“Narcolepsy can be socially disabling if unrecognized and untreated,” she said. Schuetz said patients with narcolepsy are vulnerable to several comorbidities, necessitating treatment. If the patient falls asleep in less than 8 minutes on average over the five naps and has REM sleep within minutes of falling asleep this indicates excessive daytime sleepiness and that the patient likely has narcolepsy. The second is a multiple sleep latency test, in which patients are asked to take five short naps separated by 2 hours over the course of a day. The first is a polysomnogram to determine whether REM sleep takes place early in the sleep cycle and to rule out if the patient’s symptoms result from another condition, like sleep apnea. To confirm the diagnosis of narcolepsy even without spinal fluid analysis, patients should undergo two tests, both of which can be conducted at a sleep clinic. Unfortunately, this test is not readily available and may be normal in type 2 narcolepsy.Īccording to the NIH, if patients have low levels of the brain hormone, sleep studies are recommended. “Ideally, patients who report narcolepsy’s symptoms should undergo a spinal tap to ascertain hypocretin levels in their cerebrospinal fluid,” he said.
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“Further, the patient is not unconscious rather, he or she has lost muscle tone.”īogan and others explained how to properly diagnose narcolepsy. “Cataplexy is usually only experienced in a patient’s arms, legs and/or face,” Bogan continued.
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“Many patients get their information about narcolepsy from movies and TV shows,” which often portray narcolepsy-related paralysis by showing someone going limp from head to toe, suddenly unconscious. He added that cataplexy may cause the most confusion for patients. The symptom that differentiates the two types of narcolepsy is cataplexy - partial or generalized flaccid paralysis precipitated by anticipatory excitement, laughter, anger or surprise - which is only experienced by patients with type 1, Schuetz said.īogan said patients ultimately diagnosed with narcolepsy are most likely to report excessive daytime sleepiness first. Patients with type 1 or type 2 narcolepsy also experience hallucinations that occur at the start or the end of sleep brief periods of generalized paralysis upon awakening abrupt involuntary sleep episodes, and disturbed nocturnal sleep. She said patients with both types of the condition experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
Schuetz, MD, MS, MSc, a sleep medicine specialist at Michigan Medicine’s Sleep Disorders Center. Patients with narcolepsy either have Type 1 or Type 2 narcolepsy, according to Sonja G. 7 - Healio Primary Care spoke with experts about the symptoms of narcolepsy, treatment options and more. In recognition of Narcolepsy Awareness Week - Dec.
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