Can't I get one full night of sleep?!?!?

[AgilityDog]

Michelle,

I'm glad to hear you've found something that works to let you sleep. Really, the anxiety is a PITA as bad as pain.

I'm on a combo of sotalol and coreg that works well for me. The sotalol diminishes the pvcs for me. I had more problems adjusting to the coreg than the sotalol.

I hope the extra sleep helps. You've been through the wringer and have a way to go to full recovery. Been there, done that. You'll get through it.

 

[Lily]

I've been struggling with PVCs off and on (on again now) for the last couple of years. Sometimes getting up in the night and drinking a glass of water helps me.

 

[kpearse]

I had been having sleep problems for the last two months. Family stuff, worry. After my surgery I got maybe 3 hrs a night. After a while I was back to around 4 or 5. I just couldn't sleep! I would make it for like three days then crash. I was in very bad shape. I went to see my Doc and I told him the stress I was under. He gave me ambien 10mg. At first I didn't take it, but I had to. I now get a good 7 hrs now. I am starting to feel so much better. My attitude has gotten better, and I rested. I've been out of work now for 4 weeks, and I'm glad I was. I get paid and am in no rush to get back until I feel 100%.

 

[Marguerite53]

Hm. Well I just finished a response to Cherie's thread but thought I'd chime in here, too. Ladies. This is serious surgery! Most of us don't feel even remotely normal for 6 months. I will have to say that it was at least 18 months before I felt recovered. That isn't to say that I was a bedridden basket-case by any means. Life returned to its normal rhythm at about 2 months out. But it takes a heckuva long time for all this to heal. You have to be patient. You cannot make it go any faster than it's going to go! Do what it takes to get some rest but don't figure on having much physical resilience for awhile! You are gonna be tired no matter what!

And, for the record, PVC's are tiring. They are exhausting as a matter of fact. So even if you get 5 hours of sleep a night, those PVCs can be wearing you out. It's sometimes hard to sleep when you are exhausted.

And what is with these doctors making these emphatic pronouncements. All her MVP patients who had PVC's before surgery never got rid of them. What a crock! Like of all the zillions of valvers out there not one has worked thru their PVCs or she'd know about it!!! Why are these doctors so insensitive!! You know, you may get a handle on these things... give yourself some time. Working to reduce your anxiety is commendable and I hope that the sleeping truly makes you more relaxed in your recovery.

You two ladies aren't drinking lots of coffee (or tea or caffeinated soda), or using lots of tabasco, or eating sushi with hot ginger and wasabi, are you? Are you dehydrated? Drink lots of liquids, please. Think about what you are putting into your bodies. If you are relying on lots of processed foods, you might be adding too much salt and inadvertently dehydrating yourselves.

Please know that we all really support your current frustrations and we have mostly all been there! Try to be patient and let your heart figure out what it's supposed to be doing with itself now that it's all fixed and perfect!

Best wishes.

Marguerite

 

[Michelle D]

Marguerite,

If I wrote all of her patients had PVCs it was a mistake she said some never get rid of them.

No to any stimulants, I haven't had any beverage that isn't water since before surgery. I'm not dehyrated, I drink plenty of water. Last night I slept much better with .5mg of Xanax and 10 mg of ambien.

My cardiologist is very straightforward and I asked her if I'm going to get over the PVCs, so she didn't just point that out unsolicited. She's great, I went in a nervous wreck, she checked me out and told MD I'm healing nicely, but the stress is horrible for me. It is true. I'm going to grad school for counseling and already have read a bit about PTSD, which will be my focus and stress is very detrimental to the body. I'm going to start cardio rehab soon, that will help immensely. If you allow yourself to physically fight or flight it releases you from the state of anxiety much faster. So I can't wait to have the courage to run around my block, running off the anxiety. Also PTSD after surgery typically lasts 1 to 3 months if treated properly and te type of stressor it is means it is the easiest to beat compared to trauma like rape, violent situation, war, etc. This is because we haven't lost hope in humanity. Sorry I'm babbling. Good night my friends, I hope you all can sleep well. It sounds cliche but think happy thoughts. I close my eyes and imagine lying in a hammock with a nice ocean breeze and a fresh piña colada. Sometimes it works.

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi Michelle
My ohs was in 2002 and I still have trouble sleeping.I take ambien too, for a short time it really didn't do much. I never sleep more tha 4-5 hrs at a time, I went last thur. to have a sleep study done. Don't know the results yet. Had to take two ambien pill to get to sleep. I woke up at 6 and they decided to sent me home.I have restless leg sym as they call it. That can drive a you crazy my inself.My injection fraction is low(20-30%) right now. My cardiologist just moved out of town, and down I have find a new one before I have some other problems. Thanks for letting me vent. I hope things work out for you!