Falling Asleep while driving?

[Billydude]

I started noticing a couple of years ago that I would fall asleep for a second while driving.  It escalated to a point that on a weekly long trip I needed to take that I would start falling asleep at the wheel many times and have had many close calls.    I finally had to give up on driving this trip and had to hire someone to drive me.   I don't believe I have sleep apnea as I sleep well, don't snore and get a full nights sleep.   This falling asleep at the wheel can happen at any time of the day.
Is there a medical reason for this?    I also have severe neck degeneration.  Could sometime be cutting off oxygen to my brain when I'm in this position?    I don't fall asleep at other times.  Just while I am driving.

[funutation]

That's what is was for me.  CO poisoning (carbon monoxide).

I realized this when I rented a car while on a business trip and
wasn't getting tired after driving for 3 hours.

My car's converter was slowly getting blocked up.  It's gone now
(not the converter, the ENTIRE car :-)

[Momma32876]

I have the same issue. It does feels so much like i'm in a trans. My eyes are usually open when this happens but It's hard to shake off the sleepy feeling. Like I am trapped in this trans. Idk what it could be but it scares me. I hope they figure it out too. I was wondering if it had anything to do with being a diabetic, because I remember years back I was driving and I saw this man rearend this old lady, I got out of my car fuming mad,I didn't realize that he had some kind of diabetic issue and that that was why he had hit her. I was just worried that he had hit the poor lil old lady. When the police came to write the accident up,it came out somehow that he had diabetes. Just a thought. He was wide awake too,and he did look like he was in a trans, I thought he must have been on drugs or something. Now I realize you don't have to be on drugs that there is other underlying conditions that can cause you to zone out or fall asleep at the wheel.

[Momma32876]

I am curious, Did you end up having the vasovagal syncope? Did they give you anything to help you with it? I have the same symptoms and it scares me.

[Angee41]

Thank you!!!!! :)

[Angee41]

It's not Narcolepsy.  I think he suffers from Harlequin Syndrome.  Half my face turns red and I too have abnormal sweating.  He could also have that with Horner's Syndrome or Holmes- Adie Syndrome.

[candimeg]

This has happened to me on and off for years, but it has usually centered around a change in my depression medication (which has not happened lately).  I did (in December) have my 3rd cervical spine surgery, which still has not healed well.  4 weeks ago, I started having these "falling asleep behind the wheel" symptoms, but then I got sick and was out of work for a week, went back for 2 days but due to construction had to work from home the last 3 days of last week.  This week, I went back to work and it started all over again.  Monday, I was just exhausted and managed to make it home before I crashed on the sofa.  By Wednesday, I almost ran off the road 3 times (at least that's how many times I got honked at).  Yesterday, I was halfway home before I began falling out.  At least once, I woke up just in time to not eat the backend of the car in front of me.  I have no idea how I got home but, what I'm estimating to be about an hour after I got home, my son-in-law found me in my car completely passed out.  The car was still on and my foot was on the break pedal.  Thank God the car was in park.  What I found out was that it took him more than 15 minutes to rouse me.  He first tried calling my cell - which goes through the Bluetooth on my car and is so loud it would wake the dead (apparently not).  Then he said he came out to the car, opened the door and repeatedly called my name - louder each time.  He said it took a good 2-3 minutes of shaking me before I began to respond at all.  When I "came to" I was shaking so violently it took another 5 minutes or more before I could get out of the car.  When I did, I managed to make it upstairs and fell onto my bed, where I immediately passed out again for another 2 1/2 hours.  I have been an insomniac for more than 15 years, and take meds for that so I'm adjusted enough to know that isn't the problem.  I have lost a tremendous amount of weight because I changed my diet and am eating healthier and that has not affected me - except to give me MORE energy.  I do a fairly physical job, but nothing like lifting 50lbs all day.  Since the surgery I'm not back up to my usual work standards, but that is not unusual.  As tired as I have been, I have never experienced what I experienced yesterday and after seeing my surgeon today I have been "grounded" and am not allowed to drive (which means I also can't go to work) until this can be solved.  He's ordered blood work and a trip to my regular physician.  All I know is I'm frustrated and terrified.  I'm just glad to see I'm not alone.