Posted by linkadge on September 1, 2010, at 13:49:56
In reply to Re: I got XYREM » ed_uk2010, posted by Michael Bell on August 30, 2010, at 18:30:03
>Had two sleep studies with both showed >neurological issues that don't allow me to reach >deep stage sleep. The daytime sleep study showed >that I have excessive daytime sleepiness and >enter into REM sleep within minutes of falling >sleep, which is also abnormal.
Hmm. If a doctor can find something on a brain scan that shows a physical abornmalitiy in the part of the brain that regulates wake / sleep, then it seems pretty conclusive.
However, some of the other findings are not specific to narcolepsy. For instance, lack of deep sleep is a hallmark of depression (and mania I believe). Falling into early REM is also very common in depression.
Alternating between period of hypersomnia and insomnia is also associated with bipolar disorder.
Maybe I am bipolar because I go through period where I simply can't get deep refreshing sleep at night (lasting months at a time). Then I have periods where all I want to do is sleep (night / day / whenever). I might sleep 16 hours a day and still wake up utterly exhausted and be able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
The drugs prescribed for the insomnia don't do diddly. They like to prescribe amitriptyline and seroquel and these help sleep for maybe a week tops, then then the insomnia worsens they just make me feel detached and zombified.
I've always sworn I could manage all my problems with z drugs and ritalin, but I doubt I'd ever get a doc on the same wavethlength there.
But, I would say my biggest problem is in the sleep / wake cycle.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:960464
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100829/msgs/960956.html