Slept for 18 hours yesterday because I couldn’t wake up - GP or A&E?

[Headproblems]

Just looking for some advice because I know the NHS is massively overstretched at the moment and I don’t want to waste resources if this is just a GP thing.

Basically for the past few months I have been experiencing lots of headaches and some dizziness and oversleeping. It hasn’t been consistent so I’ve never really got it checked out because it’s never been enough to cause huge issues.

However this week, every day I have been struggling to wake up and until at least 10am I have been in and out of sleep feeling completely without control, no matter how hard I’ve been trying to stay awake I fall straight back to sleep within minutes and have to force myself to stay awake.

In the middle of this week I walked upstairs and my ears went fuzzy and my head started spinning, it was really scary because for about 3 minutes my ears went in waves and I could barely hear, like I was under water.

I’ve tried earlier nights but nothing has been helping. I have my own business and it’s affecting my work, being unable to concentrate and missing meetings.

Yesterday I slept for 18 hours throughout the day, it was impossible to wake up I was so drowsy, at one point I thought I was awake and I was talking to my partner about ingredients (?) but I was still asleep and apparently all he could hear was muffles, and it got to a point where my head started waving and it felt like I was falling every time I shut my eyes, this lasted for about 10 minutes.

I awoke at 8pm and went back to sleep at 1am, and this morning couldn’t wake up until 11am and had to literally force myself into a cold shower to wake up.

I managed to get up and ready, have come downstairs and I am so dizzy I feel like I’m going to pass out (I haven’t), and my head feels like there is pressure around my temples.

I’ve not taken any new medication and the medication I do take I have been taking the same for about 8 years now, no changes that I can think of in diet, I do feel dehydrated from all the sleep though.

I’m unsure whether to call 111 because I’m feeling shaky and dizzy but not sure if it would be better to wait it out until Monday for an emergency GP appointment.

But not being able to wake up is scaring me and frustrating me, I don’t want to be sleeping the days away, I physically just cannot wake up no matter how hard I try.

Please if anyone can give me some advice or has experienced this before I would really appreciate it

@Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy The crazy high heart rate definitely sounds like POTS.

Not so much if she's seated which she will be in a&e having her obs done thats what differentiate from pots and ist

Hope things are ok. Maybe extreme anaemia?

Glad you’re being seen OP. Honestly Mumsnet is bonkers when it comes to A&E - anything less than a car crash or heart attack it’s wait for a GP appointment in three weeks.

@Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy I have POTS and in the beginning my heart rate was insane pretty much all the time. Anyway, not for us to diagnose! Hope you're doing ok, OP.

I have pots to and it is purely postural and never made me sleep for 18 hrs. A high hr can be a million things and it's highly unlikely in this case

@Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy Sorry, but are you a doctor? POTS is often a comorbidity/symptom of long covid/CFS/post-viral fatigue. It exacerbates, and can in and of itself cause fatigue, weakness, sleepiness etc.. I've seen several POTS specialists and obviously I can't say for sure, but it does sound like a possibility taken together with OP's other symptoms.

Also, purely postural doesn't mean "your heart rate is completely normal when sitting down". It just means that changes in position can trigger it, or worsen it. Like I said, at the beginning, my heart rate was constantly high, and sitting/standing made it even worse. It's not as clear cut as you're suggesting.

Hi sorry for the lack of updates I’ve just left. They said my white blood cell count is very high so indicates an infection, and that I need an MRI but they can’t do it because my symptoms have been chronic so it needs a full specialist investigation, he’s emailed my GP to start the process so im
going to call them first thing on Monday. Not really any answers tonight but at least I’m on the right track. Didn’t give me any other info on the infection he was very dismissive. On my way home now, hoping I can wake up in the morning

Exactly a comorbidty which means they actually need to find out what the primary cause is as that's the actual issue. If your hr was all over at the start it's likely from anxiety around pots as pots is diagnosed from a tilt table test as it's a sustained rise of over 30bpm upon standing from a sitting or laying position. The clue is literally in the name postural orthastic tachycardia syndrome. Telling someone they may have pots from 1 high reading while sat in an a&e department is ridiculous

Low iron and fatigue can be a marker for bowel and digestive issues so definitely needs investigation. Glad you're getting yourself checked out x

Hope you get some proper answers soon

I’m pretty sure OP doesn’t need her thread full of ridiculous time slot bickering. No doubt different trusts have slightly different systems.

Im so glad you’re getting checked out OP - could be so many things with those symptoms and definitely warranted being seen today. Anything to do with sudden and unexplained changes in vision and hearing , excessive drowsiness etc, rapid heart rate etc need immediate attention. Hope you get some answers soon and are soon feeling better.

Op has updated

@Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy It's not only a comorbidity, though. Some people simply have POTS as a primary health issue. I was just making the point that it often does co-occur with CFS/post-viral fatigue. I don't think it was just one high heart reading, though?

She has updated she has an infection which can increase hr

Good point.

@Headproblems get them to check if you have Addison's disease please.

You're really a GP and giving out advice like that?

Well she kinda has a point and after spending all evening in a&e op has been told to go to her gp on Monday

Im surprised they didnt give anti biotics.

I echo migraine perhaps combined now with the infection. When I get migraines I sometimes wonder if its causing me long term brain damage or combined with a stroke of some sort they can be so severe.

Yes agreed

I hope you get some good help this week OP

I was thinking the same @BluebellsRoses
What is your skin colour like @Headproblems ? Do you feel more tanned than normal? Adrenal insufficiency ( Addisons disease) is often missed. The whole horses not zebras diagnosis that is drilled into doctors

Glad you are getting medically investigated.

Re a PP suggesting CO poisoning: if you have any gas, oil, wood-burning, or solid fuel appliances (boilers count as appliances) and don't already have a CO alarm, buy one for each room that has an appliance in it, they are cheap and could save your life.

Ionlydrink as soon as I posted there was an update from OP.