Through most of high school I would fall asleep in cars and buses. Sometimes in class too.
It didn't get better in college or university.
I used to have h. hallucinations and sleep paralysis as a teenager.
As an adult I had a lot of cataplexy. Mostly when I was angry or annoyed or when I found that something was very funny.
(Annoyed like your trying to run in to pick up a coffee really quick at the coffee shop and someone is standing right in the middle of the door chatting with friends and
you're like "hey that's a DOOR!!!" and then there it is, cataplexy)
I had a diagnosis for Idiopathic Hypersomnia and one for possible narcolepsy more than 10 years ago.(I'm almost 40)
2 different sleep tests in 2 different cities. No apnea, no restless legs.
I was prescribed Ritalin but I was afraid to take it so I didn't.
I got pregnant about 3 years ago. I remember having some episodes of cataplexy just before I got pregnant cause I even was considering trying to see a neurologist and
trying some meds.
My daughter is now 2 years old and I haven't had any cataplexy since before I got pregnant.
I am also not as sleepy as I used to be.
Sure I can fall asleep faster than anybody else and I seem to go into REM very quickly but it's not too bad.
I am wondering if anybody else had symptoms get that much lighter without treatment and if they got worse again.
I am wondering if other mothers had symptoms get lighter like that.
Can Symptoms Get A Lot Better On Their Own?
Started by
runninginthedark
, Apr 04 2012 09:16 AM
2 replies to this topic
#2
sleepywriter
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Posted 04 April 2012 - 03:01 PM
Enjoy it while it lasts!
I had the opposite experience. I had barely noticeable cataplexy before having my daughter. I didn't even know that's what it was until after diagnosis. For me, it has worsened over the last year, particularly the past few months.
Symptoms do change in severity throughout your life, though, from what I hear. Since you never know when things may change again, I say enjoy the heck out of it while it lasts!
I had the opposite experience. I had barely noticeable cataplexy before having my daughter. I didn't even know that's what it was until after diagnosis. For me, it has worsened over the last year, particularly the past few months.
Symptoms do change in severity throughout your life, though, from what I hear. Since you never know when things may change again, I say enjoy the heck out of it while it lasts!
#3
Sleepingcrow
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Posted 05 April 2012 - 05:55 AM
I was diagnosed 14 years ago, when I was falling asleep constantly, found myself dreaming while awake talking to people and unknowingly to me, not completing tasks at work, I was put on a drug that hadn;t been approved yet in Canada (Alertec, aka Modafinal). My speech sped up like a record on the wrong speed, until I got used to it, but I felt like my being awake was fake, like something was plastic. I was productive, still needed naps every day, but always go my work done.
2 years later, I had a change. It was when I quit my job and went backpacking for 4 months overseas. During that time I went off my meds and had zero sleep attacks; the only stress being which language I was going to try to talk in or which culture I was going to try and understand, other than that, I was free. I realised I needed to ive my life differently when I got back home. I returned, and before moving to a new city, started having very mild symptoms of cataplexy (I hadn't had any before), but the narcolepsy was kept at bay, despite a job with wonky hours.
As it is now (12 years later), I rarely have full on narcolepsy, but if I do it lasts for days where if I'm awake I'm in some drugged haze state, and need to sleep constantly on and off throughout the days. This happens maybe twice a year, triggered by the weather in combination with other stressors. Other than that, I don't feel the need to sleep per say, but I do get a slightly drugged feeling, which is apparently noticible to others, and again, happens rarely now (every two weeks to a month?). It's not gone, but it's much much improved. I believe what got me to this point, was a total life style change. Taking me out of a stressful, although well liked, job, not going out every night, figuring out I can only socialize twice a week, and my eating habits were hugely improved (I do a cleanse every year), I take lots of time for me, and the rhythm of my life is a lot slower. I rarely need a nap now, and I'm a rare one, even amongst narcoleptics; I literally dream 100% of the time when I sleep.
Cataplexy, as I said, I had the first symptoms 12 years ago, but it wasn't until a year and a half later when I had a major attack and was lying on the floor paralysed, that I realised I finally had it - I was told there was a 100% chance I would one day develop it. Since then I have had maybe two major attacks. However, I have had plenty of what I call medium ones, where only certain muscles on mostly my right side is affected. It tells me to slow down and take more time for me. For the most part, it hasn't gotten worse per say, but it does seem to happen more frequently, and is triggered by overwhelming situations, anger, or simply getting my feelings hurt. I figure out how to alleviate the symptoms, but if I don't do that, I would have to say there are times when it's definitely worse and others that are better. Cataplexy is more of a problem for me than narcolepsy, other than the spring and fall.
So in saying all this, I think it fluctuates depending on what your life is like. I have heard of people somehow growing out of their narcolepsy, but maybe it's because they retired? This makes me wonder how your life changed when you had your baby. Did you start eating better, quit a job, do you work less or stay at home? Whatever it is, keep doing it!
2 years later, I had a change. It was when I quit my job and went backpacking for 4 months overseas. During that time I went off my meds and had zero sleep attacks; the only stress being which language I was going to try to talk in or which culture I was going to try and understand, other than that, I was free. I realised I needed to ive my life differently when I got back home. I returned, and before moving to a new city, started having very mild symptoms of cataplexy (I hadn't had any before), but the narcolepsy was kept at bay, despite a job with wonky hours.
As it is now (12 years later), I rarely have full on narcolepsy, but if I do it lasts for days where if I'm awake I'm in some drugged haze state, and need to sleep constantly on and off throughout the days. This happens maybe twice a year, triggered by the weather in combination with other stressors. Other than that, I don't feel the need to sleep per say, but I do get a slightly drugged feeling, which is apparently noticible to others, and again, happens rarely now (every two weeks to a month?). It's not gone, but it's much much improved. I believe what got me to this point, was a total life style change. Taking me out of a stressful, although well liked, job, not going out every night, figuring out I can only socialize twice a week, and my eating habits were hugely improved (I do a cleanse every year), I take lots of time for me, and the rhythm of my life is a lot slower. I rarely need a nap now, and I'm a rare one, even amongst narcoleptics; I literally dream 100% of the time when I sleep.
Cataplexy, as I said, I had the first symptoms 12 years ago, but it wasn't until a year and a half later when I had a major attack and was lying on the floor paralysed, that I realised I finally had it - I was told there was a 100% chance I would one day develop it. Since then I have had maybe two major attacks. However, I have had plenty of what I call medium ones, where only certain muscles on mostly my right side is affected. It tells me to slow down and take more time for me. For the most part, it hasn't gotten worse per say, but it does seem to happen more frequently, and is triggered by overwhelming situations, anger, or simply getting my feelings hurt. I figure out how to alleviate the symptoms, but if I don't do that, I would have to say there are times when it's definitely worse and others that are better. Cataplexy is more of a problem for me than narcolepsy, other than the spring and fall.
So in saying all this, I think it fluctuates depending on what your life is like. I have heard of people somehow growing out of their narcolepsy, but maybe it's because they retired? This makes me wonder how your life changed when you had your baby. Did you start eating better, quit a job, do you work less or stay at home? Whatever it is, keep doing it!
