Narcolepsy

From Drug Rehab Wiki

Narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system, not a mental illness. The main symptom is extreme drowsiness every three or four hours during the day, followed by the urge to sleep and then a short nap, usually lasting about 15 minutes. Narcoleptics wake up feeling refreshed afterwards. Some have dream-like hallucinations before falling asleep. Some experience sleep paralysis or the inability to move, usually right before waking up.

The final symptom is cataplexy, or a sudden loss of muscle tone while awake. The cataplexy can be so subtle that the person does not realize it is happening, or it can be so severe that the person may fall and remain paralyzed for several minutes. These symptoms can interfere with a person's social interactions and functioning in the workplace, but the main difficulty narcoleptics face is injury from falling and accidents.

Narcolepsy is an incurable, chronic disease that can be somewhat controlled by medications and lifestyle changes. Some patients benefit by taking a nap after meals or eating light vegetarian meals. Medications that are often prescribed for narcolepsy are stimulants, such as modafinil, dextroamphetamine or methylphenidate; and anti-depressants, including fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, protriptyline, clomipramine, imipramine, or desipramine.