Night Shift Sickness: I went back to... - British Heart Fou...

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Night Shift Sickness

BaronFrankenstein profile image

I went back to work on night shifts first time since December last night. I started at 7:15pm and was ok until about 12.30am when i started to feel sick. The sick feelingngot worse over the course of an hour until i couldn't carry on as i felt weak so i went home early at about 2am.

Im not sure if this is just because ive been used to going to bed at around 9:30pm the past 5 months or because or when i take my meds needs to be adjusted. I took my Atorvastatin, amolodipine, losartan and trazodone as normal at 10pm.

I wonder if i need to flip the time and take that when i get home ifrom work nstead in the morning?

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BaronFrankenstein profile image
BaronFrankenstein
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6 Replies
Blackcatsooty profile image
Blackcatsooty

well worth a try. Your 7pm is many peoples 7am so ideally you switcheroo medication by 12 hours.

Stating the obvious, you have been off work for 4 months and would ideally go to work for 4 or 5 hours to reaclimatize. But life doesn’t work ideally and maybe you need to do your work full time or nothing.

But whatever, well done for making it back to employment. Do I recall you look after our trains ? If that’s so, then we owe you a big thank you for keeping the railways safe and very fast.

I watch the trains go by and never cease to be amazed by the punctuality and speed. And how quiet they are. I am at the top of possibly the steepest gradient on main line passenger routes and yet the trains whizz by. And they never set my garden on fire like the steam trains would be inclined to do.

Yes I am that old !

BaronFrankenstein profile image
BaronFrankenstein in reply to Blackcatsooty

Ive been back at work a few weeks but just on days and doing a phased return slowly increasing my hours. I shall see how i go tonight and if i feel the same i shall speak to the cardio nurse or gp about shifting the times i take my meds.

PinkKizzie profile image
PinkKizzie

Hi BaronFrankenstein, great you were feeling good enough to re-start work. I think before you do any adjustments to your medication it would be wise to contact your GP or Cardiac Nurse. Take care.

If it's any help you can take atorvastatin at any time, unlike some other statins which have to be taken before you go to bed e.g. simvastatin.

fishonabike profile image
fishonabike

when on night shift it is a good idea to adjust the timing of your medication as Blackcatsooty suggested - this can be tricky if you are switching between stretches of day and night shifts regulalry but with trial and error you should be able to get it right

you might find you need to take the trazodone at the same time daily, but the others can be switched around - many people (who don't work night shifts) find that taking hypertension meds (amolodipine, losartan) in the evening works better for them and research has shown that to be ok - so working out the timing which suits you should be fine - but you can always ask your pharmacist (if they are open when you are up!)

Judithdalston profile image
Judithdalston

Until Jan. I was on 5 BP/HR drugs and when finally diagnosed with combo postural hypotension but hypertension/ tachycardia during the day ‘at rest’ the first thing my consultant did was remove bisoprolol but then start shifting am pills to nighttime. So by working nights you are upsetting the subtle ways BP pills should work ie they should. be taken at your bedtime!

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