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ER visit - mzdawn74 - 07-18-2015
I ended up in the ER tonight due to feeling really short of breath and abdominal pain. My labs came out normal with the exception of a fatty liver and acidosis. My understanding from the doctor is this means my body has a low PH level, and is using more oxygen than normal. The doctor in the ER said that this can be caused by sleep apnea. (Go figure!)
Apparently, it has something to do with higher Co2 levels during sleep from when I stop breathing. He said once I get more regular use of my CPAP machine, these levels should drop. On the flip side of that, if I don't get my sleep apnea under control I will continue to have issues including confusion, memory, and concentration issues.
I am kind of relieved that I have another piece to the puzzle concerning my cognitive impairments, another reason to continue using my machine, and a real possibility of recovery.
Has anyone here been diagnosed with acidosis? Did CPAP lower your PH level? Did you have any symptoms?
RE: ER visit - 49er - 07-18-2015
Dawn,
I have never been diagnosed with acidosis but am relieved to hear you are ok with the exception of the liver issue. Sheesh, just what you needed right? Anyway, here is to better health for you, including successful pap therapy.
49er
RE: ER visit - quiescence at last - 07-18-2015
If I had chronic respiratory acidosis, I would do the following: besides waiting for the body to react and regulate, I would help it do so by drinking lots of water. If my water/fluid intake is really good, no worries. If not, I would try to get an extra cup of water down every 4 hours. If, for some strange reason I happened to be on a low-sodium diet, primarily salt restriction, I would temporarily [like 3 or 4 days] slightly increase my table salt consumption - to obtain more chloride [of course there are a lot of foods with small quantities of chloride in them]. water and chloride help speed body's natural readjustment.
getting the right oxygen in and CO2 out with CPAP
is the other half.QAL
RE: ER visit - justMongo - 07-18-2015
Fatty liver is sometimes found in people with diabetes. It's usually asymptomatic.
pH is the logarithm (base 10) of the hydrogen ion concentration. pH 7 is neutral = the pH of water. In the blood, CO2 shifts the pH slightly less than 7. If you breath rapidly, you will expel more CO2, shifting the pH toward base (i.e.- a slightly larger number.) That's called respiratory alkalosis.
FYI: I too found myself in the ER on Friday. I felt short of breath. My labs came back normal and they sent me home.
RE: ER visit - me50 - 07-18-2015
when people are short of breath, are the ER personnel not checking for possible signs of a pending heart attack?
RE: ER visit - Ailu - 07-18-2015
So glad you are out of the hospital! Not sure if CPAP will help, but fortunately fatty liver is something that you can resolve with diet changes. Below are some helpful links about it. Basically, it's a dietary imbalance caused from too much simple sugars & Omega 6 in the diet. People have been able to reverse it by a drastic reduction of carbohydrates and the addition of Omega 3 in their diet.
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/
http://wholehealthsources.blogspot.com/2009/06/fatty-liver-reversal.html
http://wholehealthsources.blogspot.com/2009/09/another-fatty-liver-reversal-part-ii.html
Wish you all the best!
RE: ER visit - justMongo - 07-18-2015
(07-18-2015, 07:13 AM)me50 Wrote: when people are short of breath, are the ER personnel not checking for possible signs of a pending heart attack?
Yes, of course. I had an EKG. Chest X-ray. and was on monitors...
The blood panel includes cardiac enzymes; and clotting factors like the D-dimer.
RE: ER visit - me50 - 07-18-2015
(07-18-2015, 07:50 AM)justMongo Wrote:(07-18-2015, 07:13 AM)me50 Wrote: when people are short of breath, are the ER personnel not checking for possible signs of a pending heart attack?
Yes, of course. I had an EKG. Chest X-ray. and was on monitors...
The blood panel includes cardiac enzymes; and clotting factors like the D-dimer.
good to know because I have known a few that went to the ER only to be sent home and not too long after they had a heart attack. hope they did the same for Dawn
RE: ER visit - trish6hundred - 07-18-2015
Hi mzdawn74,
I hope you get to feeling better soon, just keep on trying to gett used to and using your CPAP machine.
RE: ER visit - PositiveMe123 - 07-18-2015
I'm really sorry about the trip to the ER! That's always scary. On the bright side, it appears you got some relief from going. As every piece of the puzzle fits together, you'll gain more and more insight and understanding. I've not been diagnosed with what the doctor told you, but thought the doctor's comments were interesting. I still think you should run this by your own doctor when you see him. In my experience, 'sometimes' ER doctors tell you things they think you want to hear (SA), especially when they don't think there is a major problem. I'd trust my own personal physician more.
Have a relaxing weekend!