Medication
Natural cures for narcolepsy include:
- Guarana, which is a natural stimulant
- Cayenne pepper
- Ginkgo biloba, which increases blood flow to the brain
- Ephedra, which increases energy levels
- Gotu kola, which reduces fatigue
- Rosemary tea
- B complex vitamins, which are important in the sleep-wake cycle
- Eating complex carbohydrates and vegetables
- Avoiding eating simple carbs and sugars
Nutrition
What to Eat
- Follow a heart-healthy diet. Narcolepsy increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. ...
- Try a low-carb diet. When you eat a big, high-carb meal, your body makes less of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates wakefulness.
- Consider a keto diet. ...
- Try caffeine. ...
- Avoid alcohol. ...
What are the natural remedies for narcolepsy?
There is no cure for narcolepsy, but medications and lifestyle modifications can help you manage the symptoms. Medications for narcolepsy include: Stimulants. Drugs that stimulate the central nervous system are the primary treatment to help people with narcolepsy stay awake during the day.
What is a good diet for someone with narcolepsy?
- Mental health. Narcolepsy can disrupt your life to the extent that it may lead to depression and anxiety.
- Social and professional relationships. Unfortunately, sudden sleep episodes are often found humorous to those not familiar with the disorder.
- Intimate relationships. Your personal relationships, especially romantic relationships, can often suffer. ...
Will there ever be a cure for narcolepsy?
What is the preventive method for narcolepsy?
How to treat narcolepsy?
Treatment for narcolepsy can be broken down into two categories: 1 Behavioral approaches employ changes in lifestyle and daily habits to manage symptoms and reduce the likelihood of other physical and emotional challenges that often affect people with narcolepsy. 2 Medications can be prescribed to address symptoms. The use of medications is known as pharmacotherapy.
How to sleep better with narcolepsy?
Practical tips to improve sleep routines for people with narcolepsy include: Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time: A stable sleep schedule can ensure that enough time is budgeted for rest and helps habituate the body to sleeping at set times, including at night.
What is the name of the disorder where you fall asleep involuntarily?
Narcolepsy is a disorder in which the sleep-wake cycle is significantly altered 1. Its central symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which may involve falling asleep involuntarily, even while eating or driving. People with narcolepsy face safety risks including a three- to four-fold increase 2 in their chances of being in an automobile ...
Why is it important to eat healthy when you have narcolepsy?
Eating a healthy diet is important for everyone, but it takes on added importance for people with narcolepsy because they have an elevated risk of obesity. The timing of meals is important as well. Eating too late at night may interfere with normal digestion and is associated with sleep disruptions 8.
How many medications do you need to treat narcolepsy?
To treat narcolepsy, doctors usually start with one drug to see how well it works for a specific patient. The dosage or timing of doses may be changed as needed, or the doctor may recommend switching medications if the first is not working or well-tolerated.
What is the symptom of narcolepsy?
There are two types of narcolepsy 3. Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) frequently involves a symptom called cataplexy, which is a sudden and brief loss of muscle tone in which the individual is conscious. It is triggered by strong emotions, usually positive ones like laughter.
What is behavioral approach in narcolepsy?
Behavioral approaches employ changes in lifestyle and daily habits to manage symptoms and reduce the likelihood of other physical and emotional challenges that often affect people with narcolepsy. Medications can be prescribed to address symptoms. The use of medications is known as pharmacotherapy.
What is the best treatment for narcolepsy?
Central nervous system stimulants are the main treatments used for excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy, and these stimulants include Amphetamine, Methylphenidate, Modafinil, Dextroamphetamine and Armodafinil.
Is it hard to control narcolepsy?
It’s extremely difficult to fully control the symptoms of narcolepsy, and medication adjustments are often necessary . Lifestyle changes are also very important for people suffering from narcolepsy, with oral medications being the mainstay of treatment.
Is narcolepsy a depression?
As mentioned previously, narcolepsy can be confused with depression, and it’s true that there is a link between these two disorders. The co-occurrence of depression in narcolepsy patients has produced mixed results, though, with different studies producing numbers anywhere between 6% and 50%. Author. Recent Posts.
Can narcolepsy be cured?
Although people suffering from narcolepsy can’t be cured, they can be helped. Treatment for this disorder is tailored to each individual and is based on the person’s symptoms and therapeutic response. It could well take months, or even longer, to achieve effective control of symptoms.
Is narcolepsy a neurological disorder?
Narcolepsy can be described as a neurological condition involving a person’s reduced ability to manage the sleep-wake cycle. Although people suffering from narcolepsy can’t be ...
Is narcolepsy more common than fibrosis?
In fact, narcolepsy is as prevalent as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, and more common than Cystic Fibrosis, but unfortunately it’s just not as well known. The reason for this is that narcolepsy can often be confused with epilepsy, depression, or the side-effect of medications.
Can narcolepsy run in families?
The symptoms of narcolepsy are generally first noticed in young adults or teenagers, but narcolepsy can occur in both women and men at any age. In fact, there’s strong evidence that narcolepsy could run in families, because approximately 10% of people diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy already have a close family member with this neurological disorder. As mentioned previously, narcolepsy can be confused with depression, and it’s true that there is a link between these two disorders. The co-occurrence of depression in narcolepsy patients has produced mixed results, though, with different studies producing numbers anywhere between 6% and 50%.
What are the best medications for narcolepsy?
Drugs that act as stimulants and/or reduce the other symptoms of narcolepsy are standard treatments for the condition. They include: Armodafinil ( Nuvigil ): This drug is similar to Provigil. It is also used to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness. Headache and nausea are the most common side effects. Methylphenidate Hcl ( Daytrana, Ritalin ...
How to help narcolepsy stay awake?
It has proven effective in helping patients stay awake for longer periods of time. Home Remedies for Narcolepsy. There are several things you can do at home to help improve the symptoms of narcolepsy and include the following: Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
Can narcolepsy be taken one day a week?
Therefore, some doctors advise people with narcolepsy to abstain from taking it one day each week (typically on a weekend).
Does Pitolisant work on histamine receptors?
It acts on the histamine receptors and mimics histamine. Pitolisant uses the histamine receptors to prompt your brain to stay awake. Solriamfetol ( Sunosi ): This dual-acting dopamine and norepinephrinere uptake inhibitor is also used to treat narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy Treatment
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that inhibits one’s ability to control and regulate sleep-wake cycles. There is no known cure for narcolepsy, but there are a variety of treatments 1 to alleviate and control the symptoms of narcolepsy.
Medications to Treat Narcolepsy
There are several medications that can combat and help reduce the effects of narcolepsy. Typically, these medications fall into two categories: stimulants that promote alertness and wakefulness; and anti-depressants and sedatives that help ensure a more regulated sleep, treat cataplexy, and can decrease overall anxiety.
Lifestyle changes
Because narcolepsy is a chronic lifelong condition with a wide range of different symptoms and causes, it is important to seek medical help to determine the right combination of medication and lifestyle adjustments. Besides medications, there are several ways people can adapt their lifestyle to reduce the effects of narcolepsy.
Official Answer
There is no cure for narcolepsy, but medications and lifestyle modifications can help manage symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Medications include:
What lifestyle changes help with narcolepsy?
Lifestyle modifications can help manage symptoms of narcolepsy, and can include:
What is narcolepsy type 1?
Narcolepsy type 1 and narcolepsy type 2 are central disorders of hypersomnolence. Narcolepsy type 1 is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy and is associated with hypocretin-1 deficiency.
Is hypocretin 1 normal in narcolepsy?
On the other hand, in narcolepsy type 2, cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 levels are normal and cataplexy absent. Despite major advances in our understanding of narcolepsy mechanisms, its current management is only symptomatic.
Drugs used to treat Narcolepsy
The following list of medications are in some way related to, or used in the treatment of this condition.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
What to do if your medication doesn't help you?
If your current medications don’t control your daytime drowsiness or other symptoms enough, ask your doctor if something else might work better. Adjusting the dosage, switching to a different medication, or combining drugs may be options. Also let you doctor know about any side effects that bother you.
Is there a cure for narcolepsy?
Medically Reviewed by Neha Pathak, MD on September 11, 2020. Medications usually are the main treatment for narcolepsy. They aren’t a cure, but they can help you manage the symptoms of this brain disorder. But it’s important to take the time to find the right drug or mix of drugs for you.
Can you mix narcolepsy pills with alcohol?
You take one dose right before bed and another 3-4 hours later. You can’t mix them with alcohol, narcotic pain relievers, or other sedatives. If you do, you can have problems breathing, fall into a coma, or die. The FDA has approved two GHB formulations for treating narcolepsy.
Does Solriamfetol help with insomnia?
Solriamfetol (Sunosi). This was approved in 2019 to treat excessive daytime sleepiness. Its most common side effects are headache, nausea, decreased appetite, insomnia, and anxiety. Unlike some other narcolepsy medications, it doesn’t keep your birth control pills from working.
Diagnosis
Treatment
Clinical Trials
Coping and Support
Specialist to consult
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Your doctor may make a preliminary diagnosis of narcolepsy based on your excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy). After an initial diagnosis, your doctor may refer you to a sleep specialist for further evaluation. Formal diagnosis requires staying overnigh…
Medications to Treat Narcolepsy
- There is no cure for narcolepsy, but medications and lifestyle modifications can help you manage the symptoms.
Lifestyle Changes
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Master Sources List For Narcolepsy
- Dealing with narcolepsy can be challenging. Making adjustments in your daily schedule may help. Consider these tips: 1. Talk about it. Tell your employer or teachers about your condition and work with them to find ways to accommodate your needs. This may include taking naps during the day, breaking up monotonous tasks, recording meetings or classes, standing during meetings or lect…
Resources
- You're likely to start by seeing your family doctor. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred to a sleep specialist. Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.