What is sleep apnea and what causes it?
In some people, apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the opening of the airway. When the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the uvula (the small fleshy tissue hanging from the center of the back of the throat) relax and sag, the airway becomes blocked, making breathing labored and noisy and even stopping it altogether. Sleep apnea also can occur in obese people when an excess amount of tissue in the airway causes it to be narrowed. With a narrowed airway, the person continues his or her efforts to breathe, but air cannot easily flow into or out of the nose or mouth. Unknown to the person, this results in heavy snoring, periods of no breathing, and frequent arousals (causing abrupt changes from deep sleep to light sleep). Ingestion of alcohol and sleeping pills increases the frequency and duration of breathing pauses in people with sleep apnea.
Would Lexapro And pain-killers interact?
Lexapro and Hydrocodone are normally ok taken together "IF taken as prescribed". Just remember taking the two together may increase the effect of either the anti-depressant or the pain medication. Do not drive while taking the Vicodin(hydrocodone) If you are worried please talk to your doctor who prescribed the Lexapro and your dentist who may prescribe the hydrocodone. I have taken the Lexapro for 2 years and the Hydrocodone on and off for the last two yrs. I have not have any problems . Of course I only take the Hydrocodone when I need it .
Friend took 4 sleeping pills?
Yes it is too much since that is not the dosage that is recommended. Fortunately, four sleeping pills will not harm your friend. He/she is simply going to sleep for a while and wake up with a terrible headache or hangover type of feeling. The important thing is to find out why your friend took so much. Possibly he or she is depressed and needs to get some help before he or she takes more and really does some harm. Make sure he/she drinks plenty of liquids when he/she wakes up and eats some breakfast. Then talk to your friend about what is bothering her or him to cause this.
For the past week ive been taking echinacea. I havnt been able to sleep lately. Is this connected?
I tried looking for evidence searching on Google of echinacea affecting sleep but couldn't really come up with anything. Do herbal supplements sometimes affect sleeping patterns? It takes me forever to get to sleep and i seem to have sooo much energy. I wake up every hour or so. and i don't feel tired. Does echinacea have caffeine?
When you dream that you're drowning or choking, do you actually stop breathing in real life temporarily?
it will feel the same, all your sensations are produced by your brain, it collects the information from its senses and interprets them into what we feel. it doesn't make any difference to the mind whether its real or imaginary as its only providing the information that it already has in its memory. it can't give you something that it doesn't already know. Edit, going back to your dream that you feel like your holding your breath under water. Water is generally a metaphor for life, do you feel like your subdued or overcome by life? Its just an idea, if that is the case there maybe an issue that you may have to pay some attention to. Hope that helps.