A long-term neurological condition that affects the nervous system is narcolepsy. It results in irregular sleep, which may lower a person's quality of life.
The condition of narcolepsy is uncommon. According to experts, it affects around 1 in 2,000 people.
Narcolepsy symptoms often appear between the ages of 7 and 25, yet the disorder is frequently missed or incorrectly diagnosed. Usually, it begins around the middle of adolescence.
Significant daytime drowsiness; "sleep episodes," or intense impulses to sleep; and poor, fragmented sleep at night are all symptoms of narcolepsy.
It frequently results in cataplexy, a sudden and transient loss of muscle control. Particularly in children, this can be misinterpreted as seizure activity. This is now referred to as type 1 narcolepsy. Narcolepsy type 2 is characterised by the absence of cataplexy.
Although narcolepsy is not a fatal condition on its own, episodes can result in mishaps, injuries, or situations where life is in danger.
Due to episodes of extreme daytime sleepiness, people with narcolepsy may also struggle to maintain relationships, their employment, and their academic performance.
There are treatments available to help control the disease.
Narcolepsy types
Narcolepsy comes in two forms:
The most typical type is type 1. One of its symptoms is the rapid decrease of muscular tone known as cataplexy. Low levels of a protein called hypocretin in the brain cause excessive sleepiness and cataplexy episodes that occur during the daytime in people with this kind of narcolepsy. (Orexin is another name for hypocretin.)
Narcolepsy of type 2 lacks cataplexy. Typically, hypocretin levels in those with type 2 narcolepsy are normal.
What narcolepsy treatments are accessible and successful?
A "stimulant" called Modafinil is used to encourage wakefulness and lessen excessive daytime sleepiness.
The two strengths of the tablet form of Modafinil are typically 100 mg and 200 mg. Each patient will require a different dose. It could be as low as 100mg per day or much higher. One 100mg tablet taken shortly after waking up in the morning may be adequate for some people. Others might require a higher total dose that is spread out over the day, perhaps taking a top-up tablet in the early afternoon, for example.
The "generic" medication Modafinil Canada is produced by numerous different pharmaceutical companies. Modafinil may be given to you under a different brand name if it wasn't manufactured by the original producer, which is Provigil. The effectiveness of these various medicine formulations shouldn't differ. Nevertheless, depending on the brand, some claim that Modafinil's effectiveness varies. There is no obvious reason why this should be the case, as all of these generics have the same amount of active ingredients. There hasn't been any research comparing the pharmacology of Modafinil made by various businesses as of yet.
Similar to this, there are other useful medications like Modalert, Artvigil, Atomoxetine, Modvigil, etc. that can effectively improve wakefulness and treat narcolepsy. All of these drugs function similarly to Modafinil and have a similar effect on the brain. The only differences between these medicines are their price and dosage.
