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heart palpitations starting CPAP: temporary?
#1
heart palpitations starting CPAP: temporary?
Hi!  Am brand new to CPAP, used it for the first time last night!  Recently diagnosed with moderate apnea.  First night went OK -- managed to sleep a good amount and wear it all night.  Machine said I had around 2 "events" per hour, which I understand is pretty good.  Sleep study detected more like 18 per hour.  In terms of how I feel, I know I shouldn't read too much into one night, but here's what I noticed:

1. I do feel more rested today than usual and a little mentally sharper
2. But I have had a increase in heart palpitations both during the day today and a few in bed last night while on the CPAP.

I am not new to heart palps.  Bit of history: have had palpitations to varying degrees for many years, and have been diagnosed with 2 arrhythmias (both intermittent a-fib and intermittent heart block).  Had an ablation procedure for the a-fib about 5 weeks ago, went well.  Had lots of palps immediately after the procedure, then have calmed down since then.  Today they increased quite a bit.  It wasn't a-fib or heart block, which I can identify by feel.  More one-off "benign" palpitations, likely PVCs or PACs.

The only possible cause I can identify is the use of the CPAP.  Might be coincidence, of course.

I know that in the long run the therapy has been shown to improve arrythmia and cardiac health for most people.  But I wonder if I might see an increase in some symptoms like this in the beginning, while getting used to it.

Did any of you experience anything like this when you were just starting the therapy?  And did it smooth out over time?

Thanks!
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#2
RE: heart palpitations starting CPAP: temporary?
I had that a lot. My heart is fine but i have always been a little prone to benign heart palpatations.

First few weeks was the worst. Now still 3 months in i can get it if i change something like try mouth tape or anything like that. Basically my body dont like me fiddling with my breathing so the heart palpatations will come but lessen after i get used to whatever i am doing.
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#3
RE: heart palpitations starting CPAP: temporary?
I actually had some palpatations after starting using an MAD. Wound up in the hospital for a battery of tests because the urgent care center I stopped by messed up the chest x-ray and possibly the EKG. Anyway, after a whole day of waiting around going back for various tests the resident comes up, asks me a handful of questions and tells me to go home because there's nothing wrong with me.

I guess my answer to your question is yeah, sometimes weird stuff can happen. If it doesn't get better, look for another option. Took me a year to ditch that MAD, and I haven't noticed a single beat out of place since (earlier this fall).
Look, I'm an engineer, not a doctor! Please don't take my opinion as a substitute for medical advice.
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#4
RE: heart palpitations starting CPAP: temporary?
What's your caffeine intake like on a daily basis?
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#5
RE: heart palpitations starting CPAP: temporary?
(12-14-2023, 12:35 PM)gainerfull Wrote: What's your caffeine intake like on a daily basis?

I drink zero caffeine, since being diagnosed with a-fib.
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