I just had a sleep study, and even though I was extremely agitated and felt like I never even "slept" the study came back that I had SA and need to get the CPAP.

For years I have had to sleep with my head elevated, or I would wake, feeling like I was losing consciousness. I wish I could sleep sitting up.  Even when I am awake I can't lie down perfectly flat or I get the same dizzy passing out feeling.

Anyone heard of that?  Thanks

I have had a lot of experience with that dizzy feeling:

• When in the shower with head bent back washing hair.
  
• Changing a light bulb.
  
• Reaching up requiring head to be tilted back.
  
• Rising quickly from a sitting position.
  
• Getting out of bed.
  

The first round of this feeling turned out to be blocked carotid arteries.  Notice the head bending back?  There are secondary arteries traveling to your brain in the back of your neck.  The bending back cut the flow down, thus exacerbating the blocked carotids.

The second round, years later, involved the chronic loss of blood.  The conditions of using certain drugs related to hypertension and blood thinners combined with a small ulcer was causing a significant loss of blood (at the time reason unknown).  The loss led to transfusing blood three times over a period of six weeks.  The only symptom was feeling dizzy, as in above, and once passing out.

When you see your doctor complain about your symptoms and don’t limit your conversation to sleep related issues!


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Yes, yes.  I get everything you mentioned.  Looking up at the sky, I feel like I'm going to lose consiousness and have to put my head staight again.  Even turning my head to look at something the wrong way, will give me the same sensation.  Is my neck funny?  Or is something really wrong with the arteries...or both?

Quote:

Worth Repeating ----
The first round of this feeling turned out to be blocked carotid arteries.  Notice the head bending back?  There are secondary arteries traveling to your brain in the back of your neck.  The bending back cut the flow down, thus exacerbating the blocked carotids.

If you ever smoked, ate french fries, really liked red meat, broke so many of the dietary rules related to vascular disease and your age goes past fingers and toes twice then you may be the winner of .......

Sounds like carotid to me.  All of that neck movement could even slightly block the arteries in the back of the neck.  There would be no consequence unless the carotids were significantly blocked.


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Bo?


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I was just looking at cartoid blockage and it says there really are no symptoms.  Since the cut off seems to be in the back of my neck, I'm wondering if it could also be some of spine pinch thing.   Does this all go together somehow with sleep apnea ya think?

Perhaps there are no clinical symptoms specifically used to diagnose blocked arteries.  That’s why we are so careful with blood pressure and general vascular issues.  You’ve heard of the silent killer.  I believe, Bo, you have something to complain about.  You have listed a whole bunch of things happening to you that are consistent with blocked arteries.

Let me tell you the worse thing about blocked carotid arteries.  If you know you are in that condition you feel like a time bomb and not knowing the time it was set for.  You may be flirting with stroke!  Even worse then that are the people who never have a physical or the opportunity for a doctor to put a stethoscope on their body!  You have the opportunity.

Listen up .. (no pun intended) ask your doctor to listen to your carotids.  They do not usually do this unless you present with neurological symptoms or are having a complete physical.  Do you ever have a tingling feeling elsewhere?

After your doctor listens to the sound of your carotid arteries she might order an ultra-sound that day to verify!  The sound of the ‘swishing’ tips her off.  In my case I could even hear the drum beat in my head at night (bam, swish, bam, swish, bam, swish).  Can you?

Then you may have an angiogram (ordered by the surgeon) to confirm the extent of blockage and the need for surgery.  If your arteries are indeed blocked at or exceeding the high 90s percentiles you’re in the hospital that night prepping!  Get on with it!  At least the initial questions.

OK, I will.  I see the lung/apnea doctor on Oct. 4th.

Yes, my arms fall asleep constantly at night.

I am overweight too.  The sleep lab person suggested I lose weight (gee, what a novel idea)

When I see the doc I will discuss all of this.  

Thanks!

I don't know if it's related to Sleep Apnea but let me add one more scenario then I'll be quite and won't bother you any more ......

Back of the neck is not the issue.  Think about the logic.  Humor me and pretend your carotid arteries are blocked.  Now your primary source of blood to your brain are the arteries at the back of your neck.  Minor arteries.  Bend your neck.  Would you agree that that action might constrict the flow at the back of your neck?  Try it with a string on your finger!  If the flow at the back of your neck is constricted and your carotids are blocked would it not follow that your brain’s blood supply may be reduced?

I don't have a dog in this fight other then concern generated from what you have written.  My advise commits you to nothing except asking the question the next time you are in the presence of your doctor.


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Whoops .... we talked over each other.  Anyway ... good glad you'll ask.


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Thanks so much!!!  And yes, you may have really helped me prevent a stroke!