Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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MoodyMolly
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Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by MoodyMolly » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:00 pm

So, i've been having episodes where I wake up suddenly, feeling lightheaded like I'm about to faint. Sometimes with numbness. It feels like m my brain isn't getting enough oxygen. My heart rate is slight and I can barely feel my pulse. I've been using an apap for 2 months now, and I'm still getting it now and then. Last night was horrible, I couldn't use my machine because it felt like I couldn't breathe, and every time I laid down I got lightheaded and faint. No matter if I was laying on my back or side, eventually I fell asleep in my recliner even though it was still having episodes sitting up, just not as bad.

My thoughts on my lightheadedness is that my neck is positioned so that my brain isn't getting the blood/oxygen it needs, but the fact that it still happens when I'm upright sometimes, makes me wonder if an artery is pinched or something.
What else could be causing this? A tumor on my artery causing compression? Could it be connected to sleep apnea somehow? Would using a pulse oximeter help me understand anything or give me any info?

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Wulfman...
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Wulfman... » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:03 pm

See a doctor!


Den

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Lucyhere
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Lucyhere » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:15 pm

MoodyMolly wrote:So, i've been having episodes where I wake up suddenly, feeling lightheaded like I'm about to faint. Sometimes with numbness. It feels like m my brain isn't getting enough oxygen. My heart rate is slight and I can barely feel my pulse. I've been using an apap for 2 months now, and I'm still getting it now and then. Last night was horrible, I couldn't use my machine because it felt like I couldn't breathe, and every time I laid down I got lightheaded and faint. No matter if I was laying on my back or side, eventually I fell asleep in my recliner even though it was still having episodes sitting up, just not as bad.

My thoughts on my lightheadedness is that my neck is positioned so that my brain isn't getting the blood/oxygen it needs, but the fact that it still happens when I'm upright sometimes, makes me wonder if an artery is pinched or something.
What else could be causing this? A tumor on my artery causing compression? Could it be connected to sleep apnea somehow? Would using a pulse oximeter help me understand anything or give me any info?

A pulse oximeter might give you more information but not the kind of information you probably need. I agree with Den. Make an appointment with your doctor.
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Julie
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Julie » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:17 pm

Cpap can easily (and usually does) lower blood pressure, so if yours is naturally on the low side to begin with, that's likely what's happening. You might want to talk to your sleep MD about it, see what he/she thinks.

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MoodyMolly
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by MoodyMolly » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:19 pm

Well, I sort if did see a doctor about it, I voiced my concerns to my pulmonologist/sleep specialist from the beginning, with my other symptoms. And that got the ball rolling to get my sleep apnea diagnosis. He didn't say he thought it could be separate from the apnea... But now my apap machine doesn't seem to be helping with the lightheaded feeling, so maybe it's time to reassess...

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Julie
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Julie » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:21 pm

Specifically ask about BP... not 10 other speculative things... you'll never know where answers come from if you experiment with more than one thing at a time.

Lucyhere
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Lucyhere » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:40 pm

MoodyMolly wrote:Well, I sort if did see a doctor about it, I voiced my concerns to my pulmonologist/sleep specialist from the beginning, with my other symptoms. And that got the ball rolling to get my sleep apnea diagnosis. He didn't say he thought it could be separate from the apnea... But now my apap machine doesn't seem to be helping with the lightheaded feeling, so maybe it's time to reassess...
Yes, that's what I would do. I can see why something like this would cause concern so press for answers, even if it means going to a different doctor. None of us are doctors so it's best to get answers from your doctors, not people who are only guessing what might be causing your symptoms.
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MoodyMolly
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by MoodyMolly » Wed Jan 10, 2018 11:21 pm

Lucyhere wrote:
MoodyMolly wrote:Well, I sort if did see a doctor about it, I voiced my concerns to my pulmonologist/sleep specialist from the beginning, with my other symptoms. And that got the ball rolling to get my sleep apnea diagnosis. He didn't say he thought it could be separate from the apnea... But now my apap machine doesn't seem to be helping with the lightheaded feeling, so maybe it's time to reassess...
Yes, that's what I would do. I can see why something like this would cause concern so press for answers, even if it means going to a different doctor. None of us are doctors so it's best to get answers from your doctors, not people who are only guessing what might be causing your symptoms.
I know, it's just that even if I get an appt to see my Dr, it could be a month until I get seen. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask in case anyone else has gone through the same thing, so I could potentially have an idea what could be going on sooner rather than later.

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Olivia
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Olivia » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:30 am

Are you hyperventilating? See a doc.

Rob K
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Re: Waking up suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint

Post by Rob K » Thu Jan 11, 2018 7:45 pm

Not sure if this is similar to what you experiencing, but figured I post anyway in hope that it may offer some insight into what could possibly be happen with your episodes.

I used to get light headed and it felt like I would black out frequently. This would happen when getting up after laying down for a while. Sometimes after sitting for a while also. There was no way I could get out of bed right away when I woke. My guess is it was related to a change in blood pressure from getting up. I haven't had a single episode since my xpap therapy was optimized. My blood pressure has gotten lower also. I had an AHI in the 3-5 range which didn't seem to do anything for me, still felt like death was knocking. I had two different sleep doctors and neither helped me very much. The forum members helped me get it down to around 1 AHI most nights and that made a world of difference. Not one episode since with the right pressure settings on my machine.

Take into consideration that your xpap therapy may not be optimized. Also after getting my pressure settings right it took months for my many symptoms to disappear. I wouldn't expect immediate results. I'm starting to sound like a broken record telling people to make certain that there therapy is adequate. And please talk to your doctor in case it is something urgent. Sounds like you have already.

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