Patient with severe Restless Legs Syndrome:
Following several years of agonising symptoms suffering with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) I was eventually referred by my GP to Dr Thomas at Nevill Hall Hospital Abergavenny. Unless someone has suffered with RLS it is almost impossible to describe the symptoms which at an extreme level causes sleep deprivation and ultimately severe mental health problems. I suffered with RLS which prevented my sleeping 7 nights per week. I worked as an accountant and this lack of sleep affected my job to the point where I could not perform my responsibilities adequately. My life being on the verge of complete ruin thankfully I was referred to Dr Thomas. After initial examinations and progressing me through various medications Dr Thomas prescribed a course of Gabapentin and Methadone which over time completely removed the symptoms. It has been more than a year since treatment began by Dr Thomas and I am happy to say that my symptoms have successfully been treated and my mental wellbeing has improved significantly. I owe Dr Thomas a great debt of gratitude for restoring my normal life.

A patient with Idiopathic Hypersomnia:
For many years, even though I would sleep 10-12 hours each night, I would sleep through numerous alarm clocks and find it difficult to get up as I was so exhausted. I would then spend each day fighting the overwhelming urge to sleep and found it impossible to function as I was so tired.
By 2016 my symptoms were so severe that I was struggling to hold down my job and my Mother had moved in with me to help take care of my daughter and to make sure she woke me in time for work.
I would spend all my spare time sleeping, it was not unusual for me to get home from work, sit in a chair, still wearing my coat and shoes and fall straight to sleep until the morning.
I had repeatedly reported my symptoms to various GPs but as my blood tests and other observations were always ‘normal’ there seemed to be no apparent cause. Although my GPs were always sympathetic I don’t think they really understood how debilitating my symptoms were. I did ask a few times if it was possible I might have a sleep disorder but I was told that they were very rare and it was very unlikely. Although I asked if a referral could be made to a sleep specialist I was referred to a mental health team instead. I was then diagnosed with depression and told that a symptom of this can be tiredness and was prescribed anti-depressants.
By this point I was depressed but I believed that the constant tiredness, the guilt I felt at not being able to spend any time with my daughter, my difficulties in work and my inability to lead a normal life were the reason I was depressed rather than the depression making me tired.
In January 2017 I was informed by my employer that I was being placed on the capability process as I was unable to meet my targets in work. I have always worked hard and enjoyed my job so I was devastated by this. I felt lazy and ashamed of myself and was very anxious about how I would support my daughter if I lost my job.. The following day I found an online article about Dr Thomas and his sleep clinic at Neville Hall. In desperation I emailed him explaining my symptoms, how these were affecting me and asking if he could help me or give me any advice. I didn’t expect to get a response to my email but fortunately Dr Thomas contacted me immediately. He arranged a referral from my GP to enable me to be assessed in the sleep clinic.
During my consultation with Dr Thomas I felt he was the first Dr that had really listened to me, appreciated how severe my symptoms were and seemed to understand the impact this was having on my life.
After a number of consultations, blood tests, an MRI scan, some time where my sleep was monitored at home using actigraphy and an overnight stay at the clinic where I had a Polysomnograhy study Dr Thomas was able to diagnose me with Idiopathic Hypersomnia.
Receiving the diagnosis was a huge relief. Although Idiopathic Hypersomnia can’t be cured, with Dr Thomas’ understanding of the condition and the various medications he has been able to prescribe I am able to live a much more normal life. Following my diagnosis although the medication reduced my daytime sleepiness my employer wanted me to ‘retire on grounds of ill health’. I wanted to remain in work but was struggling to get my managers to agree to this. I still need to sleep much more than most people and still struggle to wake up in the morning. However, the medication means I’m able to stay awake during the day. As a result, I have been able to return to work full time and most importantly I’m able to be a mother to my daughter once again.
I will always be grateful to Dr Thomas and his staff at the clinic for everything they have done for me.

Patient with Chronic Insomnia
I have suffered with Insomnia for many years and although I could usually fall asleep relatively quickly I woke after a couple of hours and struggled to fall back to sleep often lying there for hours and feeling awful the next day. My worst incident was 3 consecutive nights without sleep and I felt like a zombie and was at my wits end. I was referred for the CBT course by my Doctor as I did not want to take any prescription sleeping tablets. I can honestly say that since undertaking this course my sleep has improved dramatically and I feel so much better and more like my old self. Dr. Thomas made me think differently about the whole situation and got me into a different mindset. The course isn't easy and especially in the first couple of weeks it was hard sticking to the strict regime, it was tiring until my body adjusted to the new pattern. However, it was certainly worth it as I am now getting 6 hours good quality sleep on a regular basis and I would recommend anyone to undertake this course.

A patient on day time treatment for snoring and mild OSA
I contacted Dr Jose Thomas regarding my suspicion of having sleep apnoea. I would wake up several times in the night and suffered from very loud snoring. Dr Thomas provided me with fast, effective and friendly advice, booking a digital consultation for the next working day and getting an at home sleep study arranged for the following week. Following this Dr Thomas advised I look into Excite OSA a new medical device which uses painless electrical stimulus to strengthen the muscles in the tongue and throat. This has helped me massively and I now no longer wake up in the night, which makes me feel more rested during the day.