Narcolepsy Part 4

Public misunderstanding

The tragic thing about narcolepsy is that most people are not aware of the disorder and often distinguish these individuals as lazy, hypochondriacs, malingerers, stupid or aloof. Most individuals with narcolepsy have poor performance both at school and at work. The disorder can also affect personal relationships, lead to loss of libido, impotence- many individuals fall asleep during sex. The sexual relationships are often complicated by emotions like anger, joy, excitement which may further aggravate the disorder.

Individuals with narcolepsy are at a high risk of physical injuries. The attacks can come on while driving a car, at work or when making food.

There is no cure for this agonizing disorder but medications and lifestyle changes may help

Drugs which stimulate the brain have widely been used to treat narcolepsy. Modafinil, Ritalin or various analogues of amphetamines have been used to treat patients with narcolepsy. Although these medications are effective, they have potent side effects, are addictive and can lead to withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopped.

Antidepressants are also prescribed because they suppress REM sleep and diminish symptoms of cataplexy, reduce hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis.

Another medication used to control cataplexy is xyrem. It helps improve night time sleep. However, the drug has been associated with serious side effects and its use is strictly regulated. It can induce difficulty breathing during sleep; causes sleep walking, bed wetting and excessive daytime sleepiness.