Often Asked Questions About Narcolepsy

When I first got Narcolepsy I was 5 years old and didn't understand the seriousness of my condition. As I got older I started to realize more and more how it affects my daily life. I started to ask questions about Narcolepsy and what it was. My parents typically would know the answers. I just wanted to talk about some of the questions that have risen during my time with Narcolepsy.

1. What is Narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disorder that affects the sleep center of your brain.  The first thing you should know about Narcolepsy is its a life-long medical condition. There is officially no cure but, there are treatments and medications that can improve your day to day life. Narcolepsy can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and some more symptoms. To comprehend the effects and life changing disorder of Narcolepsy visit Wake Up Narcolepsy.

2. Is there a cure for Narcolepsy?
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Narcolepsy. There is intensive worldwide research being done to find a cure for Narcolepsy but currently there is no cure. The unique circumstances (loss of hypocretin) in ALL cases of Narcolepsy causes for it to be irreversible and life-long. However, Narcolepsy can be safely controlled by the use of regular drug treatments. Some effective drugs are Xyrem, Modafinal and Effexor. The effectiveness of medications can vary depending on the person taking it.

3.  Is Narcolepsy dangerous?
It is dangerous because you can have excessive daytime sleepiness or a sleep attack which can cause the disruption of any activity (eating, walking, driving, swimming, etc) being done at the time of the sleep attack. Operating a vehicle with untreated narcolepsy can be extremely dangerous for you and others around you. There is also the cataplexy aspect of narcolepsy which can cause serious danger such as car accidents if you have a cataplexy attack while driving.

4. Is Narcolepsy the same as Epilepsy?
Narcolepsy can come with the symptom Cataplexy which some people mistake for seizures. Epilepsy is a disorder in which a person has seizures. When a person with narcolepsy and cataplexy has a cataplectic attack it may seem as though they are having a seizure; but it is actually just muscle loss in which the body is paralyzed. Cataplexy causes NO internal brain damage that seizures can cause. Narcolepsy is totally different than epilepsy even though it may seem similar.

5. Do people with narcolepsy have trouble sleeping at night?
People with narcolepsy are known for being very sleepy during the day. Although, it is not uncommon for people with narcolepsy to have trouble sleeping at night. I speak from personal experience when I say, narcolepsy has caused me many difficulties during the day and at night.

6. Are you born with narcolepsy?
People are not born with narcolepsy. In most cases, symptoms become apparent during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. However there are cases where children as young as 3 have been diagnosed.

7. Am I alone?
The first thing to know is that you are never alone. Even if your family isn't there to support you, there are many people in the world who have narcolepsy. Some may live near you, others on the other side of the planet. But the most important thing to realize is that you are never alone. There are people who raise awareness about narcolepsy, who believe it is a condition that needs to be known throughout the world. My personal inspiration to let people know about my condition is the one and only Julie Flygare. She herself has narcolepsy and although at times it can be frustrating and difficult I live in peace with myself because of the awareness she raises about narcolepsy. I give a shout out to Julie for all the work she has done for all of us sleepers across the world. She and many others give me hope.

I hope that this helps answer some of your questions.