worrier!!!! it does seem a very common problem that lots of people get, not related to being a t1. i was thinking it was menopausal...but maybe it's just a random thing :? !

good luck at the docs

weezer

Elc1112 · Feb 29, 2012

Dave,

I'd contact your DSN or doctor and ask them. It might well be nothing, but best to get it checked out. Sounds like your diabetes is under control so hopefully nothing to do with that. Sounds silly, but could just be a stressful dream that's making your heart rate increase?

Let us know how you get on.

Em

noblehead · Feb 29, 2012

Dave,

Your doing the best thing possible by discussing this with your gp.

Best wishes!

Daver · Feb 29, 2012

Thanks for all your comments and support. Last time I went to the docs outside routine diabetes checks was when I was diagnosed so it's unfamiliar ground to feel odd (thank goodness). Although, come to think of it, it has been a fairly hectic few weeks so perhaps it is the odd stress thing just catching up with me. I will get it checked out though just to be on the safe side.

You've described the sensation perfectly Weezer and if I learn of any possibilities that are worth you looking into as well, I'll let you know. For obvious reasons I'm ruling out the menopausal train of thought! :lol:

Thanks again everyone - it is appreciated.

Dave

sooliz · Feb 29, 2012

You say you've had a hectic few weeks, so it could be stress and/or blood pressure related.....do you know if you have high blood pressure? I do, and take Lisinopril for it - before I was prescribed them I did get the rapid heartbeat quite often, not nearly so much now. I also find I wake with my heart beating like the clappers some nights if I'm very hot (yes it is the menopausal thing :roll: :lol: ) - I just fling the quilt off (much to husband's disgust :twisted: ), or if that doesn't work, I get up and walk around the house for a bit until I've cooled off.

Without wishing to sound overly familiar, do you get hot in bed?

:shock: :lol:

Riri · Feb 29, 2012

Dave, I get the exactly same symptoms and have had all the checks - ESG, tilt test, blood pressure monitor, synacthin test (tests adrenalin) so they've been thorough and found nothing. It almost feels like a surge or someone pushing out and up at my chest - this sensation only ever lasts for a minute max but it can re-occur quite quickly with me. I believe it's related to anxiety in my case but can't be sure. Best to check it out though as you say - its quite a frightening experience.

Nicklenocky · Feb 29, 2012

This is really interesting and I can definitely relate. I have been suffering from the exact same symptoms for probably a little over a year and a half now. I used to wake up quite often during the night with a pounding heart but I wouldn't just wake up gentaly, I would literally spring up, I would then have this accompanying sensation that the blood flow was draining from my brain down my face, very much how I feel when I have a hypo, it is such a terrifying sensation that I immediately thought I was having a serious hypo and would gulp the whole bottle of lucozade next to me....I would then calm down a minute later, test my blood only to find my blood sugars were normal all along.

I have more recently suffered these symptoms during the day also, the last one being in a shopping centre where I thought I was going to drop down dead, the same pounding heart, identical to hypo symptoms. I have accepted the fact that maybe they are anxiety related or panic attacks of sorts. However like you, I have often wondered if it's a link to the diabetes.

I havnt had the symptoms often recently but I agree with you riri that the feeling is terrifying. I recently went on the pump and can't help wondering if it's my body reacting in some way to the constant fast acting insulin as I do get very similar feelings, though not as bad, when I bolus for food. Perhaps I am super sensitive to insulin, who knows!?

angieG · Feb 29, 2012

Don't know much about this and I'm a type 2, but I did wake one night a bit ago feeling like this and it was after I had had quite a bit to drink in the evening before I went to bed. I have no idea what my BG levels were as I didn't test but I sure felt strange.
Just a thought.
Angie

Cazz · Mar 2, 2012

Hi, Rapid heart beat can be due to a number of things, but one to bear in mind is your thyroid. I'm currently experiencing a rapid heart beat which is preventing me from getting to sleep and then wakes me up in the night. It feels like my heart is pounding in my chest. It's a long story but is mainly due to me being on adrenal tablets which has made my thyroid become more sensitive and my TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) will be something like 0.2 which is classed as overactive. Thyroid and diabetes are linked which is why you get your TSH and T4 checked with your diabetes checkup. I'm currently drinking soya milk to bring it down a bit. I hope you get to the bottom of it. x

weeezer · Mar 3, 2012

i reckon my thyroid is goin loopsy, but had it checked and it was 'normal'. thought me 'ormones were goin loopsy (menopause etc) but got em checked and 'normal range'. i've had a couple of attacks since posting on this thread - yesterday it woke me up at 6am, absolutely pounding/racing and was terrifying, which only feeds the problem. anyway nothing since, but the day before i had an 'episode' whilst my son was having a swimming lesson (& i was unsuccessfully trying to keep my 2 yr old daughter amused & sat down at same time! failed) - it felt just like a hypo, very weak, heart racing/pounding etc. bg was 8.3 then 10.4 half hr later so i know it wasn't on the way down or anything.

2 q's: i've been running a bit high at random times lately, i was thinking these 'episodes' have been pushing bg up? anyone think that poss?

also, these 'episodes' feel so adrenaliney, i feel like my production of adrenaline is super sensitive (say, if my little girl walks too near the road, or someone chokes - i get a huge rush of adrenaline & it absolutely floors me!). have more or less daily (ok not every day, but several a week) hypo's 'ruined' my adrenaline response? has my body produced so much adrenaline (you know that feeling when a hypo hits) that i've worn me adrenal gland/glands/operation out?

any other rapid heart beaters above know what i mean about the adrenaline? or just me!? :crazy:

would be interested to know if anyone has any knowledge re adrenaline production and the above. or any thoughts at all! i may just be barking up the wrong tree completely!

tizzy · Mar 4, 2012

so glad to see these posts have exacly the same pounding heart tight chest my heart seems to stop as i fall asleep am going to mention it when see nurse but gp already thing i am neurotic :lol: on insulin type 2 drugs did not work

SparkJack · Mar 4, 2012

Hope u find the answer soon. It can be very worrying.
I have persistent atrial fibrillation and before they completely sorted my meds out I used to say that I had an overactive whale in my chest whose flipper kept trying to exit the left side of my chest. With the right meds this subsided.
Good Luck. I hope it was all a dream inspired panic.

vcs · Mar 4, 2012

Following Heart MRI was told that I had extra electric activity and subscribed beta blockers and told to take when most felt, ie before bedtime and these have solved problem.

tizzy · Mar 5, 2012

i have tried fruit juice before bed even if high in case bg going low still banging when i was falling asleep but was oka allnight last ight i am also on bp meds :?: could it be them and on humulin any coincedens

weeezer · Mar 12, 2012

this may not be a helpful post to you fellow rapid heart beaters, but i found out yesterday why i got this recent bout of the heart palps etc. i'm 6 weeks pregnant! but to be fair it happened outside of pregnancy to so could just be a coincedence. just thought i'd share!

Riri · Mar 12, 2012

Woww - congratulations :thumbup: I hope you're felling ok and all the best over the coming months. x

kareeta · Mar 14, 2012

Hi there

I have had the same for about three years now. Had a few ECG's , I have tachycardia (fast heartbeat) and ectopic beats (missed beats) all of which is somewhat normal but annoying and very stressful indeed. I have figured out the ectopic beats get worse after a series of hypos and the tachcardia is almost always present. I understand why you are worried, mine always seems worse at night, and it always comes out of nowhere - sometimes driving you mad thinking you are about to keel over.

Just wanted to let you know you are not on your own with this, but hope you get some better answers from the Hosp. :wave:

Ase · Sep 29, 2014

Daver said:
Hi all,

I don't know if this is 'diabetic-related' but seeing as it's new to me and I'm only just coming up for my second year after type 1 diagnosis, I figured there may be a link and would appreciate any help/similar experience advice.

For the past few weeks I can't sleep throughout the night and wake up with a very rapid heart beat at around 3am. It feels like a hypo yet 99% of the time, my levels are correct. I'm then wide awake and my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest! Eventually it calms down and sleep can be resumed but the constant interrupted nights are becoming a tad wearing.

I don't want to take sleeping aids as I'm worried that I wont wake on a hypo. If anyone has experienced something like this - did you resolve it and if so how?

HBA1C is 6.6. Currently taking Levemir and Novorapid. Generally speaking, quite good control. I've booked an appointment with the docs for this but not until next week.

Many thanks in advance.

Take care

Dave

Hi,
I'm T2 and have very rapid heart beats, it used to wear me out so that I had to sit still for it to go over, which could take a couple of hours. I went through the usual heart checks and saw a specialist, she said it was diabetic nerve damage to the nerves around the heart. She also had a diabetic patient whose heart beat too slowly. He got a pacemaker. In my case we tried beta blockers, and it helped a lot, I was hardly ever aware of my heart being fast. Lately I've experienced it at night and have just waited for it to go over, but if it gets too difficult I'll ask if an increase of beta blockers would be recommendable (I'm on the lowest dose). Perhaps they could help you, too, but see your GP and have the tests, you need to be absolutely sure of what the problem is.

toby64 · Sep 30, 2014

Hello To All,
i have found this subject that you have commented on very interesting, let me try to explain some of my thoughts and problems to see if it may be helpful, firstly i have been a T1 for over 50 years but in 2010 i had discovered that i had high blood pressure through of all things a allergic reaction to a gord prescribed tablet [bad digestive issues]. I was put onto blood pressure meds immediately, i have had angiograms dozen's og ECG/s Eco's,kidney scans liver, gal bladder, heart valve scans and many other forms of research looking for the reason for my fast heart beat and high blood pressure, but to this day still do not have any real answers, but since my prescribed time have become allergic to 95% of the blood pressure meds, but in learning and trying all these medication have found that Beta Blockers do not suit everybody, while i was trialing them i was having extremely difficult time trying to control my BG levels i was taking nearly double of my daily insulin and still getting readings over 20's, as bad as that was i also was having hypos at night as low as 0.8 and not knowing i was having a hypo these would come between2and 5 am my wife having to give me glucose injections 8 times in 21 days, i could not tell when a hypo was coming, i had never felt like this in my whole life before. As soon as my doctors heard of my problems they took the beta blockers away and with in a few days all was back to normal, including my insulin levels , bad experience for me. They have just recently changed my insulin that i have been on for over 25 years to Levermir and Nova Rapid, the first big thing i noticed was when i was now having a hypo my heart would race and wake me up thumping in my chest for a while i was going for my Blood pressure machine first but soon realized that my BG was to low, my DSN was also concerned that my fast heart beats was due to me having a hypo at night, and waking me up i have also just had a CGM"S done for 5 days but this was inconclusive, so still none the wiser on that front, But i have become very aware of how much STRESS can cause so many different reactions within our bodies, especially when tied up with diabetes, pain and high blood pressure please do not underestimate what Stress can cause.
I hope all this dribble may be of some help to you.
Best regards
Toby.

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