narcolepsy
...ng the day and temporary and sudden muscle weakness (this is called cataplexy), usually brought on by strong emotions(e.g. laughing, crying, ect. ). There are other symptoms but are not common in all patients. These indications are microsleep episodes (when the patient acts automatically however they have no conscious awareness), atonia (when a person experiences a sense of paralysis that occurs between wakefulness and sleep), hypnagogic hallucinations (this is dream like states between sleep and waking), and periodic limb movement disorder (this is when you have periodic leg movements during your sleep). There are many different ways to treat narcolepsy. Among the many ways to treat narcolepsy there is also varying opinions on which is better. Some people think that herbal medicines are better. While others think man made stimulants are the best way to go. Although there are more treatments than the ones listed above the main treatments are, (the above), scheduled sleep periods, antidepressants, and investigative drugs. There are doctors that recommend different types of medication. With every treatment there is always the suggestion of scheduled sleep periods. This is because if you don’t take this into consideration you will not be able to function properly. There are some patients that can be awake for 2-3 hours, sleep for 2 hours, awake for another 2-3 hours, and so on until they sleep for the night. The above schedule changes with every patient. Some patients can sleep more or less depending on the severity of the disease and weather they have reached the peak in their disease. The doctors of the University Of Maryland Medicine believe that scheduled sleep periods and also the use of the drugs Modafinil and Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB). Modafinil also known as Provigil or Alertec is a great drug that promotes long lasting wakefulness. This drug has been proven to increase the patients ability to stay awake by 50% and reduced the number of involuntary sleepisodes by about 25% (University Of Maryland Medicine 3.) Modafinil does not interfere with voluntary naps during the duration of the patient’s day. This drug also does not cause anxiety or have a rebound effect as stimulants do, and has a less potential for drug abuse than the stimulants you could take. However this drug does not help with cataplexy (a common symptom of narcolepsy). So, they have also prescribed another drug called Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate. Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate is a drug that is proven to significantly control cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy and also help improve healthy sleep. This drug has also been approved by the FDA but has tight restrictions because this drug has been sold on the street under the name of Grievous Bodily Harm or liquid ecstasy. Treatments with GHB have not had serious side effects. Although they have had nausea, headache, and dizziness this has not been reported in all cases. The other treatment recommended in a case study in the JAAPA archive. This consists of taking stimulants such as Methylphenidate and Dextroamphetamine, also known as Ritalin or Dexedrine. These drugs have shown great improvements for daytime wakefulness, but also have caused many problems. Some side effects are weight loss, dizziness, nausea, changes in blood pressure, and headache. Methylphenidate a drug used to treat many ADHD patients is safer than the other drug (dextoamphetamine). However dextroamphetamine has more severe effects than methylphenidate. Dextroamphetamine causes mood changes and jerky muscle movements. Also, prolonged use could cause serious depression. Overdose, which is easier, can occur from 100-500mg and come with psychosis and even death. There is always the risk for addiction and a...