Common "Narcolepsy" queries answered by top doctors | iCliniq

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder presenting with extreme daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. It can occur due to genetic issues and poor signaling in the brain. The affected person cannot be waked up for a prolonged period. It causes disturbances in their daily works. The symptoms of narcolepsy are cataplexy, hallucination, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and sleep disturbance. Taking stimulants and antidepressants helps to manage it.

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All the answers published in this website are written by verified medical doctors, therapists and health experts. The Content has been moderated by iCliniq medical review team before publication. Post your medical clarifications on iCliniq by choosing the right specialty and get them answered. Your medical queries will be answered 24/7 by top doctors from iCliniq.

What are the side effects of taking Adderall?

Query: Hi doctor, I have a 29 year old boyfriend, who weighs 190 lbs and 6 feet tall, he is a former athlete in college. He was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia through the spinal tab, five years ago. He is now taking Adderall 60 mg a day total, spread over six times, and is using Flumazenil cream, wh...  Read Full »


Dr. Ramesh Kumar S

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Idiopathic hypersomnia is a sleep disorder even less common than narcolepsy, a rare sleep disease. The biggest distinguishing characteristics include differences in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the absence of cataplexy (a sudden weakness in the muscles while fully co...  Read Full »

What is the reason for my son to feel sleepy all the time?

Query: Hi doctor, My son of 23 years is feeling sleepy all the time, walks while sleeping, sleeps while standing and falls asleep while traveling in a car. He has concentration problems and very irritable. He is overweight. Of late, even his speech is not very clear. What is the problem? Which specialty do...  Read Full »


Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Is he experiencing symptoms such as snoring, disrupted sleep, or morning headaches? It's possible that he could be dealing with sleep apnea, a condition marked by temporary breathing pauses during sleep, leading to fragmented sleep and lowered blood oxygen levels, as wel...  Read Full »

I dream strange things during sleep paralysis. Is it normal?

Query: Hello doctor,I have started having sleep paralysis four years back. Back then, I was able to open my eyes and was not able to move my body and speak. Whenever I used to have sleep paralysis, I used to see people torturing me. As if they are trying to harm and kill me. When I first had sleep paralysi...  Read Full »


Dr. Suresh Kumar G D

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. It can be frightening to experience sleep paralysis but generally it is not harmful and can occur in otherwise healthy people. It is common to have hallucinatory experiences like seeing people who wish to harm you when you have sleep paralysis. Do you have any other ...  Read Full »

I am diagnosed with narcolepsy. How to confirm it?

Query: Hello doctor, I am 17-year-old with height 5'8" and weight 260.14 Ibs. My doctor has clinically diagnosed me with narcolepsy. He said that I show every sign and symptom I did not meet the requirements on the MSLT. He believes that I still have it. He did blood work, and my iron and vitamin C came ba...  Read Full »


Dr. Divakara. P

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Most of the diagnosis is made based on the patient's history of complaints, examination done by the doctor and supported by investigations. The investigations most of the time play a crucial role for example if I suspect diabetes in a patient and his blood sugar test...  Read Full »

Will no other stimulants work for me if I do not respond to Phentermine?

Query: Hello doctor, I have ADD and narcolepsy as well. I have not been on any medications for either. I consulted a sleep specialist and psychiatrist in two weeks separately. I have taken Phentermine 37.5 in the past for weight loss which did not work. I would take two pills and still be tired and go to s...  Read Full »


Dr. Seikhoo Bishnui

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Phentermine is a stimulant drug, but its use is mainly limited to weight loss. If that does not work for you, it does not mean that other drugs will not work. If you have been diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder) and you have narcolepsy, then other stimu...  Read Full »

I take Adderall with Lexapro for major depressive disorder. Is there any alternate for Lexapro?

Query: Hi doctor, I am currently on Adderall 30 mg twice a day for narcolepsy with cataplexy and Lexapro 20 mg for resistant major depressive disorder. My previous psychiatric nurse practitioner tried me on many antidepressants that did not work. Lexapro helps some but not much at all. I have very bad an...  Read Full »


Dr. Suresh Kumar G D

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. It looks like you have been tried on several different types of antidepressants already but did not help. Since you are on Adderall for treating narcolepsy, taking antidepressants will potentially lead to an increase in side effects. This applies to all SSRIs (select...  Read Full »

Why do I get irresistible sleep attack during day time with sleep paralysis?

Query: Hello doctor, I have daily sleep attacks during the day (irresistible sleep attacks) and before I fall to sleep I see things like I am dreaming but I knew I am awake. At night, before I fall asleep I have multiple episodes of sleep paralysis. Sometimes in every morning, I have sleep attacks and I f...  Read Full »


Dr. Vandana Patidar

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Irresistible sleep attacks during daytime are called narcolepsy. They are usually considered harmful and should be treated with stimulant drugs. Amphetamines are used to treat them. Sleep paralysis is also treated with antidepressant medicines and Benzodiazepines. U...  Read Full »

Is nootropic drug Adrafinil dangerous in low doses and what are its side effects?

Query: Hello doctor, Is the nootropic supplement Adrafinil dangerous in low doses? If I take Adrafinil 50 mg, what could happen? Could anything severe with side effects occur?  Read Full »


Dr. Vishal Anilkumar Gandhi

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. It is not an FDA or The United States Food and Drug Administration approved drug. It is illegal to use to enhance your performance. If a person takes a higher dose without supervision, the patient may have weight loss, palpitation, or seizure in some cases. Please do...  Read Full »

I sleep for 13 hours a day. Is it fine to take Modafinil to reduce my sleep?

Query: Hi doctor, I am a 25 year old male, all my life I have required about 13 hours sleep every night, regardless of the bedtime. If I get the 13 hours sleep, I am not tired the next day, but if I only get 10 hours sleep, I will be very tired that day and also get a sleep debt. I went to bed at 8 PM las...  Read Full »


Dr. Srivastava, Sumit

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Thanks for your query. I have gone through your complaint and I think Modafinil is a good option in your case. Modafinil is used to decrease excessive sleepiness and enhances memory and cognitive functions. Modafinil can have some side effects, which are headaches, ...  Read Full »

Are my symptoms due to the nine different drugs I take?

Query: Hi doctor, I am just sitting, and suddenly I drop whatever is in my hand, and my head goes down. I do this several times a day. What is wrong with me? I take nine different drugs, but I have been on all for a long time; this just started three months ago.  Read Full »


Dr. Alexander Davis

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. What is more, it seems to get worse gradually, so we are talking about a neurological condition that makes your hand and head drop several times a day. The most likely conditions which can cause this kind of symptoms are some not so common forms of epilepsy or narcoleps...  Read Full »

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