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What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Numbness In Face, Scalp And Extremities?

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Posted on Mon, 30 Nov 2015
Question: I am waking up all night long- Numb face, scalp, extremities, trunk- and not breathing. I previously had Obstructive sleep apnea, but that only manifested while on my back and I now always wear a mouthguard which has solved that issue....This is different; I can be on my side or stomach and still awake numb, cold and not breathing- I have pinched my nose to make sure that I'm not breathing but am not in a panic(As with obstructive) when I wake up- I have to tell myself to breath- again and again....after several deep breaths then the numbness starts to get buzzy and goes away.....At first it happened only a few times a night, but it has now been two weeks since I was able to get a decent nights sleep(4 hrs).....It has gotten so bad now that as I start to get to sleep, I suddenly realize that I'm losing circulation/oxygen, and my breathing has gone down to barely perceptable....I was able to get my doctor(Who's been on vacation) to do a blood test and my Thyroid tests showed low levels....I'm trying to get to see an Endocrinologist....But everything takes weeks, and I can't sleep and am experiencing headaches and now loss of appetite. My pulse has always been low(50-60), temperatute is low(97-98), and blood pressure is low.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Concerning

Detailed Answer:
With low pulse and blood pressure you ought to seek immediate medical care. I have noted the abnormal thyroid laboratory result that you have been informed about. I also see a referral to an endocrinologist has been made. This is appropriate and I understand it's the weekend but your overall condition merits prompt and thorough evaluation. For example, we need to make sure you do not have a pituitary problem which causes not only a thyroid imbalance but a cortisol deficiency too. The latter can be life threatening. If indeed the evaluation shows a pituitary problem then the testosterone levels also need to be checked. Low testosterone states have been associated with sleep apnea.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Follow up: Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (24 hours later)
Last night I awoke and was numb all over and my arms felt heavy- I tarted hyperventilating and after 10-15 minutes was able to get out of bed...But if I slowed down the breathing, I would start getting numb again, so I went to San Leandro ER....After quite a bit of talk, a very nice Doctor grudgingly allowed me to stay with a monitor on me- I tried to go to sleep, but each time I started to go under, my heart rate would drop below 50 and the alarm in the room would wake me back up. I wanted to get the in-room alarm turned off so I could actually go under and see what would happen, but right then the Doctor came in and stated that my Oxygen level never fell below 97%(I actually noticed when I was awakened by the alarm a couple of times where it was 96% and once below that- maybe 94%) so I was sent home. The big problem here is it' getting progressively worse each night. Everyone seems to want to tell me "Get a CPAP" but if my lungs aren't pumping, that isn't really going to do any good. Now my appetite is off, my movements are non-regular, and I'm cold as heck- 70 degrees in my house, yet I'm layered up with a t-shirt, sweatshirt and heavy flannel shirt. Obviously, I need some tests but I'm quite concerned about tonight, the next night, etc....All this doesn't happen overnight.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (10 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Follow up

Detailed Answer:
At least get your labs done quickly:

CBC
CMP
TSH
Free T4
Hb A1c
8 am serum cortisol
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Shehzad Topiwala

Endocrinologist

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 1663 Questions

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What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Numbness In Face, Scalp And Extremities?

Brief Answer: Concerning Detailed Answer: With low pulse and blood pressure you ought to seek immediate medical care. I have noted the abnormal thyroid laboratory result that you have been informed about. I also see a referral to an endocrinologist has been made. This is appropriate and I understand it's the weekend but your overall condition merits prompt and thorough evaluation. For example, we need to make sure you do not have a pituitary problem which causes not only a thyroid imbalance but a cortisol deficiency too. The latter can be life threatening. If indeed the evaluation shows a pituitary problem then the testosterone levels also need to be checked. Low testosterone states have been associated with sleep apnea.