Archived Questions
Question of the Week - July 1, 2002
I have had narcolepsy since I was about 17 years old. It was almost 20 years before I was diagnosed with narcolepsy/cataplexy. I found out early (before I was diagnosed) that diet pills would keep me awake. Is this typical for narcolepsy/cataplexy?
Walter
Answer to the Question of the Week
Walter,
Sadly enough for those who have narcolepsy, your experience is highly typical for those with this disease. Narcolepsy affects approximately 5% of the population and it often takes many years (and an astute physician), to diagnose. The onset of narcolepsy usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood, but many victims spend years seeing a succession of physicians before their problem is diagnosed. They are often mislabeled as lazy and uncooperative because of their excessive sleepiness and resultant lack of energy. They do not understand the cause of their condition and will self-medicate with whatever works to keep themselves awake, such as the diet pills you relied upon. There is a terrible loss in quality of life for those in this situation, because there are effective medications available for treating the symptoms of narcolepsy.
If you think you may suffer from narcolepsy, it is critical that you receive a formal diagnosis by having an overnight sleep study followed by a Multiple Sleep Latency Test. There are many causes for daytime sleepiness, which people may mistake for narcolepsy. Some of these disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, may worsen over time and cause long term health problems if left untreated.
The Stanford Center for Narcolepsy does extensive research to learn more about what causes this disorder and effective treatments. Recent publications prove that human narcolepsy associated with cataplexy is associated with undetectable hypocretin-1 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (published in The Lancet, January 1st 2000). In contrast, canine narcolepsy is caused by mutations in the hypocretin (orexin) receptor 2 gene (published in Cell August 6th, 1999).
Modafinil (Provigil®) is a newer medication used to treat the sleepiness associated with Narcolepsy. It has fewer side effects, is well tolerated and a longer duration of action but a lower potency than amphetamines.
For more information on Narcolepsy, visit the Stanford University Narcolepsy Center website at www.med.stanford.edu/school/Psychiatry/narcolepsy/main.html
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