Posted by vickisnowwhite on December 11, 2002, at 16:42:06
In reply to Re: sleeping my life away » vickisnowwhite, posted by leslieg on December 11, 2002, at 13:15:08
> Narcolepsy is not diagnosed from an overnight sleep study but instead requires a test called MSLT: Multiple Sleep Latency Test. This is basically keeping you at the sleep lab all day, and allowing you to attempt to nap 4 or 5 times that day. You get up to 20 minutes to fall asleep. They have you on monitors to find out how quickly you fall asleep and how quickly REM starts. This is almost always done after the night-time sleep study. To me, this test sounded like hell because you are not allowed to actually nap and you can't have caffiene or leave the building. There was NO WAY I could stay awake like that! The biggest problem for someone like you is that you need to be drug-free. I really wrote this to let you know that you have *not* been adequately tested for narcolepsy. (BTW, I have not had an MSLT as I was 1 month pregnant when mine was scheduled, but it was obvious from my night-time study that I have severe REM sleep disturbance and my doc feels I've an over 90% chance of being a narcoleptic.)
>
> I completely agree with you about wanting to have a life. I used to be a "super-mom", a single mom with 2 special-needs kids and a job that demanded overtime. Now I can't even see how I could be awake long enough to work 20 hours a week from home! And I'm on Provigil. But the Provigil has allowed me to be able to plan meals and make it to the grocery store before we all starve to death (usually). I still need at least 9 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, and I prefer more!
>
> When I was pregnant and couldn't take drugs and had no more than 2 hours of alertness a day, I decided to go to an accupuncturist for help. It cost too much, but it did help. I wouldn't take the herbs he wanted me to, but after an hour on the table I felt more energized, and that lasted 1 - 2 days. Insurance didn't pay for it, but it does qualify as a medical expense if yours are high enough to itemize.
>
> Good luck,
> Leslie G.
>
> > thanks IsoM for the input. Sounds like we have a lot in common with this sleepiness. I have been to a sleep clinic, and they found nothing, but I really
> > felt that it was useless as it was only one night.
> > they would have to monitor me in my natural setting
> > to see how much I sleep. It probably is the medications i take, but the pdoc really thinks i need all these, and when he reduces the doses, it seems i have more bad days, and usually go back to the higher levels. EVeryone I know says i'm sleeping my life away, yet i think i would rather sleep this much then have insomnia. (i quess)
> > but it would be nice to have life!!
> actually i did have a test the next day so it must have been the MSLT. I hated it. They wouldn't let me sleep until they wanted me to sleep, so I had to force myself to stay awake, then for the 15 minutes intervals, i was so exsausted, but couldn't sleep in that short of a time!! you would think that the welbutrin that I'm on, (400mg) and the prozac would give me some energy, but alas i've just taken my 200mg welbutrin dose and the bed is calling me... thanks for your post
>
poster:vickisnowwhite
thread:130882
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021210/msgs/131378.html