HUSBAND APPEARED UNCONCIOUS IN MORNING

[mares]

Dear Doctor

Something very strange happened this morning. We had a night out with friends and a few glasses of wine and about 3 x rum and cokes were consumed over a period of about 5 hours. This morning my husband (Aged 51) woke up to go to the bathroom, all seemed fine. He then climbed back into bed and went back to sleep. A half an hour later I tried to wake him, whereas normally you just have to touch him and he responds, he's quite used to "power napping and can wake at the slightest movement. this time it was almost as if he had died in his sleep. I shook him, I panicked and tried to feel his heart beating, tried to feel his pulse, but all at the same time not wanting to feel nothing. I then climbed onto the bed and shook him and still nothing, I rolled him over and only after a while did he then open his eyes. He does not recall me trying to wake him. Other than having a headache which was clearly that morning after feeling he has felt fine the whole day.
Should he be worried and go for a check up? He's actually quite healthy. He has been drinking CRESTOR for the past 2 months.

I look forward to your reply.

Leoni

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello Leoni -

While the difficulty waking your husband might seem unsurprising to some, given the drinks the night previous, I'm sure this has been done before without this reaction. There are so many possibilities that come to mind, most of them quite innocent, but when a person lives with someone and knows that person's habits, rhythms, etc., it is troubling when something new and different happens -- even if it is, ultimately, quite innocent.

Of course my first thought is that if I'd consumed the same amount and mix of alcoholic drinks I'd probably be very difficult to wake the next day. Still, this is odd, and it's important to watch him now; the only new thing may be the Crestor, which can, of course, have some implications for the liver when alcohol is put into the equation, but it doesn't seem like an unusual amount for him, so this may have been the one thing that's changed.

One question: when he got up the first time (to go to the bathroom) did he communicate with you at all? Or did he just sort of mechanically do this -- as many people do when intending to return to bed? If he was awake enough to talk to you (and make sense) and then after a half-hour of sleep was so difficult to rouse, well, it's odd. It doesn't really suggest anything of cardiac origin, more likely something related to alcohol consumed and possibly Crestor being thrown into the mix. Even this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's new, so you'll need to observe his behavior for a little while. It sounds as though he's fine since the strange interlude, so I'm guessing this was innocent, but again (and I'm sure I don't need to remind you) keep an eye out for changes in behavior, etc.

Please stay in touch with us and of course update us if anything else happens. I'm inclined to suspect this was just a shift in bodily reaction to drinking, quite possibly related to Crestor, which isn't necessarily problematic.

My best to you both.