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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Excessive Sleepiness In An Elderly Person?

My mother at 91 has days she cannot resist the urge to sleep most of the day. She will rise and have breakfast, then make plans for the day, but is overcome by sleepiness and may spend until noon in her chair asleep. She says she just can t seem to wake up. She will eat lunch, and eats well, then return to her chair to sleep. She sleeps well at night. She has a pacemaker and takes a blood thinner and several other drugs common to old age. We have been to the local clinic and had blood work and urinalysis done. They revealed no cause for the sleepiness. Some days she is fine. Although somewhat forgetful, her mental abilities are quite good. She may spend the day sleeping between meals and then go to bed early to sleep all night.
Mon, 30 Jan 2017
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Dear Patient,

At the first moment Your situation made me think that it may be related to a high level of Kreatine (a body metabolite), but when you clarified that the doctors in the hospital have already done the blood and urine analysis, then it seems that there is not a metabolic cause.

You should regularly check up your mom with your local doctors, and please control if this excessive sleepiness is a side effect of the drugs that she is already taking. (You have give no specific information about them.)

In the end keep in mind that for babies and elderly people excessive sleepiness may be normal.

All the best,
Dr. Eni
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What Causes Excessive Sleepiness In An Elderly Person?

Dear Patient, At the first moment Your situation made me think that it may be related to a high level of Kreatine (a body metabolite), but when you clarified that the doctors in the hospital have already done the blood and urine analysis, then it seems that there is not a metabolic cause. You should regularly check up your mom with your local doctors, and please control if this excessive sleepiness is a side effect of the drugs that she is already taking. (You have give no specific information about them.) In the end keep in mind that for babies and elderly people excessive sleepiness may be normal. All the best, Dr. Eni