Fight the Fatigue: Which Narcolepsy Medication is Right for You?
Narcolepsy can cause serious problems for sufferers. Find out more about which narcolepsy medication will be effective for your symptoms.
If you’ve been experiencing extreme daytime drowsiness along with other symptoms, it’s time to haul yourself to the doctor. He or she may discover that you have narcolepsy!
While this diagnosis might feel overwhelming, your doctor will explain the treatment options. Often, this includes narcolepsy medication.
Wondering which narcolepsy medication is right for you? The following information will help you decide.
What Is Narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder. It affects both men and women, and generally, 1 out of 2000 people have it. Symptoms begin to appear during childhood and adolescence. Still, many remain undiagnosed for years.
What Are the Symptoms of Narcolepsy?
People with narcolepsy feel drowsy throughout the day and may spontaneously fall asleep during normal activities. The lines between awake and asleep remain blurred for people with narcolepsy. A person with narcolepsy may display symptoms of sleeping while they’re fully awake.
An example can be seen in cataplexy, which is paralysis of the muscle that is a symptom of REM sleep that occurs during waking hours in those with narcolepsy.
Other symptoms include:
- excessive sleepiness
- sleep paralysis
- hallucinations
- episodes of cataplexy (partial or total loss of muscle control)
How Is Narcolepsy Diagnosed?
After an initial assessment of narcolepsy due to symptoms like daytime drowsiness and sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), your doctor may send you to a specialist for more testing.
A full diagnosis will require an overnight stay at a sleep center for a complete examination by sleep specialists. The process of diagnosing narcolepsy and finding its level of severity includes the following methods:
Sleep History: The specialist may want a comprehensive sleep history in detail.
Sleep Records: You might need to keep a journal of your sleeping patterns in detail for about two weeks.
Polysomnography: While you’re asleep using electrodes placed on your head, this test checks a mixture of signals.
Multiple sleep latency tests: Throughout the day, this test will check how long it takes you to fall asleep.
Narcolepsy Medications
Once your physician has a confirmed diagnosis of narcolepsy, he will prescribe medication. These medications are used to improve alertness during the day and treat cataplexy.
Medications for Improved Alertness
The ultimate goal is to find medicines that have the most significant benefits with the least amount of problems. For those with mild to moderate drowsiness, adrafinil vs modafinil is the big debate. All medicines have possible side effects, including some that are severe. So, it is best to use when recommended by a doctor following their explicit instructions.
Modafinil is an advantageous medicine for minimizing drowsiness in narcolepsy. It comes in two forms:
1) Provigil or generic modafinil (the original formulation): a mix of active and inactive chemicals.
2) Nuvigil or armodafinil (the newer form): is a refined active compound.
Other options include amphetamines, as has been the popular treatment since the 1930s. However, side-effects are reasonably prevalent. The more common amphetamines are a mixture of amphetamines and dextroamphetamine (Adderall) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine). Additionally, doctors have been prescribing Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, and Methylin) for narcolepsy. It is similar to amphetamines and has the same side-effects.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for narcolepsy. With medications and behavioral treatments, symptoms are lessened so that people can lead healthy and productive lives.
What Now?
When you begin your Narcolepsy medication, follow the instructions carefully. Report back to your doctor if they’re working or not, along with any side effects. It can take time to find the right medication, dosing, and schedule. Stay in touch with your doctor about how it’s going.
Being diagnosed with a life-changing condition is hard; don’t be too hard on yourself, and be sure to check back here for information.
