How Can Breathlessness Upon Waking Up And Chronic Episodes Of Dizziness While Having Sleep Apnea Be Treated?

Posted on Wed, 5 Sep 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 Answered on

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 Last reviewed on

Question : I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few years ago. I was having some health problems at the time. The symptoms went away and I quit doing the CPAP. July of 2017 I had heart bypass surgery. the CABBAGE. I was on the edge of having a heart attack. I in the last few months I have become aware that I wake up feeling SOB. I am breathing all along then my body will take several deep breaths. Like Sleep Apnea but I am awake. I have been sleeping a lot and just not feeling well. I just had a heart XXXXXXX and everything is OK. I had a problem with dizziness for several months now and I am seeing a Neurologist for that. I failed the test where you lay down for 10 min. than stand up quickly. I almost past out. My BP went hign for the proceedurethe DR. said. They are going to do a nerve study now. Help I don't know what to make of all this. TIA?

Answered by Dr. Mahboob Ur Rahman (33 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I does not look to be A TIA

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

This dizziness does not look to be TIA as TIA causes a weakness of limbs or speech that resolves with in 24 hours. The difficulty in breathing may have two reasons.

Good that heart is fine as one common causes is heart failure. Other possible causes are:

1. Either your sleep apnea is back. Apnea may occur sometimes even with out sleep but only with relaxing .This may also cause the excessive sleep you are suffering as due to apnea sleep is disturbed in night and this leads to day time somnolence and body aches.

2.One another reason may be anxiety. I wonder how is your mode recently as sometimes anxiety may causes feeling of suffocation?
So this needs evaluation on these lines.

Regarding your dizziness, it's difficult to say what could be the causes but few things are possible.

1.This may be due to ear diseases specially if you feel it in any position and also have some ear fullness etc.

2.Another possibility is postural drop, with the drugs or your heart diseases .Specially if dizziness occurs with standing.

3.This may also be caused by neuropathy like autonomic neurology.
So causes may be many ; but it is not at least TIA.

Drugs may also cause dizziness like aspirin. So let yours neurologist see you in details to sort out the cause.

Hope things get better for you. Good luck. Please let me know if you have any thing else to ask. I will be glad to answer.

Regards,
Dr. Rahman

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad