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What Causes Excessive Sleepiness While Suffering From ALS?
My father has ALS. He was diagnosed over 2 years ago. He has a portable breathing machine but not a respirator. He has started sleeping more and more during the day. I understand that CO2 will build up in his system until he just doesn't wake up. What I need to know is, is his sleeping so much the beginning of that process?
Wed, 12 Oct 2016
Hello.
You are right in suspecting the building up of CO2 as the cause of his sleepiness. This can be confirmed by an arterial blood gas analysis which can show the levels of CO2 inside his system.
Other causes which are a possibility in his case are drug induced - due to any of the medications he is on or due to the build up of ammonia in his system as a result of decreased functioning of the liver which may be affected due to his medications.
Whatever the cause, I am sorry to say, the prognosis does not look promising.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Dr Geeta
You are right in suspecting the building up of CO2 as the cause of his sleepiness. This can be confirmed by an arterial blood gas analysis which can show the levels of CO2 inside his system.
Other causes which are a possibility in his case are drug induced - due to any of the medications he is on or due to the build up of ammonia in his system as a result of decreased functioning of the liver which may be affected due to his medications.
Whatever the cause, I am sorry to say, the prognosis does not look promising.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Dr Geeta
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