Posted by zeugma on August 5, 2005, at 14:21:18
In reply to Can Narcolepsy ADHD Co-exist??, posted by NARCOLEPTIC on August 4, 2005, at 22:11:14
There are variants of narcolepsy: some have the full-blown syndrome of cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, EDS, and sleep paralysis, and others have varying combinations of the above. Plus cataplexy can be weird: it can involve full or partial paralysis, usually in response to an emotional stimulus (one narcolepsy website advises patients to "avoid strong emotion", highly practical if you are capable of such avoidance. (Best bet: stay indoors and sleep.))
I take Pamelor (nortriptyline), but it is not listed in various tomes I've consulted as the preferred treatment for cataplexy, although it does work. Desipramine is probably better in some ways for ADHD and cataplexy, though I doubt the upgrade is substantial, and nortriptyline is an effective AD for me.
200 mg Provigil will keep me awake and relatively aware of my surroundings for a good 12 hours. I needed 60 mg Ritalin for the same results and had serious cardiac problems at that dosage. Strattera works well for the ancillary symptoms of narcolepsy,(i.e., HH and sleep paralysis) and also had an odd stimulant effect, but eventually brought on extreme fatigue and dysphoria. Narcolepsy is a disorder that permeates every area of consciousness, and it is hard to say where narcolepsy ends and ADHD begins for me, especially since my ADHD takes the form of extreme inattention that is practically like being asleep anyway.
-z
poster:zeugma
thread:537659
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050803/msgs/537877.html