≣ NapAttack ≣ ...or not?
I am seriously questioning whether or not narcolepsy is beginning to intrude on my life. My father had it. It was a hard-core onset during his early 40s.
My NapAttacks are not sudden. I feel them coming on. I then have two choices: A) go recline somewhere and take that nap, or B) continue to sit at the desk until my head cracks against the surface. When did I begin to take Sleepytime tea IV?
"Do you mean to change lanes?!"
I snapped awake and adjusted the steering away from the concrete barrier.
The second happened after I dropped Jeff off for surgery. I had consumed a Starbuck's double shot oilcan on the way to Pittsburgh. That's roughly 120 mg of caffeine - a high amount but nowhere near the 400 mg per day maximum. I had a second on the way back, bringing me to 250. Okay, that's still reasonable. I felt sleepy at times but no NapAttacks.
But then they cancelled Jeff's surgery and, being the VA, they couldn't send him home by cab because the surgery was cancelled. Government logic at its best.
I stopped on my way back to Pittsburgh and picked up a triple shot. The caffeine strength falls under 'extreme' at 225mg. Now we're up to 475 mg. Well, there go the Mayo Clinic guidelines!
My cardiologist, Dr Miracle, would have throttled me. I have high blood pressure (hypertension). I also inherited my father's tachycardia.
Living with Supraventricular Tachycardia: When you have supraventricular tachycardia, your heart's electrical system sometimes makes it beat faster than normal.
You can have a bout of SVT even when you're not stressed out or exercising hard. When your heart beats too fast, it can't pump out enough blood. You might feel tired, short of breath, or dizzy as a result of this condition that starts in the upper chambers of your heart.
Oh. Wow.
I was writing this from a lighthearted point of view. NapAttacks, narcolepsy, a crapton of caffeine just to stay awake.
But, in addition to my normal palpitations, my O2 sat always sucks... mid 80s. I also nap at home constantly. No energy. I crawl into bed or onto the loveseat, or in my big comfy chair and I'm out like a light. I don't wake up during these deep (REM!) sleep moments despite my normal pain.
It's almost 11 PM. I'm sitting here sipping my Sleepytime tea and scaring the fuck outta myself.
I will call Dr Miracle tomorrow and make an appointment. I need to know if all this shit is related. And call my endocrinologist and request a re-do of labs taken two months ago. These would help him to narrow down a diagnosis.
And now, I will pop a clonazepam and kill a quickly-rising panic attack. Jesus, God!
