I keep falling asleep - anyone else have this problem?

Posted , 8 users are following.

I was misdiagnosed in 2013 with exclusively PMR and placed on a low dose of steroids which were quickly reduced so I have been up and down with flares and remissions since. However, I have always had difficulty sleeping but now I am falling asleep, on trains, whilst reading, and am afraid to drive. I sleep for all sorts of times, maybe a few minutes to many hours. I am wondering if this is caused through GCA, has anyone else this problem and any ideas the cause and treatment?

2 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi,I have PMR and started on 20mgs of Pred now down to 10 mg.

    I too have the problem of extreme tiredness.

    I have previously suffered with falling asleep everywhere when I was first diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and given Atenolol.Are you on any other medication or have any other condition which may be responsible?

  • Posted

    Do you mean misdiagnosed or diagnosed with PMR?

    I don't think I have come across anyone with GCA who sleeps like that - I did find I would drop asleep at the drop of a hat before I went on pred and that is often part of any autoimmune illness. I was in bed by 9am if I could be and was barely ready to struggle out of bed at 9am - but I also woke in the night and was awake for ages. 

    If you are concerned enough to not drive I think you need to get your GP to do some more investigations as having PMR doesn't exclude us from having other illnesses.

    Your doctor who is treating you for PMR needs to learn how to do it properly too - whether it is a rheumy or a GP. Can you tell us a bit more about how you have reduced the pred and where you are now with it? And do you have any other symptoms? Or as blodwyn asks, medications?

  • Posted

    SOUNDS LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE GCA. IS YOUR TIREDNESS LIKE AS IF SOMEONE HAD DRUGGED YOU WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. MINE WAS LIKE THAT, AND I TOO GOT AFRAID TO DRIVE.  THE FACT MY EYESIGHT GOT BAD TOO, AS IF A CURTAIN HAD BEEN DRAWN OVER MY RIGHT EYE, ALONG WITH THE WORST HEADACHE I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED. MY CONSULTANT AT GUY'S SAYS 'THE TWO ILLNESS GO TOGETHER, NOT NECESSARILY AT THE SAME TIME'.  AS YOU ARE AWARE WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT.  WE KNOW HOW WE FEEL SO I BELIEVE ARE THE BEST AT KNOWING WHEN SOMETHING IS NOT QUITE RIGHT CONCERNING OUR HEALTH. I SUGGEST YOU GET CHECKED OUT ASAP. GOOD LUCK, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON.
  • Posted

    I can relate to that 'bigtime' I am a full blown PMR sufferer and ahve been on steroids for 18 months.Now on 4mg pred. I too fall asleep at the drop of a hat so to speak. However,it happens some time sfter a meal,but really can strike at any time.

    Very scary.My family is constantly waking me up. I am Diabetic 2 and have been for 20 years,I have not been dropping off like this though until I was put on Pred,which leads me to believe there is a connection.

    I dont know if different people react in very different ways to Pred.I remember a GP I respected very much once observing 'that the trouble with patients is that they are so bloody ideosyncratic' LOL

    • Posted

      Yes bob - everyone tends to be different in how they respond to and cope with pred.

      That reminds a bit of the joke we all used to make: nothing wrong with the NHS that locking all the patients out wouldn't cure ;-)

  • Posted

    Check with your GP for sleep apnea .  My husband kept falling alseep like that even when talking to people and it was S A
  • Posted

    Thank you very much for these suggestions. Much appreciated. It does say in most informative online sites that 'poor sleep' is a problem but nothing about snoring through cinema films and being afraid to cook or drive! I think doctors forget that patients are idiosyncratic and seem to think we all fall into neat categories!  
    • Posted

      THEY FORGET (DOCTORS),  WE WERE GREAT MULTITASKERS IN OUR TIME.

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