6 replies to this topic

[questions69]

I'm 22 and suffered from excessive daytime sleepiness since middle school, or possibly even before that. Sleepiness is greatly magnified after eating a meal.
Regardless, sleep apnea is a much more common disorder. I have chronic nasal congestion that develops during sleep that raises the possibility. I don't have cataplexy, but very occasionally had short moments of sleep paralysis. I only sometimes have hypnagogia (seeing things, hypnic jerks).
Could it be both? I'm worried that I may get treated for one or the other, which may not resolve my problems.
I also have difficulty concentrating and maintaining motivation due to my sleepiness/lethargy.

[tabster1]

Yes you can have sleep apnea and narcolepsy (my sister and I both do). If you go to a sleep clinic they will test you for everything. If you have both they will treat you for both. Although, if sleep apnea comes up they are going to want to hook you up to CPAP and make sure that is treated then have you come back and do another study for anything else (they always treat the sleep apnea first). But if you get a good doctor you don't have to worry about them treating for only one.

[easyDeamer]

I had a sleep study done a couple years ago because of snoring and was found to have sleep apnea. They put me on the CPAP, and I've tried it, but won't ever do it again. The thing is, I was severely overweight at the time, but not now. I still snore, but not all the time. I feel that I get plenty of sleep at night and when I wake up in the morning, I can't sleep any longer so I get up and start the day. However, as soon as an hour later (not always though) I can have a severe sleep attack. I usually have several sleep attacks throughout the day, without any rhyme or reason. i.e. not always after a meal, but sometimes...and they come at many other very inopportunate times. I heard about narcolepsy and after reading a lot of literature on it, I realized that , OMG, I have all the symptoms...sleep attacks, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and the hypnagogic phenomenon (most prominent are the leg jerk, feeling like I'm falling, and upon waking, besides rested and alert, I have a hyper sense of taste and smell accompanied by an intense panic rush for a few minutes. During sleep attacks and even at bedtime I can enter the dream state immediately. The dream can seem like an hour even though just a few minutes have passed. Sometimes dreams reoccur and sometimes they progress from night to night like chapers of a book. I sometimes have lucid dreams and I also have multilevel dreams.

I've had all these experiences as far back as I can remember...into my teens, but I never thought anything of it (except maybe I was gifted..lol) until now as the daytime sleep attacks as more frequent and more prevalent. My primary care Dr. suggested I might have mild narcolepsy after I reviewed my symptoms and told me to tell my psychiatrist. I have taken the Epworth Sleepiness Scale Test on my own and scored a 21. I guess I'll have to have another sleep study done, but I'm apprehensive. I'll follow through with finding out if anything is there, but I'm not happy about the possibility of having to take medication for it. It sucks that there is no cure, so what can you do?

[tabster1]

I think the medication is so worth it. My quality of life has improved immensely since I went on it. Now my parents realize I'm not just a lazy bum, and I can actually accomplish things.

[Ben L]

I have both. The sleep apnea was diagnosed in 2006. Narcolepsy this year. They didn't suspect narcolepsy until I said the CPAP "wasn't working" had another overnight sleep test, then they found no problems with the CPAP. MSLT was scheduled after those results and treatment began. If you have to use a CPAP, remember that there are different kinds of masks out there. If one doesn't feel right, try others.

[LauraL]

I seemed to have all the classic markers of sleep apnea--carry excess weight in my tummy, chronic sinus issues, asthma, narrow airways--but during the sleep test I had no trouble breathing. My apnea hypopnea index was less than 1, which is well within the normal range (mild sleep apnea is an AHI of 5-15). I was as surprised as my doctor! The only way to know is to do the sleep studies. Good luck!

[The Dreamer]

Yes...I have both....and yes...it took forever to get off of the Sleep Apnea diagnosis.

I would have the doctor congratulate me on the start of an appointment of being 100% compliant for my entire first year, but then at the end of the appointment claim that I'm probably not being compliant enough as to why I'm still complaining of EDS.

Another time...report shows leak (well within the intentional leak level for my mask and pressure), and claims that I need to make that zero to see any improvement. Where's the CO2 supposed to go if I make that zero? Wanted to tell him that maybe he should be talking to his wife (who has sleep apnea) about what he doesn't know.....

The N diagnosis was recent. Turns out I had to get dismissed as crazy, to finally find a doctor (psychiatrist) that would make the N diagnosis.

The Dreamer