# Excessive sleep?



## num1habsfan (Jul 12, 2010)

Hey everyone. I wasn't sure where to post this but I'm pretty puzzled about something and I'm wondering if anyone else has a similar issue. 

For the last while I have been on spree where I can literally sleep 24 hours a day. It doesn't matter if I sleep 2 hours or 10 hours, within a few hours of waking up I'm ready to be back in bed. Today was a prime example. I slept 10 straight hours, then felt so tired that after I did back stretches i fell asleep on the floor for an hour with my head in the sun and neck crooked and without using a pillow. 

I have not had any change in medication... I've been on Prednisone for the last couple of weeks but I know that gives me energy (this is my 4th time on it). Otherwise in case you are wondering, my daily meds include Diltiazem, Metoclopramide, Synthroid, Citalopram, Advair, and Singulair. I also take Vitamin D and Caltrate Plus. 

Can any of you think of what could be causing excessive sleep? Could something with the thyroids be out of whack again, or is there some sort of deficiency that can cause it?


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## Jennifer (Jul 12, 2010)

I'm not entirely sure of the exact cause but this has happened to me a couple of times. One time was because of a new medication (Paxil 20mg) and another time the reason was unknown. I think the other time was because my body had been through so much stress via crohns back then to where it was just repairing itself through sleep because all that stress makes your body very tired. If it concerns you or is affecting your daily life then maybe contact your GP to get it checked out.


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## num1habsfan (Jul 12, 2010)

CrabbyRelish said:


> I'm not entirely sure of the exact cause but this has happened to me a couple of times. One time was because of a new medication (Paxil 20mg) and another time the reason was unknown. I think the other time was because my body had been through so much stress via crohns back then to where it was just repairing itself through sleep because all that stress makes your body very tired. If it concerns you or is affecting your daily life then maybe contact your GP to get it checked out.



Yeah I'm going to go for allergy shots today I hope so at the same time will get them to book me an appointment to see the family doc. Hopefully they will believe me and try to investigate into it further. 

Maybe it is just wear and tear on the body or something... whatever it is, it is surely driving me crazy. :kello:


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## fateful_one (Jul 12, 2010)

Same thing has been happening to me all this  month!  I am always tired, I have to take naps.  my crohns isn't exactly controlled right now.  i have been on entocort since april and imuran since june 1stish.  besides that no big changes in meds. maybe this is just another awesome symptom?? anyway, let me know if you figure it out!


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## num1habsfan (Jul 12, 2010)

Ugh I guess I will be sleeping a lot for the next couple weeks yet. Can't get into my family doc office until July 28th! And it's not even my usual one - she's booking into August. So i just took what I could get the soonest

I talked to my pharmacist today. I've been on the same dosage of meds for months and months now, and he says that none of them should be causing such extreme fatigue. He's pretty sure that something else is going on physically that is wrong. 

I have had iron deficiency anemia twice before. 

I REALLY wish I didn't have to wait over 2 weeks to get seen about this! UGH


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## Jennifer (Jul 12, 2010)

Maybe you could try to be seen sooner by letting the staff know that its urgent and they can call you if there's a cancellation. Worth a try.


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## semicolon306 (Jul 12, 2010)

I was the same way and they found that by body was fighting itself so bad is was just tired.  Then in the end of my last time, I could not even stay awake, I sat I was OUT.  They found an internal infection from my j pouching leaking.  They only way they found this was with a ct scan with contract oral and rectal.  NOT the same cup, promise, LMPO.


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## Crohn's 35 (Jul 12, 2010)

Could you come in contact with Mono?  I know a few people like that, they dont have Crohns but Mono has been spreading a little.  Just a thought.


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## semicolon306 (Jul 12, 2010)

Good thought jet, always thing - love it


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## num1habsfan (Jul 13, 2010)

Jettalady said:


> Could you come in contact with Mono?  I know a few people like that, they dont have Crohns but Mono has been spreading a little.  Just a thought.


What are the other symptoms of it?


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## Jennifer (Jul 13, 2010)

num1habsfan said:


> What are the other symptoms of it?


 _ * Drowsiness
    * Fever
    * General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
    * Loss of appetite
    * Muscle aches or stiffness
    * Rash
    * Sore throat
    * Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck and armpit
    * Swollen spleen
The initial symptoms of mono feel very much like a typical viral illness. It is not necessary to contact a health care provider unless symptoms last longer than 10 days or you develop the following:
    * Abdominal pain
    * Breathing difficulty
    * Persistent high fevers (more than 101.5°F)
    * Severe headache
    * Severe sore throat or swollen tonsils
    * Weakness in the arm or legs
    * Yellow discoloration of your eyes or skin_
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Mononucleosis

Usually people with symptoms of strep throat get checked for mono as well. If the only symptom you have now is just extremely tired, then I doubt its mono.


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## num1habsfan (Jul 16, 2010)

CrabbyRelish said:


> _ * Drowsiness
> * Fever
> * General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
> * Loss of appetite
> ...


Thanks for saving me to troubles and finding that list of symptoms for me! Can't say I've had any other symptom than the fatigue. I ache due to arthritis and have been getting headaches from the hypertension, so it's hard to discern between the my regular conditions and something else when it comes to those symptoms. :/.


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## num1habsfan (Jul 20, 2010)

I have a new theory, after a new co-worker was explaining their symptoms... diabetes. What do you think?


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## fromthegut (Jul 20, 2010)

Hi num1habsfan... I know for me.. jsut because of life in general and the extra stress and anxiety of this disease, I go through periods of depresssion. I feel like curling up and jsut cacooning. The best thing anyone ever said to me was not to judge it or trying and figure it out... jsut sleep. 
  I think my Dr.s and even myself I don't want to admit that I am depressed. Depression is such a helpless feelign and it is like I am weak or something. Heck.. I try to live like I am a person without a chronic illness, financial problems, self esteem issues etc.... that is tiring. When I accept that I am tired and may be deprsssed and it doens't make me a failure or bad.. then I go to bed.. relax and feel better faster.
  I had a friend in the hospital recently... she was mad at the Dr.s becasue they said it was nothing physical but it was psychiatric. I said " So.. it's psychiatric".   doesn't matter.. you need a time otu.
 So I went and bought palying cards and bought a diet coke and we palyed crazy 8's and she was sad missing her mom. I asked her what her mom would do if she was there and she said " Brush my hair" So I bruched her hair with my hands.. and we had a little talk about someone we miss..and I said I would miss her cause we share things no one else has...and she said " I don't know why I am so stressed." We palyed cards and then chatted and helped other patients. 
  Usuaally when I help someone worse off then me it helps. Although.. even as caregivers.. we need to nurture ourselves. Heck.. we are not only the patient but we nurse, advocate, doctor, ourselves... take care...and most of all. Easy Does It and Keep It Simple.


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## Jennjenn (Jul 20, 2010)

I am very fatigued and can sleep for extended periods of time with waking up and still being weak and tired. I have felt like this for the longest time. I recently went to another specialist and they checked my B12 and Feratin levels. I was told to get a B12 injection and an iron infusion which I am going to schedule after my enterography tomorrow. They said it will help with a lot of symptoms I am having (not everything but its a step in the right direction) Tiredness and weakness, fatigue being on the list.


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## Claire617 (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm very aneamic so I can't help but sleep loads sometimes but in a couple of weeks I'm having a couple of blood transfusions because my blood count is so low, this can make you feel seriously tired, might be something to check out if you have a blood test for aneamia


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## Mike (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm anemic and inbetween the prednisone and Remicade span that was about three months I could easily sleep 16-18 hours a day. I would wake up, go to work, come home and fall back asleep and that was my life for a couple weeks. Then I slowly started trying to limit it and got it down to 12-14 hours a day. 

I would get some blood tests asap.  Also have you checked into a Super B complex? It really helped me out.


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## nowitzkiwebb (Jul 27, 2010)

I have been on Entocort for four weeks.  I was diagnosed with crohns 4 weeks ago and will sleep for 12-14 hours at night.  I am only awake for 1-2 hours in the morning then I'm back in bed asleep for another 2-4 hours.  I believe the fatigue is a side affect of Crohns because your bowel isn't absorbing all the nurtrients from your diet.  Along with side affect of medication and loss of blood causing aenemia.


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## num1habsfan (Jul 28, 2010)

Interesting that a lot of you think it could be IBD related. I also have a new theory...

Yesterday I had a breathing test and my respirologist asked how I'm feeling. I told him I was on prednisone again and that I have hypertension now. Also mentioned the fatigue. 

He asked if I snore, I said no. He asked if I get up during the night, I said yes to pee almost every hour, sometimes more. He asked if anyone ever told me I stop breathing, I said no. He asked if I get short of breath, I said no. And then he asked if I am more tired when I wake during the night or the morning, I said morning. 

So he's booking me for an oxygen-based sleep apnia test. Also sending me for bloodwork on CBC, renal function, liver function, and TSH for thyroid. 

Still going to see family doc today so I will tell you his opinion, as well.


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## Keona (Jul 28, 2010)

I go through periods of sleeping constantly just like you described.  It is playing on my head as I feel so non-productive.  My dog even tries to wake me up and I just tell her to go away.  It is amazing how tired I can get  and how long I sleep.  Before I was diagnosed, I was told it was in my head and to go see a shrink...so I did.  I kept telling her I have no energy and she put me on antidepressants that would give me energy.  I argued that I think it is health related.  She would counter that and say that chemical imbalances are physical problems in her opinion and upped the meds.  Now I am on 2 different kinds and one is supposed to make me wide-awake.  I can sleep through that as well .  Then I was diagnosed with Crohn's and I told her it was medical related and wondered why she was giving me psychiatric drugs for a physical problem...she explained that either way, I still sleep a lot and need the energy.  The end result, I am on these until I find some energy again.
Your doctor should be able to do simple blood work to see if you have diabetes or thyroid issues, etc.  Personally, I think my issues are due to the IBD.  It seems to be a consistent complaint across the board.  Makes sense to me.
Let us know what you find out!


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## My Butt Hurts (Jul 28, 2010)

num1habsfan said:


> He asked if I get up during the night, I said yes to pee almost every hour, sometimes more.


I would think that ANYone who got up every hour in the middle of the night would be tired.  That's like having a newborn baby, and I know how tiring that is.
Maybe I missed it, but is there a reason that you are peeing so much?
There is no way you can get into that REM sleep if you are up so often.


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## num1habsfan (Jul 28, 2010)

wow here is the list of bloodwork. I don't know what some of this even means. Maybe you guys will understand some of the anagrams? 

Hematology: CBC (Hg, Hct, RBC, WCB, diff Indices, plt)
Chemistry: Glucose Fst (8 hour Fst)
Renal Panel: Urea, Creatinine, Electrolytes
Left Panel: ALT, Alk. Phos., Total Bilirubin, Albumin, GGT
Serology: CRP, Mono (spot test and serum pls)
Chemistry: TSH, T4, Iron Studies (Iron, Transferrin, Ferritin, TIBC), Ferritin, B12
Other: West Nile, ESR


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## idon2738 (Aug 1, 2010)

In my opinion, the fatigue is most likely being caused by malnutrition/absorption. (fatigue is so hard to pinpoint and I feel for ya! I haven't quite figured it out myself)

I had my blood work done yesterday because I've felt like a 90 year old in a 22 year olds body for a couple of weeks. I slept for 26 hours a few days ago and only woke up 3 times. Anytime I did a simple activity such as weeding, I would be out of breath.
Heck! I was out of breath, dizzy and seeing spots just from standing EVERY TIME.

My iron count was relatively low, but nothing to cause concern about... I haven't had a test checking for vitamin deficiencies but I have been taking a chewable super vitamin B complex that SEEMS to be helping.

And one more thing (I ramble a lot  ) I agree with an earlier post regarding depression, I am positive that I'm having situational depression at the moment and I think that may have triggered more of my Crohn's symptoms than anything. So if you have any reason to be depressed or down lately, maybe take it into consideration? :hang:


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## num1habsfan (Sep 2, 2010)

Well, I had all of that bloodwork done and oddly enough the doctors office never called me to discuss results, so I assume that everything had to be normal. The sleepy issue has not gone away at all. 

But there is possibly a solution... maybe. 

on Sept 14 I get a take-home sleep apnea test done, the kind where they hook me up to a small machine that I have to wear for 24 hours I think it is. I believe they gave me that version of the test because my respirologist (who referred me) knows I will be in university. This way I am not going to have to miss any classes.


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## InkyStinky (Sep 2, 2010)

num1habsfan said:


> Well, I had all of that bloodwork done and oddly enough the doctors office never called me to discuss results, so I assume that everything had to be normal.


Hey there - From much personal experience I would NOT assume that no news is good news. I don't know about your dr., but it's like pulling teeth to get my GI to call me back about anything - I'm dealing with moderately elevated liver levels and it took him a week to call me back. I always get copies of my lab results so I know if there's a reason to keep pestering my GI's office 'til he calls me back :yrolleyes:

Hope you get some answers soon!


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## MommaDot (Sep 7, 2010)

I see that you are still battling the sleepiness.  This is something I also have.  I take naps nearly every day and sleep all night long.  All my blood tests always come back good.  The GI doc sent me to the regular doc to change my depression medication and it helped for a while.  I got tired again and GI doc sent me back.  Regular doc increased my depression med and it helped a little more.  Chronic illness and depression go hand-in-hand a lot.  I missed if you mentioned that you may have had this check out, but it's a thought.  Oh, and when I can take walks they seem to get my energy level up.  I have to tell my self I am refueling when I get to exercise even though it is torture at the time.  Just a couple of thoughts.  Doris


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