2 replies to this topic

[sleepylune]

I've been reading some studies about narcolepsy and orexin deficiency and the subject of olfactory dysfunction has come up in a few articles. This struck me as I have a deviated septum and bad allergies and get sinus infections often. I have never thought of it as related to narcolepsy, although I certainly know that not being able to breathe is going to affect my sleepiness. I also cannot smell very well at all. I found it interesting that this was a topic in articles on narcolepsy and am wondering how many of us suffer from this as well. I have not had surgery to correct my deviated septum and am wondering if anyone has that can shed light on this for me. I want to have this surgery because currently I cannot use nasal sprays and I want to be ready if/when the intranasal orexin arrives for us! I know this is wishful thinking, but I have to have hope there will be a better treatment than xyrem and stimulants, and when it gets here I want to be ready! However, my brother had the surgery and said it didn't do much at all for him other than cause him heinous pain in recovery.

Does anyone know about this subject at all? I might be reading things wrong. Here are links to the studies I read:
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC2717206/
http://brain.oxfordj...31/10/2734.full

[Hank]

I've been reading some studies about narcolepsy and orexin deficiency and the subject of olfactory dysfunction has come up in a few articles. This struck me as I have a deviated septum and bad allergies and get sinus infections often. I have never thought of it as related to narcolepsy, although I certainly know that not being able to breathe is going to affect my sleepiness. I also cannot smell very well at all. I found it interesting that this was a topic in articles on narcolepsy and am wondering how many of us suffer from this as well. I have not had surgery to correct my deviated septum and am wondering if anyone has that can shed light on this for me. I want to have this surgery because currently I cannot use nasal sprays and I want to be ready if/when the intranasal orexin arrives for us! I know this is wishful thinking, but I have to have hope there will be a better treatment than xyrem and stimulants, and when it gets here I want to be ready! However, my brother had the surgery and said it didn't do much at all for him other than cause him heinous pain in recovery.

Does anyone know about this subject at all? I might be reading things wrong. Here are links to the studies I read:
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC2717206/
http://brain.oxfordj...31/10/2734.full

I have N with C- also had a deviated septum and a bone spur, which gave me stabbing headaches. My turbinates were reduced, which opened up my breathing. Bad allergies had always set off a cycle of sinus infections, headaches and stabbing facial pain. Surgery improved all of this. I barely have any problem with allergies anymore. My ENT did a good job. Great articles- thank you. I took away from reading this oxford article, that even if I orexin decreases the ability to detect smell. I have read elsewhere about sinus infections, etc. But from this article, it sounds like my sense of smell would be diminishe even if my nose had worked perfectly.

[DeathRabbit]

I have N with C- also had a deviated septum and a bone spur, which gave me stabbing headaches. My turbinates were reduced, which opened up my breathing. Bad allergies had always set off a cycle of sinus infections, headaches and stabbing facial pain. Surgery improved all of this. I barely have any problem with allergies anymore. My ENT did a good job. Great articles- thank you. I took away from reading this oxford article, that even if I orexin decreases the ability to detect smell. I have read elsewhere about sinus infections, etc. But from this article, it sounds like my sense of smell would be diminishe even if my nose had worked perfectly.

Hmm, that's funny, I have sinus issues as well. I've not had it diagnosed, but every male on my Dad's side of the family loses their ability to breathe through the nose during early puberty. I'm sure my childhood obesity compounded this issue as well. I also need to get my tonsils yanked sometime, because they swelled up in 2007 and haven't gone down since. I'm guessing that's also due to extra fatty tissue, and even though I've lost a buttcrapton of weight, those tissues never snap completely back to normal.