Feel Like My Life Is Crumbling Down & Desperately Wanting Change

by Heather
(Texas)

I'm just turned 35 and have had high blood pressure now for going on 5 years, high is usually in around 180/120 give or take a few numbers & heart rate says around 95 to 100 all the time. I've gone to the doctor off and on over this time period starting with 1 medication & up to 5 pills a day. I have to admit I didn't take them regular until a month ago my numbers were getting up over 200/120. Doctor just changed the dosage on the 5.

3 times now when I've taken them through the day, I've had episodes where my body feels literally like its shutting down (arms heavy then go numb, feel faint, heartbeat feels slow and that's because my bp & hr dropped drastically like 70/40 hb45. It'll pass after awhile. Starting over again I've been starting with 1 pill, monitoring bp all day to try to find a routine with the pills and figuring out whats going to work. The best I've done would be 140/90 (still working on it)

I'm starting to worry ALOT lately.. Stressed/ I'm a single mom with 2 girls & I find myself going threw everything I have packed up in the garage (slowly) and seprating their things, bagging them & putting little notes so they will know whats what. I don't think I'm depressed, I don't cry but I have horrible mood swings and I am tired all the time. Example, I take my kids to school come home get back in bed at 8 and go back to sleep and can easily sleep until minutes before I have to pick them up. Usually at least twice a week. I never feel rested and always tired. After I eat, forget about it, I'm asleep.

Car same thing, I hate to admit this but my oldest daughter 17 basically learned how to drive on her own because she had no choice. I would pick them up from school get a block away and panic because I new I couldn't make it another block because I WAS going to sleep, she would have to drive us home.

I start snoring before I even go to sleep, I'm that aware of it. My kids always have something to say about my snoring and get aggravated at me because of it. Do you think sleep apnea could be whats causing most of these things that are happening to me? I have to get my life back I feel guilty for being this way. The only reason I haven't had myself checked for it yet is because I don't have health insurance & haven't been able to find any medical assistance in my area.

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Kevin: Hi Heather, Thanks for sharing your story. Sleep apnea could very well be a factor in the quality of sleep you are able to get, your daytime drowsiness, and even your high blood pressure. There are very high connections between sleep apnea and hypertension, and often eventually heart problems.

When you think of it, it's not hard to see why. If you have sleep apnea you are literally suffocating at intervals while asleep, every single night. The stress this puts on your body, and its hindrance on your daytime alertness, is why it is so important to get sleep apnea treated.

The treatment is easy. You can simply sleep with what's called a CPAP machine and your breathing will be returned to normal.

The fact that you snore and have high blood pressure is reason enough to get checked out for sleep apnea. Your drowsiness during the day and while driving pushes this into "MUST get checked for sleep apnea immediately" territory. One thing you could do while awaiting a doctor's appointment is to record yourself sleeping. In the morning, check the tape and examine your sleeping. Are there any pauses in your snoring that end in an intake of air and continued snoring? If so, this is likely an apnea.

I hope you are able to get checked out, diagnosed, and treated soon! If sleep apnea is the culprit, it will definitely be a hugely important step towards rejuvenating your psyche and living a long life with your beautiful daughters.

Warmly,
Kevin

(Please keep in mind that I am a student of sleep science and not a medical doctor. Please take any thoughts I give with my background in mind.)