To ask if sleep apnea is an emergency?

[Sleepapneaproblems]

I have undiagnosed sleep apnea and am awaiting the sleep study for official diagnosis. After being in hospital for something unrelated the consultant I saw expedited the referral because I was struggling to wake and kept falling asleep during conversation.

I will fall asleep sitting up, sitting on the floor, with a coffee in my hands, eating etc, it’s getting really bad.

I get dizzy often and feel like I’m going to pass out when I stand up. I have a headache all day every day. I also get a frequent thundering in my ears which comes with waves of pressure.

this week the earliest I have woken is 1pm, my partner cannot physically wake me up and he’ll tell me he tried multiple times and I have no recollection of this.

This week has been particularly bad and I’m getting worried. I didn’t wake until 4pm and despite this still slept until 2pm today and im still exhausted. I had a fall two nights ago when I briefly woke up, stood up to go get some water and fell and face planted the floor. Currently have a nice big bump on my head.

Today im really feeling quite out of it and im getting a lot of palpitations and dizziness, and even standing makes me feel nauseous because of how light headed it’s making me.

I’ve barely moved off the sofa today because it’s literally exhausting me to move.

Really panicking about tonight/tomorrow because I hate not being able to wake up.

When does sleep apnea become an emergency, and is this something I should just wait to see GP/continue waiting for the sleep study?

@BelieveInYourElf I know why sleep apnea happens & that it’s not instant, hence I’ve already said I am waiting on the referral. The conversation has moved to the dizziness and tachycardia etc.

Op, this isn't meant to be obtuse, but have you tried to lose weight? I would usually associate such extreme sleep apnea with being obese.. I noted you said you're on the waiting list for bariatric surgery.. are you trying alternative methods to losing weight in an attempt to reduce the extremity?

If you do go back tonight, like pp says, tell them your symptoms, palpitations, fast heart rate, head injury, collapse.dizzyness and nausea. Staying awake all night so you can ring the gp early will make you feel even worse. You shouldn't worry about going back to the same hospital especially if it's the one who are treating you before. Don't be fobbed off. Not sure how much a gp could do even if you get an appointment.

@Sharletonz I’m on metformin. I’m not dieting because I don’t feel well as it is. I’ve said that I’ve gained 10 stone in 3 years despite no previous history of weight gain and no changes in eating habits or physical activity. That’s why they’ve put me on the list.

What are your eating habits like currently though?

@Sharletonz Balanced as they always have been, hence I’ve always been a size 10 previously. I’m waiting on further hormonal testing as my first came back abnormal and I have PCOS which started flaring after pregnancy.

Please don’t try to stay awake all night, it is really bad for your health - can you set multiple alarms on phone / Alexa etc to make sure you are up in time to call the doctors as soon as they open? And do try sleeping with at least 3 pillows tonight, it should stop your airways collapsing. Have you had a virus recently? I found that about 10 days after coming down with Covid last year my oxygen levels were dropping below 90 for periods of time, late in the evening (but when I was awake). It only happened that once, but I essentially made myself sleep upright (on loads of pillows), and with my cpap, and that helped.

How long have you been on metformin, is it a recent medication for you that coincides with your symptoms

@Stoufer I sleep through alarms no matter how many or how loud. I sleep with 3 pillows most nights as I’m so scared of dying in my sleep. No recent viruses :/

Being honest, your isn't going to be to do anything for you, and you need to be seen again ASAP. Go to the other hospital, DO NOT mention sleep apnea and stay until they check you out properly.

@Hairyfairy01 No not recent & doesn’t coincide with the symptoms.

If I went to the other A&E now, won’t they ask why I’m attending at this time rather than in the day?

Gah! The sudden and extreme weight gain is likely a symptom NOT the cause of OP’s health issues.

She could have Cushings Syndrome for example as she has the exact symptoms the metaformin would help if it were a simple case of diabetes. She’s also reported dark hair and PCOS type symptoms. [I am not a doctor, just saying there are several serious things this could be as well as head injury/bleed on brain causes by the dizziness that was caused by something]

She really needs to be seen by a doctor looking at the whole picture, not a triage nurse.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cushing-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351310

I’d tell them you were told to come back if you felt worse or no better. That’s what you should have been told.

No! Just tell them your symptoms and how worried you are.

No they won't ask and even if they do you just say you have got worse during the day, try not to worry about what the hospital think.

Just tell them you’ve got worried about it now.

I think at this point I’d give them all the symptoms, make sure you’re not downplaying any of it, maybe even write down a list to show them, but don’t mention sleep apnoea at the start. You’ve got all these symptoms and you’re waiting for a sleep study, not you’re worried about your sleep apnoea getting worse. I agree you need fresh eyes who aren’t going to automatically assume sleep apnoea is the cause of everything.

The big issue now is the blacking out and head injury in the kitchen. All your symptoms since then are concussion symptoms at the minimum. You might have a mild traumatic brain injury.

Everything else, that caused the head injury + your other symptoms also need to be checked out as in they should do a referral to an endocrinologist and neurologist.

Dh has sleep apnea. You may have undiagnosed sleep apnea butI think you possibly have something else going on as well. Sleep apnea alone doesn't explain your symptoms so for that reason I would say that yes, this could be considered an emergency.

I called 111 again and they said about a low emergency ambulance but I can get myself there so said no. I’m going to get ready and get a taxi.

Good luck - remember to lead with your current symptoms and don't mention anything about sleep anepa.

@QuestionableMouse What should I lead in with when they ask me why I’m here? There’s just so much to unpick, how far back do I go? Do I focus on how bad it’s got this week and how I’m at my worst this weekend/today? I’m worried that they’ll say it’s not an acute problem and therefore should go back to GP, as they have done at the other hospital. How do I make them take me seriously?

I hope you are given a thorough assessment this time, and you are treated kindly

You say that you blacked out, you've been increasingly dizzy and exhausted and you have a severe headache (and any other symptoms you're worried about). Don't mention anything about the sleep apnea but do tell them you hit your head recently!

Let them know the truth, Lovely. That you're scared if you go to sleep you'll never wake up again.