Dr. Gary Richardson
Sleep Medicine
Ann Arbor, MI
39 years experience male
Locations
Office
Ann Arbor, MI
About
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Sleep Medicine
Endocrinology
Licenses
United States: Michigan
Doctor Q&A
46 Answers
28 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Severe sleep apnea: The numbers show that your cousin has severe sleep apnea. He needs treatment, most likely with a respiratory assist device like CPAP, though other app... Read More
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Normal thyroid: The small change in TSH is within the normal variation in the measurement of this hormone. Pregnancy will change thyroid function as thyroid hormone p... Read More
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Prolactin elevation: The modest elevation in prolactin is not a concern so soon after lactation has stopped. Depending on duration of lactation, it may take months for pro... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Need to know more: No single answer works for the wide variety of shift schedules that are out there. Even within a single shift schedule, co-workers may find different ... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Early to bed: For adults, going to bed early usually results in a mid-sleep awakening. The body clock awakens you after slow-wave (deep) sleep drive has attenuated... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Restoril (temazepam) for sleep: Restoril (temazepam) is generally well tolerated. It's sedative duration of action is a little longer than ideal, so some patients experience carry-ov... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 61-year-old female asked:
A 69-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Arimidex (anastrozole) & insomnia: Arimidex (anastrozole) can cause insomnia, and sleep problems while on the drug are quite common. If sleep problems produce daytime impairment (sleepi... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Reflux pain: This is reflux pain and not a heart attack. You've identified one major factor; lying down immediately after eating. Other lifestyle factors include s... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Not worrisome: It sounds like this has been going on for a while (12 years). That, and the bilaterality, suggest that this is not something you need to be worried ab... Read More
2.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Probably positive: It's hard to be sure, particularly without knowing more about your menses and history. In general, OPK is most reliable when done first thing in the m... Read More
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
RLS is treatable: If not yet done, you need to make sure that your RLS is not a consequence of iron deficiency, as it appears to be in many patients. If not, there are ... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Lymph node enlarged: You have an enlarged mastoid lymph node. This is quite common, and typically begins in the setting of a viral illness like a cold or the flu. It's not... Read More
2.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Normal heart rate: Heart rate decreases in the evening and decreases further during sleep. For a healthy young man, that heart rate is perfectly normal.
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
No added value: There is no credible evidence that Actalin is of value, particularly in patients already taking synthetic thyroid. In some cases, the iodine in Actali... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Excellent question: Sensory systems such as hearing or touch don't quit working during sleep. Instead, their input is selectively ignored so the brain can continue sleepi... Read More
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Sleep onset insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep is the most common form of insomnia. And the easiest to treat. The first task is to start a sleep diary. Record the time you... Read More
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Sleepiness and meds: Sleepiness is an extremely common side effect of medications. Consistently oversleeping results in a shift of the circadian clock to later hours. This... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Need exam: The visual description is not sufficient to diagnose. Particularly if it's been there for more than a few days, I would suggest you have your dentist ... Read More
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Lunesta (eszopiclone) while flying: Hypnotic meds can be useful on long flights, but there are caveats 1) Never take a medication for the first time on the plane. Adverse reactions happe... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Maintenance insomnia: Sleep maintenance insomnia (the inability to stay asleep) is the most common form of sleep disturbance. There are a long list of potential causes. If ... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Sweaty sleeper: Is he otherwise a good sleeper? Does he snore, gasp or move around during sleep? If yes, sweating may reflect a sleep disorder. Otherwise, the normal ... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Laughter & weakness: It's difficult to assess the significance of this without a little more information. When you say weak, what exactly happens? Do those with you notice... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Natural thyroid: Strictly speaking, there is no risk of "Mad Cow" disease from Armour thyroid because it is made from porcine (pig) thyroid glands, not cow. There is t... Read More
2.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Reaction to Nubain: This sounds like a drug reaction to Nubain. Many patients have similar reactions to these drugs. Recommend that you not take any more and seek alterna... Read More
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
The nose knows: Your stuffy nose, while a nuisance that can cost you a good night's sleep, is no threat to adequate oxygenation. The physiologic drives to maintain ad... Read More
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Swollen neck: It sounds like you're in the middle of a medical assessment of this. The normal thyroid ultrasound pretty much excludes a goiter, and typically this e... Read More
2.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Need more info: A broad range of things can cause these symptoms. Can you provide more information? For example, do you take any medications? Do these episodes happen... Read More
2.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Proper sneeze: Everyone has their own sneeze. Some are primarily from the nose, others the mouth, still others both. Ultimately, the proper sneeze is the one that su... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Proceed with caution: Among patient's with Tourette's, it is not uncommon to find ADHD as well. And there are studies with drugs used to manage ADHD. So while the general r... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Not recommended: Gravol is a combination of diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, and chlorotheophylline, a mild stimulant, which is added to counteract the sleep... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
No effect: There are good controlled studies showing that Welbutrin (bupropion) does not raise prolactin levels.
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Not recommended: Gravol is particularly problematic because it contains a stimulant in addition to diphenhydramine that would have unpredictable and possibly deleterio... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Bedtime takes time: The answer requires time and testing. It's best to begin with the time you need to wake up. If social or work responsibilities require a specific wake... Read More
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Not recommended: Gravol is a combination of diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, and chlorotheophylline, a mild stimulant, which is added to counteract the sleep... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
New approaches: Zolpidem (Ambien), while undeniably effective, has a deserved reputation as a problematic medication with a broad array of side effects, some severe. ... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Rare disorders: Growth hormone (GH) oversecretion occurring after puberty (acromegaly) is not associated with growing taller. The long bones fuse at puberty, and can ... Read More
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Taper Zoloft (sertraline): Generally, a taper over months with 2-6 weeks between steps is recommended. Yours is a very low dose (25mg). At that dose, it should be possible to ju... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Not likely: Normal eyedrop doses would result in vanishingly small doses of prednisone absorbed into the blood stream. They are not the source of the side effects... Read More
2.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Once upon a dream: We actually dream every night, and typically several times a night. REM (dreaming) sleep occurs about every 90 minutes during sleep. But memory doesn'... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 17-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Night sweats: Sleep apnea can certainly cause night sweats. The brief awakenings that occur throughout the night after the apneic episodes are associated with rapid... Read More
2.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Jolts are normal: Left chest pain on exertion should always be evaluated. It sounds like that was done based on your report of a normal EKG. This is unlikely to be rela... Read More
2.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Not a diagnosis: Adrenal fatigue is no longer used as diagnostic methods have become more sensitive and specific. Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction is not a diagnosis... Read More
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Perchance to dream: We actually dream every night, and typically several times a night. REM (dreaming) sleep occurs about every 90 minutes during sleep. But memory doesn'... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Vestibular shutdown: Your vestibular system, the motion sensors in the inner ear, continue working during sleep, but their output is selectively blocked. While poorly unde... Read More
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Richardsonanswered
Sleep Medicine 39 years experience
Depends on history: More information is necessary to understand the link between your headaches and your blood pressure. Is this your normal blood pressure? Or is it yo... Read More
2.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
36
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you! Seen multiple Drs including Nuerologist. Will continue. :)
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Yes, I have an unproportional amount of fat in my chest/breast.
HealthTap member
Appreciate the response doctor, even though I am still a little lost
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 1983MD
Residency
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less