But a dysfunctional neurotransmitter in this case GABA is not a mental
illness. It's a problem with how your body transmits signals.
For instance I have a condition in which I can lie in bed, be wide awake
but have no motor skills, it's called hypnogogic or something like that,
just like I can drive while asleep, my mental ability is just fine,
although I feel tired; the problem is turns, stops, things which require
your body to be completely awake.
As far as provigil and nuvigil are concerned, when NORD was paying for my
drugs I was getting 800 mg of provigil per day, 200 mg of nuvigil and I was
fine but always felt like someone was lifting my eyelids, in other words
never really rested.
To make matters worst, I had a deviated septum. Bruxism and restless leg
syndrome as well, because of being bipolar , lithium was prescribed and I
gained weight like crazy, from 218 to 318# and that acerbated my breathing.
Event hough I was prescribed at the time a cpap machine it hurt my head and
was so noisy, I didn't use it. I didn't care if I looked like an alien or
Jason in Friday 13th. But that noise, I couldn't tolerate.
I don't understand AD except I know I started on Ritalin and for kids with
it. It slows them down but for an adult,Ritalin speeds you up(keeps you
awake).Of course, for me it was a curse because I had bipolar disorder and
my moods would be mercurial.
So if you mean mental disorders, like bipolar who knows? But I honestly
don't think many narcoleptic with cataplexy are bipolar and if they are
then it becomes very difficult to identify.
Whereas Although all cataplectics have narcolepsy, the opposite is not
true, most narcoleptic do not have cataplexia which is easy to identify
since it's identifier resides in a patient's spinal fluid.
Narcolepsy is diagnosed when in a sleep clinic in a series of 5 fifteen
minutes naps, you go into REM sleep.
I never had to take more than two naps, I go into REM sleep almost
immediately,
It's hard to compare anything to narcolepsy and conjecture without reliable
data, Thankfully I am in the care of one of the country's leading Pulmonary
Specialists, Dr. Frank Hull who is an expert in sleep related medical
issues. And he is constantly updating me and keeping me informed on ongoing
research and advances in medicine related to narcolepsy.
But the question of whether it gets easier or harder can't be answered by a
20 year old, experience and learning to listen to your body and becoming
flexible will lead to an acceptable middle road. The only thing that will
change it is a major break through and I don't see it happening. THERE IS
TOO MUCH MONEYBAND PROFIT SELLING THE DRUGS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LIVE OUR
LIVES BEST AS POSSIBLE.
I have often wondered what it would be like to wake up in the morning or
whenever and feel fully rested?
People who have disabilities don't overcome them.But by listening to their
body. Listening to your doctor. Understanding what it is you can do and
what you can't, coming to an acceptance, you learn to quit feeling sorry
for yourself, count your blessings and then you are living with a
disability.
Isn't it like sometimes you feel terrible but not sick enough to skip work.
You go anyway because you have to without too much thought,
And it's tough. But when you get your paycheck you forget all about that,
We weren't promised a perfect life, so we have to make due and acceptance
begins the end to that suffering accepting there's not anything you can do
but move forward. Live your life and just be glad that you are alive.
