1. I'd like to know if this is sleep apnea, but here's what's happening. I breathe fine during the day, I'm breathing fine in bed, but just at the moment I start to fall asleep it seems I stop taking breathes in, or inhaling. This immediately jarrs me back awake and it's been taking me 2 hours or so just to get to sleep. Once asleep I seem to do fine, however. Anyone else experience this and what can I do for it?

2. Racing pulse. Yesterday I was hosting a radio show, and something just didn't feel right. I took my pulse and it was 130, while sitting down. Now I know a part of that was my excitement about being on the air but most of it had to be lyme. I've also noticed that it will do this at home with no rhyme or reason. I'll be sitting at my computer just chatting and all of a sudden it's at 110bpm. Lying down can get it back down to 80 but even my resting heart rate while not experiencing a rapid pulse seems to be slightly elevated, between 80-85 bpm.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

But, sounds like you may want to call your doc on this one.

Sounds like we need more information, like what meds and strength are you on? etc. How long?

I thought sleep apnea happened during the night not when just falling asleep, but, then I could be wrong...try doing a google search on sleep apnea and I am sure it would be more detailed than what you'd get here.

Rosemary

Here's a couple of links about sleep apnea. The Crime of Lyme explains it very well. I found it fascinating information.

http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/027590.html

Edited to add that now the post seems to work???

If this post does not work see NOTE:

NOTE: The link for Crime of Lyme was posted correctly, but the site said "we've updated & moved things around."

If this happens again----sorry, but you'll have to go back to September 6, 2004 21:44 to see this excellent post by COL.

Sure didn't mean for this to be so convoluted.

The link below is correct.

http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/024406.html

I know you want more direct answers, but when in doubt, don't hesitate to call your doctor.

Hope this helps.

Best Wishes,
Jan

[This message has been edited by RECIPEGIRL (edited 19 September 2004).]

I saw my LLMD recently and when I told her of my insomnia problems with Ketek, she wondered if I was suffering from sleep apnea. All I know is that I didn't snore before (don't know if I do now or not) and never had a sleep problem.

I never remembered any dreams while sleeping before. Lots of dreams and mental activity since going on Ketek, and I can't get to sleep when I lie down. I just lie there awake.

If I take Tylenol Simply Sleep, it will eventually allow me to go to sleep, and I do not dream. But the sleep is not very restful.

My pulse has also been up now for many months when I check my blood pressure on the Walmart machines. Usually high 90's to 110.

Because of this and the warnings about effect on heart rhythem due to taking ketek, I had an EKG after being on ketek 3 weeks. It was perfectly normal, 70 beats per minute.

Really surprised me that I got a normal reading. I guess my inactivity has been so great the past year with Lyme that just walking in from the parking lot and around in the store is enough to elevate my pulse.

I also find that I get somewhat hyper at times since going on the ketek. In the past, this has corresponded with an increase in bld. pressure for me, but I don't have any readings to confirm that this time. I'll have to check.

Another new symptom that worries me after taking Ketek I posted in another thread on ketek. But either that thread has died or no one has any information on their TSH numbers for comparison.

Here is that earlier post:

I saw my LLMD yesterday (Sept. 14). An interesting revelation were the results of
my blood work, done 3 weeks after being on Ketek, along with doxy
and Ceftin as I reported earlier. The numbers for my TSH (thyroid
stimulating hormone) had increased considerably. For comparison, my
TSH was 2.273 in June 2003, 2.750 on June 15, 2004, and now 5.908
on Sept. 7, after being on Ketek for just over 3 weeks. The acceptable
range is supposedly 0.350-5.500.

I was told that correcting my TSH could bring about an increase in
energy. Therefore, I'm wondering if other Ketek users, all of which
seem to be reporting ongoing fatigue, could also have had changes in
their thyroid function?

Your body cannot and will NOT heal if you are not sleeping. Human Growth Hormone is sent out to deliver itself to your muscles and repair them WHILE IN DELTA. You cant reach delta with apean. You cant restore cells, etc.

To save you a LOT of problems and probably, a sure fire fix, ( even though Im not a doctor)

Sleep apnea can be caused by many many things. one thing doctors AVOID at being a cause of sleep apnea is GERD.

Heres the thing. Take antibiotics, reflux ( GERD) at night, jolt yourself back up with this breathing crap.

Ive had EXACTLY what you have talked about and now use a cpap machine BUT that didnt even do the trick. Two sleep tests later , PEPSID worked.

Ask your doctor what stomach med you can take with Ketex. Some abx and stomach meds you cannot take together cause some abx need stomach acid to work.

Aspirating stomach acid can definately, definaely cause your symptoms. Been there, done that, got the GERD to prove it ( and the messed up lungs)

BUT so can lyme, bartonella, babesia, etc. Sometimes, just TAKING the abx cause this problem but believe me when I say that its probably due to increased gastric acid which is actually stimulated to work more at NIGHT and it sucks.

My hyponeas were like this:

I would try to sleep and jolt awake sometimes literally gasping out for air. Sometimes, I would wake, my whole body would be tremoring, my heart would be racing and I couldnt breathe. I would go back to bed and it would happen again and again and again

and then quiet down. I always thought it was "quieting down" only after I got deep sleep. Boy was I surprised to find out I dont even hit STAGE 3, AT ALL! Ick.

Pop some stomach meds , elevate your bed. Sleep sitting UPRIGHT for a few nights just to "see " if the episodes decrease or disappear. If so, HUGE indicator its stomach aspirations into your lungs and wham- hyponeas. Don't eat after7 unless you have to with your meds.

Do you wake up coughing alot in the morning? headaches?

This stuff is SCARY so I emphathize with you.

If you do need to use a sleep clinic ( which honestly, I mean hyponeas alone can off you in a heartbeat, so I really really do press people to get it done)... be very aware

that CPAP machines make ya herx. I found that out the hard way. Get on the ball with some good sleep! You /we need it to fight this stupid disease.

do you wake up lightheaded or dizzy in the AM Too with migraines setting in in mid afternoon? There is so much information on Google about sleep apnea.

Look sleep apnea up and GERD. There is such a HUGE link and MD's ( some) are just now "getting it"

My experience was from spinal inflammation as when it flares up this comes back.

Reducing symptoms was the only thing that worked for me. But yours could be from something else.

I only had three central sleep apneas, the others were hypopneas. I wasnt even AWARE of the central ones, just the ones that kept waking me up as soon as I dozed off which were hypopneas.

If you're gonna die , so am I. Its TREATABLE! You CAN die if you DONT have it treated.

Do you have insurance? Go to a sleep clinic asap.

Cavemen, with Hashimoto's thyroid, I was having hypothyroid symptoms with a TSH of 2.57. With supplementation, I am doing much better with a TSH of 0.67.

The American Academy of Endocrinologists are now recommending a TSh range only up to 3.0. Many doctors consider it too high if it is over 2.0.

It could be a reaction to the drug. Mine is usually at 85-90 when sitting, but while on Tinidazole it seems to jump till it runs more around 110. It seems to be a herx for me, and backing off the meds slows things down again for a while.

If it continues, you might need some checking. I've had a stress EKG, a holter moniter, and am waiting on results from an echocardiogram. So far all results have been in normal range, just HR running a little high.

My LLMD thinks the heart rate is elevated because of autonomic nervous system dysregulation, which is very common in Lyme. He's checking, though, to make sure there isn't anything more serious.

Another possible, relatively benign cause of the elevated HR is deconditioning. The heart is a muscle, and if doesn't get a good regular workout, it doesn't pump as strongly, so has to pump more often to move the same amount of blood.

If this is gerd or a hiatal hernia (I got one now after a dose of Flagyl, a good chiroppracter might be able to set your stomach back in place.