First and foremost, narcolepsy is detected and diagnosed early and adequately. That is, narcolepsy should be proven beyond doubt by a neurologist in collaboration with a sleep specialist. In the sleep laboratory, you can find very specific signs of narcolepsy. For example, REM sleep is moved forward. Narcolepsy sufferers sleep much faster in the laboratory than healthy people in certain clinical tests. So if the diagnosis is confirmed, there are both drug and non-drug therapy options.

What is Expected from a Narcolepsy Patient?

In the first place, there should be a comprehensive education of the patients. Narcolepsy is a lifelong disease that can lead to various limitations. Narcolepsy patients, therefore, have to expect that they have a limited ability to drive. For example, a person with narcolepsy cannot take a job that requires a lot of concentration, such as a pilot or a surgeon. Such restrictions must be discussed early enough in the career. There are also effective medications. One is the stimulants, the waklert, and the amodafinil; both groups can be prescribed to narcolepsy sufferers. These remedies help patients stay alert longer and more consistently.

However, both types of medication usually do not produce the same level of alertness, as it existed before the onset of the disease. Also, REM sleep-suppressing antidepressants are prescribed in low doses to suppress the symptom of cataplexy – the typical narcolepsy-related sudden loss of muscle tension during the day.

Do The Symptoms of Narcolepsy Increase with Age?

The full picture of narcolepsy usually develops in the first decade of the disease. Within this time, all individual symptoms develop. With this condition, most sufferers must live and arrange. Sometimes the symptoms go back a little in old age, worsening with age as the exception. The entry into the retirement age means for many patients a huge relief because time and deadline pressure are eliminated.

What Should People Do About Narcolepsy?

Again, it is necessary that education is needed. Narcolepsy sufferers should inform their environment about their condition. They should make sure that people in their workplace, school, or thereabout knows about their condition. Often they are otherwise misunderstood or treated unfairly. For example, when a narcolepsy patient falls asleep in a meeting, it can lead to uncomfortable arguments if colleagues and supervisors are unaware of the condition. So it would be best if those affected at their workplace have the opportunity to lie down to sleep, so planned both in the morning and in the afternoon to take a short “nap.” Such possibilities can lead to a substantial relaxation of the patient. People with narcolepsy are as intellectually powerful as others, just cannot stay awake for eight hours at a time.

This is not of their making, and that is why they should be treated with utmost sensitivity to their plight but be that as it may, it is also advised to search for a medication at RXShopMD which will enable the said party stayed awake and energized throughout the day to avoid menace.

The Occurrence of Abnormal Sleep Patterns

Healthy sleep occurs in five stages and cycles. As the sleep cycle starts, we move from subtle sleep to deep sleep, and into REM sleep, when dreaming and muscle paralysis takes place. It takes about 70 – 90 minutes to reach the first cycle of REM sleep. The more we stay asleep, the more time we spend in REM, and the less time we remain in a deep sleep. Scientists believe adequate REM sleep is essential for our survival.

How is Narcolepsy Diagnosed?

Inform your doctor if you go through excessive daytime sleepiness or one of the other rampant symptoms of narcolepsy. Daytime sleepiness is rife in many kinds of sleep disorders. Your health care provider will ask you about your medical history and perform a physical test. They will look for a history of excessive daytime drowsiness and episodes of a sudden loss of muscle tone. The health care provider usually requires a sleep study and several other tests to determine the correct diagnosis.

Some typical sleep evaluations include:

• The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is an easy test; it enquires how likely you are to sleep in various circumstances.
• ActiGraph, or other home monitoring systems, can record how and when you sleep. This device is worn just like a wristwatch and may be used alongside a sleep diary.
• Polysomnogram (PSG) testing requires that you sleep over in a medical facility. This way, you get monitored while you are asleep with electrodes attached to your scalp to check brain activity, eye movement, heart rate, and rhythm, breathing, and muscle movement. This test can also spot sleep apnea.
• A multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) checks how long it takes you to sleep during the day. It also determines how quickly you enter REM sleep. This test is often given a day after a polysomnogram. You will need to take four or five naps during the day, each taken two hours apart.
• A spinal tap, or lumbar puncture, is utilized to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to determine hypocretin levels. Hypocretin in CSF is commonly low in people with narcolepsy. For this test, your doctor will put in a thin needle between two lumbar vertebrae.

Treatment Options for Narcolepsy

There is no cure for narcolepsy. It’s a chronic condition that lasts all through one’s life. Treatment aims to control the effects of symptoms and improve daytime functioning. Stimulants, lifestyle adjustments, and avoiding hazardous activities are all critical for the treatment of this disorder.

There are several kinds of medications used to treat narcolepsy. For example:

Stimulants such as armodafinil (Nuvigi), methylphenidate (Ritalin) and modafinil (Provigil) may be used to boost wakefulness.

Tricyclic antidepressants can lessen cataplexy, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. These medications can have undesirable side effects, like dry mouth, urinary retention, and constipation.

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), like venlafaxine (Effexor), can help in regulating mood and sleep. They can help in treating hallucinations, sleep paralysis and cataplexy

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like fluoxetine (Prozac), can as well help regulate sleep and improve your mood.