Ya gotta be careful

[newbury]

and on a new med

That is dangerous to me. I've had several instances when the doctor prescribes a different med that was supposed to be exactly alike the old med but I had different reactions to the new med. I've earned to take new meds with caution until my body "adapts". Glad to hear you are OK.

 

[Yander]

Several months ago I bought a Toyota Tundra with a little over 40,000 miles. I really liked the truck even though it was hard to park because of its size. Then a couple weeks ago at 1:15 in the afternoon I nodded off for a couple seconds and totaled the truck by hitting a tree. I was sleep deprived and on a new med that I should have taken in the evening, not the morning. My sternum hurts real bad and I have been told to expect 4 more weeks of pain. If there was someone standing by the tree I coulda killed them. Insurance is paying off the truck and a rental and fence damage. Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive, that this was a one time occurrence. I'm 69 and fatigue can sneak up faster than when you are young. I had NEVER in my life ever fell asleep at the wheel. Scary. Ya just gotta be careful when operating cars, trucks, and tractors.
Eric

Wow, glad to hear you were not hurt more seriously. Before I got a CPAP machine, I would fall asleep driving, and it was terrifying. They say tired driving is as impaired as drunk driving. I agree. I've done both, and I think tired driving may be worse.

I, too, totaled my 2018 Tundra, though it was another driver's fault. No one was injured. I now drive my old first-gen Tundra, but it does not tow what the 2018 did.

Pull over and get a cat nap when you start getting extremely tired. I used to do this and it kept me alive.

 

[Aggie66]

Happens so subtly you don’t know you’ve been asleep until you find yourself waking up.

 

[Pecosbill7]

friend of mine in late 70's has resorted to Tesla's driverless functions. personally i would never resort to that option, although most modern vehicles have numerous safety features that can help with age impaired drivers in vehicle operation, which is a good thing. but no, i'll be in charge of driving

having said that, modern vehicles are packed with creature comforts, power, and distracting electronic gadgetry that imho only isolates drivers from from the reality of the road. add age, & it's a recipe for trouble.

in the OP's case, good to hear everything worked out, no one was hurt, and a thumb's up to the OP for sharing his experience in this forum. regards

Friend of mine suffered a detached retina and it was not repairable so he is now blind in his left eye. He tried driving but had to turn his head so far to see what was beside him that he felt very uncomfortable driving. His solution was a self-driving Tesla. It has given him back his freedom to go when and where he wants. It would scare me plenty to trust it all to a computer, but in his case it was a God-send.

 

[panamaguy]

Several months ago I bought a Toyota Tundra with a little over 40,000 miles. I really liked the truck even though it was hard to park because of its size. Then a couple weeks ago at 1:15 in the afternoon I nodded off for a couple seconds and totaled the truck by hitting a tree. I was sleep deprived and on a new med that I should have taken in the evening, not the morning. My sternum hurts real bad and I have been told to expect 4 more weeks of pain. If there was someone standing by the tree I coulda killed them. Insurance is paying off the truck and a rental and fence damage. Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive, that this was a one time occurrence. I'm 69 and fatigue can sneak up faster than when you are young. I had NEVER in my life ever fell asleep at the wheel. Scary. Ya just gotta be careful when operating cars, trucks, and tractors.
Eric

If you took the covid vax that might also be the problem. Insurance companies are reporting huge increases in claims, same as life insurance companies. And both types have accurate data

 

[big bubba]

Friend of mine suffered a detached retina and it was not repairable so he is now blind in his left eye. He tried driving but had to turn his head so far to see what was beside him that he felt very uncomfortable driving. His solution was a self-driving Tesla. It has given him back his freedom to go when and where he wants. It would scare me plenty to trust it all to a computer, but in his case it was a God-send.

good point, & that's where reliable technology is best at work..

 

[Bentrim]

Back in '72 I was on roving guard duty at Fort Sill. I hated the 1 hour on and 2 hours off, not my best way to rest. On the second shift while driving a jeep the armed guard and the NCO was asleep and lets just say I found when I woke up the jeep was headed for and partially in a roadside ditch.
When released from tha Army at fort Sill my sister flew out and we attempted to drive home nonstop. Before I finally decide to pull over on the Pa turnpike and rest for a while I couldn't even remember how I got that far! Sometimes the guiding hand my not be yours.

 

[Fixastuff]

If you took the covid vax that might also be the problem. Insurance companies are reporting huge increases in claims, same as life insurance companies. And both types have accurate data

A link to that info would be pretty helpful.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

In my state (NY) if medication was even partially involved in the sleep--depending on what meds you were taking--you might have been charged with driving under the influence. Something to be aware of in the future. Glad you're going to be OK--sorry about the truck.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

There's a condition that affects a large part of the population - supposedly, where you get tired/drowsey in the late afternoon.

I don't know about anyone else but I've been that way since my 20's. At one point I had a 30 mile dive to get home from work and the local radio station would play "Adventures in Good Music", hosted by Karl Haas.

The program is interesting but the host has a soporific voice and between that and it being late afternoon It was difficult to drive home at times. Not a good thing along the Ohio river valleys. I used to tell my wife that if I died on the way home it was because Karl Haas killed me!

Sleep apnea can be strange. I had a former coworker that had it in spades. When driving to a jobsite he'd insist I drive. One time we were heading from Houston to Victoria and he made the statement, "There sure are a lot of...zzzzzz", and then twenty minutes later, "zzzzz...cops out here today!". It was like someone had pushed the pause button on him. Apparently this caused problems for him in meetings as well.

Low blood sugar can also get you. My youngest is an insulin dependent diabetic that thought he could go by "feelings". "I know when my blood sugar is low I can feel it!" After passing out and totaling my pickup I finally convinced him that 1. he could lose his license if this happens again, and 2. replacing his baby a '04 fully customized 350z would be extremely difficult considering the time and money he had in it as opposed to what he makes. Now he has a pump and sensors to keep him out of trouble, at least that kind of trouble.

 

[macdoesit]

Several months ago I bought a Toyota Tundra with a little over 40,000 miles. I really liked the truck even though it was hard to park because of its size. Then a couple weeks ago at 1:15 in the afternoon I nodded off for a couple seconds and totaled the truck by hitting a tree. I was sleep deprived and on a new med that I should have taken in the evening, not the morning. My sternum hurts real bad and I have been told to expect 4 more weeks of pain. If there was someone standing by the tree I coulda killed them. Insurance is paying off the truck and a rental and fence damage. Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive, that this was a one time occurrence. I'm 69 and fatigue can sneak up faster than when you are young. I had NEVER in my life ever fell asleep at the wheel. Scary. Ya just gotta be careful when operating cars, trucks, and tractors.
Eric

And when on medication.

 

[macdoesit]

If you took the covid vax that might also be the problem. Insurance companies are reporting huge increases in claims, same as life insurance companies. And both types have accurate data

COVID VAX WAS BS! I took it and regret it.

 

[etpm]

And when on medication.

Yep.

 

[sandman2234]

I learned to drive a semi truck when paper logs were how you managed your driving hours. I don't want to suggest that any truck driver would falsify a paper logbook, but I am sure pages were lost and had to be replaced. One of the things a good friend suggested, was to carry a rock. A small one that would fit in the palm of your hand, but big enough that your fingers would barely close around it. Small enough that it didn't affect my driving, but large enough that if I got drossy it would slip thru my fingers and find the floor. Back in those days, all we had for floors was the steel cab floor. If you dropped a rock in the confines of a truck with steel floors, the noise would be loud.
I don't know well a rock would do in the plastic drivers compartments with all the sound proofing such as padding and carpet, but I kept that rock in my hand for many years, turning it around, just flipping it over and over while I drove. I lost that rock when I changed trucks one time, but I remember that it had been worn smooth from my handling it.
Maybe a rock is in some of you guys' future? Make it and oddball shape and not too small. Keep it in your hand anytime you get in a vehicle, driving or not till it becomes a habit like putting on a seatbelt or putting the keys in the ignition. Make sure it is big enough to make a noise. I know when my rock would hit the floor in that truck, it would wake me up, no... it would scare me!
David from Jax

 

[ljjhouser]

I am glad you are still here to tell us about your experience. I bought a new truck this year and it has all the lane change, stick shaker beeper buzzer warnings on it. And I rely on them when they warn me of something. I guess there is one I don't really like - is buzzes if I take one hand off the wheel.
I hope you feel better soon and I am glad no one else was harmed.
You are very fortunate. But I think that is a common occurrence.

 

[bgr]

Sorry to hear about your accident and glad you are OK. It could have been terrible. Hope you are covering all the bases regarding lack of sleep. You have had many good suggestions about what others do to solve the problem. Hope one works for you.

Several writers have said they have mentioned feeling un-naturally tired and sought to find out why. From personal experience, I know that long term lyme disease can do that to you after you have had no symptoms for several years since the original tick bite. Get a lyme test from a good doctor if you feel weak or sleepy for a long time and you know of no reason for it. Several other tick borne diseases can make you feel weak, too.

And thanks for your post. It is a good warning to all of us.

 

[kenlip]

FYI, the active ingredient in NoDoz is 100mg caffeine per tablet.

The caffeine content of coffee obviously varies a lot depending on the beans, roasting process, strength of the brew, etc. but the range is about 95-200mg per cup.

 

[kenlip]

Folks,

Take this test (Stop-Bang). If you score 2 or less you are probably okay, 3 or 4 you should consult with your GP, 5 or more you are at significant risk for sleep apnoea! You have heard how people 'died peacefully in his sleep". The chances are they stopped breathing long enough to end their lives.

Do you snore loudly?
Louder than talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors
No 0
Yes+1

Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the daytime?
No 0
Yes+1

Has anyone observed you stop breathing during sleep?
No 0
Yes+1

Do you have (or are you being treated for) high blood pressure?
No0
Yes+1

Objective measures:
BMI (Google how to measure this if you don't already know)
≤35 kg/m² 0
>35 kg/m²+1

Age
≤50 years 0
>50 years+1

Neck circumference
≤40 cm 0
>40 cm+1

Gender
Female 0
Male+1

 

[LowellBen]

Other little things can lead one down a bad path also. My brother was driving to work on a rural road one morning. Took his eyes off the road for a sec to grab his coffee mug. Dropped the right side wheels off of the pavement - little to no shoulder - sucked his Tahoe off into the ditch. Tahoe slow rolled as it went through the ditch, went airborne and then hit a tree (while still airborne). Crushed the front so badly that they had to cut him out. No broken bones, but he was black and blue all over afterwards. He was lucky. Amazing how well modern vehicles can protect the cabin. In just a fraction of a second things can quickly get out of hand. OP also had someone looking out for him.

 

[bunchgrass]

Several months ago I bought a Toyota Tundra with a little over 40,000 miles. I really liked the truck even though it was hard to park because of its size. Then a couple weeks ago at 1:15 in the afternoon I nodded off for a couple seconds and totaled the truck by hitting a tree. I was sleep deprived and on a new med that I should have taken in the evening, not the morning. My sternum hurts real bad and I have been told to expect 4 more weeks of pain. If there was someone standing by the tree I coulda killed them. Insurance is paying off the truck and a rental and fence damage. Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive, that this was a one time occurrence. I'm 69 and fatigue can sneak up faster than when you are young. I had NEVER in my life ever fell asleep at the wheel. Scary. Ya just gotta be careful when operating cars, trucks, and tractors.
Eric

Wow -- Glad you're ok. I just had an "almost" event on Friday myself. Took the grandkids camping and kayaking on Wednesday and Thursday. I needed to not spend the night so my wife camped with them overnight while I drove back home Wed night. So 80 miles up, kayak for 2 hours, 80 miles back. Next morning 6 AM, 80 miles up, kayak 2 more hours, 80 miles home. Friday AM, doctor's appointment 110 miles away at 9 AM then 110 miles coming back. On the way back around noon I found myself really struggling. Not the regular head bobbing nodding off. More the weird black out where your brain sort of closes down inputs for a few seconds and then opens again and sort of shocks you "awake". I should have pulled over and catnapped but 1) grandkids waiting at home 2) hotter than hell outside 3) stupid stubborn old man.

We all need to recognize and be careful for ourselves and others because none of the 3 excuses I had was worth hurting someone or myself.