Carbon dioxide poisoning

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Lilacs53

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Oct 13, 2014
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107
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
09/2014
Country
US
State
AZ
City
Buckeye
Hi everyone,

Can anybody tell me if a person always has a headache if they are dealing with carbon dioxide poisoning? I ask this because for the last week or so I have been dealing with headaches off and on. I usually wake up with them in the mornings and a couple times during the night I have, usually by evening the headache is gone. My appetite is still good, I'm not anymore fatigue than what I usually am, I don't seem to be in a state of confusion or anything like that, but periodically my heart flutters a little more than normal.

I'm thinking about caling my doctor in the morning to get tested.
 
Waking with a headache can be a sign of excess co2 buildup.

Most definitely get it checked.
 
Thanks GregK, will do.
 
It does have the hallmarks of possibly being CO2 related, so please do have it checked.
You need to be checked laying down, not just upright.

Do you sleep laying flat? I would start sleeping with a double pillow or a wedge in the meantime as when the diaphragm begins to be affected it has the most trouble working when you are laying down.

Let us know, and I'm thinking of you.
 
Tillie recommended the wedge to me some time ago and it has helped. If you are not on the bipap it sounds like you will need to be.

I also agree that it is very important that they do the test lying down. I do not understand why it is not standard but it needs to be done. As I understand it there should only be a 10 point FVC change between sitting up and lying down any more than this indicates weakened breathing muscles.
 
Headaches are a sign of CO2 build up you need to have it checked out ASAP
 
Thank you all very much. I haven't had a headache since yesterday morning, so that is good news. I am a side sleeper and rarely sleep on my back & when I do lay on my back I haven't noticed any breathing issues....I seem to breathe normally & so far haven't needed any breathing equipment. I didn't go into today, because I received the results of the blood work I had done a couple weeks ago on my liver & such. My liver is fine, but my calcium levels are up, so my Dr wants me to get another test for that, which has to be done at another facility. I have put a call into her office to let her know that I also need to be tested for CO2, hopefully they both can be done on the same day and at the same place.

I am wondering though if the shortness of breath and heart palpitations could be contributed to the Riluzole? Those are two of the side effects. I put in a message to my neurologist about it & should be hearing back from him either later today or tomorrow. I do have PVC's though, so it could be that whatever is causing this, is making my PVC's act up more than usual.
 
Are you using a bipap to sleep? If not that can contribute to headaches in the morning.
 
Yep, my Trilogy got rid of my morning headaches.
 
No I'm not using a bipap or Trilogy...not sure what those are.
 
Ask your ALS doctor to order one for you - it is accepted standard of care for people with ALS. They help your respiratory muscles at night breathing in and out. Knowing what I know now I'd go straight for asking for a Trilogy or Astral. These are two different types that virtually do the same thing. They can be used as bipap at night, non-invasive ventilation, then when needed during the day, and eventually be used for invasive ventilation if one chooses this option of care.

Do searches on this forum, there have been plenty of discussions of bipaps.
 
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