Hello everyone,
My Mom has severe COPD/chronic respiratory failure. She has a home NIV because she is a CO2 retainer. Her baseline is around 60 with her CO2 and she is okay on 3LT of O2 24/7. Within the last few months we have noticed if she sits down to watch tv or anything for just a couple mins she will fall asleep without warning. She will literally fall over asleep on the couch at times. I am wondering if she is that exhausted and is just used to feeling this way so she doesn't realize it. Her pulmonologist keeps saying she needs to use her NIV more to get out her co2 because it can be rising but she is still like this on days when she uses it more. Has anyone experienced anything like this? She has even fell asleep standing up before. It is very weird. Her last PFT showed her FEV1 at 38 percent. Any feedback is appreciated. I am worried and don't know what kind of time we have.