http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog/narcolepsy/understanding-the-devastating-sleep-disorder-narcolepsy/ Your Guide to A-Z Sleep Disorders ! Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:58:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog/narcolepsy/understanding-the-devastating-sleep-disorder-narcolepsy/#comment-19613 Stephanie H. Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:19:37 +0000 http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog/narcolepsy/understanding-the-devastating-sleep-disorder-narcolepsy/#comment-19613 From what I have managed to gather from the research I have done on the disorder (I stumbled onto Narcolepsy when my neurologist treating me for my migrains diagnosed me as suffering from cataplexy when I described buckling knees, face contortions, etc., occuring when I would laugh)there are varying degrees of narcolepsy. From the Us-Them mentality of the previous reply it is obvious that heightened public awareness is needed. It is also apparent that further research is needed and perhaps by realizing the existence of and separating the degrees of the disorder we can get a more accurate symptom/treatment matrix that might actually offer some sound guidance toward relief from the different symptoms. I also think that public awareness of the varying degrees will encourage more peoples willingness to accept and perhaps recognize the presence of the disorder at all. I know my doctor really scared me when he told me that cataplexy is associated with narcolepsy. My mind immediately went to me losing my drivers license unless I took all kinds of medications and losing my life in a sense. Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to do my research and I'll tell you I feel a lot better after having done it. And for the previous replyer (is that even a word? HaHa), perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to judge what WILL or WILL NOT work for "Narcoleptics" because naps and exercise DO help my symptoms as I am sure they do many sufferers. The ignorance in your last question makes me wonder how much research you yourself have done and if you haven't then please refrain from the negative replies as your opinion could easily sway and possibly scare someone away from treatment who was online researching some symptom they have noticed going on as of late. From what I have managed to gather from the research I have done on the disorder (I stumbled onto Narcolepsy when my neurologist treating me for my migrains diagnosed me as suffering from cataplexy when I described buckling knees, face contortions, etc., occuring when I would laugh)there are varying degrees of narcolepsy. From the Us-Them mentality of the previous reply it is obvious that heightened public awareness is needed. It is also apparent that further research is needed and perhaps by realizing the existence of and separating the degrees of the disorder we can get a more accurate symptom/treatment matrix that might actually offer some sound guidance toward relief from the different symptoms. I also think that public awareness of the varying degrees will encourage more peoples willingness to accept and perhaps recognize the presence of the disorder at all. I know my doctor really scared me when he told me that cataplexy is associated with narcolepsy. My mind immediately went to me losing my drivers license unless I took all kinds of medications and losing my life in a sense. Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to do my research and I’ll tell you I feel a lot better after having done it. And for the previous replyer (is that even a word? HaHa), perhaps you shouldn’t be so quick to judge what WILL or WILL NOT work for “Narcoleptics” because naps and exercise DO help my symptoms as I am sure they do many sufferers. The ignorance in your last question makes me wonder how much research you yourself have done and if you haven’t then please refrain from the negative replies as your opinion could easily sway and possibly scare someone away from treatment who was online researching some symptom they have noticed going on as of late.

]]> http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog/narcolepsy/understanding-the-devastating-sleep-disorder-narcolepsy/#comment-622 Vickie Eaton Mon, 22 Jan 2007 03:39:10 +0000 http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog/narcolepsy/understanding-the-devastating-sleep-disorder-narcolepsy/#comment-622 No, sleep attacks and excessive daytime sleepiness most assuredly can NOT be controlled by naps or excersise. If it could, I would be in fine shape. I nap and excersise, yet I am constantly under attack. What we experience is not the sleepiness that non-narcoleptics are familiar with. It's more like being sedated by your own brain. No matter how much sleep we get, we are still subject to these attacks. And if a narcoleptic drops to the floor, it is almost certain they are having a cataplexy attack. And they are fully conscious and awake. They just can't respond, because they are temporarily paralyzed. It is not common for a narcoleptic to drop to the floor asleep. It is common for us to fall asleep in the middle of some activity and continuing the activity without knowing it.(automatic behavior) We may even hallucinate that we are doing something entirely different than what we are actually doing. How in the world would naps or excersise have any kind of effect whatsoever? No, sleep attacks and excessive daytime sleepiness most assuredly can NOT be controlled by naps or excersise. If it could, I would be in fine shape. I nap and excersise, yet I am constantly under attack. What we experience is not the sleepiness that non-narcoleptics are familiar with. It’s more like being sedated by your own brain. No matter how much sleep we get, we are still subject to these attacks. And if a narcoleptic drops to the floor, it is almost certain they are having a cataplexy attack. And they are fully conscious and awake. They just can’t respond, because they are temporarily paralyzed. It is not common for a narcoleptic to drop to the floor asleep. It is common for us to fall asleep in the middle of some activity and continuing the activity without knowing it.(automatic behavior) We may even hallucinate that we are doing something entirely different than what we are actually doing. How in the world would naps or excersise have any kind of effect whatsoever?

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