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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if sleep apnea is an emergency?

250 replies

Sleepapneaproblems · 16/12/2023 21:31

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?

OP posts:
Sodndashitall · 18/12/2023 08:01

Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 06:30

@Josette77 Yep still waiting to be seen. They don’t seem bothered which is making me feel like I shouldn’t be here at all

You are awake and so not an emergency. Sorry.
I don't think A&E can do much. Sleep apnea requires a special breathing machine CPAP which you use at night. They won't have one to give you to take home at A&E so I'm not sure what you think they can do.
You need to get on the phone and chase this referral ASAP

widowtwankywashroom · 18/12/2023 08:02

Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 07:59

@widowtwankywashroom I don’t know, if you’re that concerned find her and ask her!

I am not that concerned!

Original poster
Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 08:06

@Sodndashitall i haven’t come for sleep apnea

OP posts:
Flensburg · 18/12/2023 08:10

@Sleepapneaproblems
Mention everything.
1.Tell them why you're concerned you might be in heart failure.

  1. Tell them about the recent fall.and how you have felt afterwards.
  2. Tell them about the sleep apnoea.
You have every right to be treated for what is a serious medical problem. I spent 7 hours in A and E last week and they found nothing serious. But at no point was I made to feel I shouldn't be there. Good luck 💐
ChocHotolate · 18/12/2023 08:30

Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 07:20

But a girl who needs an ex-ray because she has sprained her ankle has just been seen and I am still waiting. It’s making me feel like a fool being here and I know they’re going to tell me to go back to the GP. :(

There will be different queues ("streams") for different types of patients. the last full A&E I worked in had 6 different streams so it. It is likely that someone with a sprained ankle would be seen by a different Dr (or nurse practitioner) than someone with your symptoms

gotomomo · 18/12/2023 08:36

The dizziness could be caused by a virus, I have it and was advised this by my gp, it's an inner ear infection basically. I'm sleeping really badly so am knackered. Dr google throws out all kinds of nasties of course but self limiting virus known to be circulating is far more likely. I was told not to be overly alarmed

Dymaxion · 18/12/2023 08:43

There is clearly something going on with you OP, you have a lot of worrying symptoms, mention the palpitations to the Doctor or nurse, with your history it could be something like Atrial fibrillation which has a strong correlation with sleep apnea, and would explain a lot of the symtoms you have been experiencing. Having an ECG or a 24 hr tape to monitor your heart would be useful to see what is happening.
Did the triage nurse at the previous hospital take your pulse manually by feeling for it or did she use a machine ? I was always taught to recheck manually if the reading was abnormal, you can feel if it is regular, irregular etc
Hope you get seen soon Smile

Original poster
Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 10:07

Update: Seen doctor. He said my bloods were fine and ECG seemed ok even if fast. He did an X Ray and there is a load of fluid on my right lung which he has given me antibiotics for; and medication for the dizziness. He said he’s going to be write to my doctor on where to refer me next because he said there’s quite a lot going on so needs different investigations. He’s discharged me but said come back if it gets any worse.

OP posts:
HappyHamsters · 18/12/2023 10:17

So glad you got seen, I hope you get sorted soon and begin to feel better,

uncomfortablydumb53 · 18/12/2023 11:45

I'm glad you've been seen but please follow up with your GP My exh has AF and heart failure and your symptoms could relate to those
Weight gain MAY be fluid which also fits with fluid on lungs AF causes palpitations and can be linked to sleep apnoea
Not saying it is, but you did the right thing

Teder · 18/12/2023 12:21

Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 10:07

Update: Seen doctor. He said my bloods were fine and ECG seemed ok even if fast. He did an X Ray and there is a load of fluid on my right lung which he has given me antibiotics for; and medication for the dizziness. He said he’s going to be write to my doctor on where to refer me next because he said there’s quite a lot going on so needs different investigations. He’s discharged me but said come back if it gets any worse.

I’m so glad you got seen and have antibiotics. That triage nurse was wrong to send you away and not encourage you to stay.
Trust your gut, something isn’t right and you’re now on your way (hopefully!) to a diagnosis and feeling better.

QuestionableMouse · 18/12/2023 12:58

If you feel up to it, please contact pals at the other hospital and make a complaint about the nurse who sent you home - she could have killed you.

(wasn't North Tees, was it? A nurse there sent my mum home when she presented with one sided numbness and the inability to use her left hand. We drove to James Cook where she spent two weeks on the stroke ward!)

Very glad you're getting sorted and please don't worry about going back if you feel like you need to!

HappyHamsters · 18/12/2023 13:07

When you feel better I agree you can call PALS if the nurse was aware of your symptoms, told you you didn't need a doctor and should just go home.

peachgreen · 18/12/2023 13:12

Please do keep pursuing this OP. My late DH had heart failure and a lot of these were his symptoms too. He spent almost a year going back and forward to the doctor and didn't get diagnosed until he went into A&E in complete heart failure and ended up on life support. At that point he had less than 12% heart function. His ECG and O2 sats were almost totally normal, even when taken by the paramedics before he went in – they were going to leave him at home but we insisted he go in and 4 hours later he was in an induced coma on a ventilator. His mum had the same condition and hers was triggered by giving birth (peripartum cardiomyopathy). Heart conditions are scarily hard to diagnose without a full MRI. If you can afford it, I would try and go private for the MRI at least.

peachgreen · 18/12/2023 13:13

Also fluid on your lungs is a heart failure symptom. I'm frustrated they're not investigating this for you, to be honest.

HappyHamsters · 18/12/2023 14:13

Do go back if you don't feel any better, tbh in the good old days you probably would have been admitted. The antibiotics will help if the doctor thought it was an infection.

meeplesmarples · 18/12/2023 14:16

You may have high blood pressure as a result of the sleep apnea. Sleep sitting upright if you can (I slept on my sofa with my head tilted back while I waited for my CPAP) and it helped make the tiredness less severe.

Original poster
Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 14:24

@peachgreen @HappyHamsters the thing that stops me believing it’s an infection is that he said it’s shown on my previous x-rays from as early as June 2023… and nobody has mentioned it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 19:21

Not a great update. I called my GP to ask for a follow up appointment with him after last night and he told me to come in at 5pm today. Long story short after talking further with him and him
reviewing my x-ray, observations and how I presented, he has said the first thing he wants to test for is heart failure. I have a blood test booked at the hospital for tomorrow afternoon and then a scan on Wednesday. I know I haven’t been sent straight to A&E so I know that’s a good thing and I’m probably being over the top. But I have a young, autistic son with complex needs and delay. I can’t leave him yet.

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 18/12/2023 19:35

At least your GP is getting things moving for you, and hopefully you will feel much better soon Flowers

HappyHamsters · 18/12/2023 19:36

I fully understand that you must be feeling anxious, it's good that you went on Sunday and the gp has helped. If it's difficult to go both days then could the hospital do your blood test with the scan. Once you've had a proper diagnosis they can plan the right treatment for you.

Ladyof2022 · 18/12/2023 19:46

The only thing I can help you with is the sleep apnea. I had this and looked into it a lot and these are the things I employed come up which really helped me. Firstly I bought two dense bed wedges from Amazon and put one on top of the other plus a couple of pillows so that I was sleeping almost in an upright position I also bought one of those neck pillows that people use in aeroplanes and I did the thing up tightly round my chin so that when you fall asleep in your almost upright position your head does not lol down by keeping your head up and your chin up your head will not roll down and stop you from breathing full stop the second thing I did was I looked up exercises for sleep apnea on Google and printed out some illustrated exercises to do with sticking your tongue out and such like and you feel really stupid doing it but my god they actually worked I could not believe how well they work do you have to do these exercises just before you go to sleep only takes five minutes a night with that and the neck pillow and sleeping upright you should get a huge amount of relief from your sleep apnea it won't go away completely but it does help. The other thing I found when I woke up every morning with a blinding headache was to drink a pint of cold water and in between mouthfuls take very very deep breaths of air deeply into your diaphragmatic lung area preferably with the window open or a fan on get plenty of cold air as far into your lungs as you can and keep breathing it in and breathing it in and holding it in as long as you can and by a miracle your headache will go away full stop and yet the strange thing is no amount of painkillers will get rid of that headache only the deep breathing cold air and a pint of cold water. These are all the things that worked from me good luck

Mostlyoblivious · 18/12/2023 19:54

That’s sensible of the GP. Try not to jump the gun just yet - there are good treatments out there for heart failure and you may well find there is a reversible cause. Good luck for tomorrow, I’ll be thinking of you

Original poster
Sleepapneaproblems · 18/12/2023 20:30

I’m so terrified. I don’t know how I got here, I’m a shell of who I was :(

OP posts:
Shroedy · 18/12/2023 20:48

OP, sending lots of positive vibes and support. I was diagnosed with a serious illness almost 10 years ago now. My world turned upside down in about 24 hours and I was petrified. It's so hard when you're in it and at the moment your mind is racing around without a firm diagnoses but the best way you can look at it is that this isn't the discovery of something awful, it's the start of you being able to get the help and treatment you need to get better.