Answered a few years too late, sorry. I have had narcolepsy since age 14. It had a sudden onset. I remember the exact day and time that the first episode occured. I was told that it is rare in females. But, in my experience the other narcoleptics I've met are strictly female. My medical records from that time have been destroyed so I have no way of knowing if this coincided with a vaccination. Narcolepsy typically occurs in the early teens. I have lived with it for 46 years.
The two main things looked for to diagnose narcolepsy on polysomnography are very short onset of sleep (typically under 10 minutes) and excessively early onset of REM sleep. The sleep architecture may also vary in the total amount of REM sleep (excessive in narcolepsy).
I just wanted to post that seven years ago, at the age of 48, I got my first flu shot. 10days later I developed Bells Palsy. I am not asking, I KNOW that this came from the flu shot. Period. Why is it taking so long for you doctors to figure this out?
Have you heard of many cases of children getting optic neuritis and bells palsy at such a young age? Am I at a higher risk for MS or any other nerve condition because of my history of having these conditions when i was younger?
I have suffered from sleep disroders my whole life. When I was 10 years old I had a type of sleep apnea called Hypopnea. Every night would result in me seeing spiders and snakes and getting out of bed screaming and running away out of terror. After months of this happening I went to a sleep Dr and had a sleeo study done, they informed me of what I had and that my tonsils were blocking my airways.
This is the symptom of a sleep disorder called Narcolepsy. This sleep disorder is characterized by excessive day time sleepiness, sleep paralysis, cataplexy where the person has episodes of loss of muscle function while awake, hypnogogic hallucinations and automatic behavior. You will need to consult your primary care physician, who may schedule you for a polysomnogram (sleep test) to rule out sleep disorders and initiate appropriate therapy.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
As you have been investigated extensively, your symptoms of excessive sleepiness could be due to either narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia. Narcolepsy is diagnosed by the sleep onset REM episodes (SOREMs), wherein the person goes into the dream phase or REM cycle soon after sleep onset. This is evident in the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). And idiopathic hypersomnia is diagnosed by exclusion. Treatment is based on the cause.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Sleep paralysis is the symptom of a sleep disorder called Narcolepsy. This sleep disorder is characterized by excessive day time sleepiness, sleep paralysis, cataplexy where the person has episodes of loss of muscle function while awake, hypnogogic hallucinations and automatic behavior.
It is usually diagnosed by sleep onset REM sleep (SOREMs), which is dream sleep in multiple episodes of MSLT (multiple sleep latency tests).
I contracted Bells Palsy just as the fever broke from a near fatal 3 week long West Nile Virus infection in the early summer of 2004. I lost considerable hair, which came back gray/white, now have arthritis in many areas, my nails and cuticles grow in strange patterns, and I seem to be prone to fungal infections other than athletes foot. My energy levels are nothing like before the infection and I have trouble maintaining a normal weight.
See a sleep center. Recurrent "Bells Palsy" and twitchy feelings are actually very characteristic of narcolepsy with cataplexy. In fact, often times, it's not "Bells Palsy," but cataplexy. Viruses and some vaccines (namely the H1N1) can actually precipitate this, but it can happen seemingly in random fashion, too.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines.
actigraphy, polysomnogram, and multiple sleep latency test. Yo can read more about this through this link: http://www.mayoclinic.org/narcolepsy/diagnosis.html
Take care and keep us posted.
Hypersomnia is sometimes misdiagnosed as narcolepsy where a person experiences a sudden onset of sleepiness. The causes can be genetic, brain damage or medical disorders such as clinical depression, uremia and fibromyalgia. Sometimes hypersomnia may be other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. Your symptoms may be linked to depression.
You should consult a psychologist for a complete medical and psychological workup.
t yet because of insurance issues. Narcolepsy has to do with onset of sleep and REM cycles, there is a strong genetic component (my father probably had it). However, accidentally I found a cure. I was going through a divorce and my regular doctor gave me Cylexa (antidepressant with anxiety relief) which cured the quick sleep onset problem. I have since gone off the Cylexa and the sleep problem did return but no where near like it was.
On a side note, when I was feeling REALLY sleepy all the time and kept falling asleep at the wheel and at work, someone suggested taking medication for narcolepsy and it helped more than anything. Also, avoiding processed foods and doing cardio a couple times a week gives me more energy than coffee ... It's not so awful if you find a fun class and get into the habit of it.
If a regular doctor can't find anything, find a great naturopathic doctor.
See a sleep center. Recurrent "Bells Palsy" and twitchy feelings are actually very characteristic of narcolepsy with cataplexy. In fact, often times, it's not "Bells Palsy," but cataplexy. Viruses and some vaccines (namely the H1N1) can actually precipitate this, but it can happen seemingly in random fashion, too.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines.
See a sleep center. Recurrent "Bells Palsy" and twitchy feelings are actually very characteristic of narcolepsy with cataplexy. In fact, often times, it's not "Bells Palsy," but cataplexy. Viruses and some vaccines (namely the H1N1) can actually precipitate this, but it can happen seemingly in random fashion, too.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines.
It sounds very much like narcolepsy. Recurrent "Bells Palsy," memory problems, insomnia symptoms, chronic pain, taste hallucinations, smell hallucinations, and twitchy feelings in muscles are actually very characteristic of narcolepsy with cataplexy, and it can be exacerbated by the hormone shifts that happen with menstrual cycles. In fact, often times, people don't have "Bells Palsy," but cataplexy.
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