Sleep dogs....Watching over you through the night part 3

 



What is Narcolepsy?


Narcolepsy is term which refers to a neurological disorder that is characterizes by the inability to regulate sleep and wake cycles like a normal person.  They also have troubles sleeping at night like most people do. People with Nacolepsy experience excessive day time sleepiness that may last seconds to minutes, and which may occur at anytime. They could be talking, working, even walking when they just drift off to sleep while in the middle of any activity.  Most can sleep the same number of hours but its fragmented.  They wake up intermittently which is annoying  and exhausting.  Most people with this disease  experience  episodes where they loss control of their muscle strength known as cataplexy.  This happens especially when they are experiencing strong emotions.  Narcolepsy  has several causes.  It can be from hereditary, trauma, toxins, psychological stress,  and a product of other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and anemia.  
What are the  signs and symptoms of Narcolepsy?

 EDS  or excessive day-time sleepiness even if you slept through the whole night.People with EDS report mental cloudiness, a lack of energy and concentration, memory lapses, a depressed mood, and/or extreme exhaustion.. 
Cateplexy is when this symptom consists of a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to feelings of weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. It can cause symptoms ranging from slurred speech to total body collapse, depending on the muscles involved, and is often triggered by intense emotions such as surprise, laughter, or anger..
Hallucinations, usually, these delusional experiences are vivid and frequently frightening. The content is primarily visual, but any of the other senses can be involved. These are called hypnagogic hallucinations when accompanying sleep onset and hypnopompic hallucinations when they occur during awakening. 
Sleep Paralysis  is a symptom involves the temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. These episodes are generally brief, lasting a few seconds to several minutes. After episodes end, people rapidly recover their full capacity to move and speak.
Microsleep is a very brief sleep episode during which you continue to function (talk, put things away, etc.) and then awaken with no memory of the activities.
Rapid entry to REM sleep. Narcoleptics have unique sleep cycles where they may enter the REM or dream phase of sleep right after falling asleep, whereas most people take about 90 minutes to enter REM. Therefore, you'll experience the characteristics of REM sleep (vivid dreams and muscle paralysis) at the beginning of sleep, even if that sleep is during the day.

What treatments are available for Narcolepsy?
Medications such as stimulants and/or others that reduce the sypmtoms of narcolepsy  may  be used alone or inconjunction with each others. Here are some examples of these medications.

 Ritalin helps to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness and improves alertness. Side effects include headache, irritability, nervousness, and gastrointestinal problems. Nighttime sleep may be impaired, thus decreasing sleep time. There are concerns that this drug may become ineffective if used continuously for long periods. Therefore, some doctors advise people with narcolepsy to abstain from taking it one day each week (typically on a weekend). During that day, the person should not engage in activities that require being awake, such as driving.?
Nuvigil(armodafinil): This drug is similar to Provigil. It is also used to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness. Headache and nausea are the most common side effects. 
Provigil aka modafinil: This drug has been shown in several studies to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness. Headache is the most common side effects.
Antidepressants: The tricyclic antidepressants Anafranil , Tofranil ,and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Prozac are often used to reduce the frequency of cataplexy, a condition in which a person experiences a sudden (but temporary) loss of muscle tone. Side effects of the tricyclics include stomach upset, dry mough,fatigue, wieght gain, sexual side effects and, in some cases, irregular heart beats (arrhythmias). Side effects of Prozac and the other SSRIs also include stomach upset and sexual dysfunction. However, side effects appear to be seen less often and may be less severe in SSRI's than the tricyclic antidepressants.Xverm : This drug is used to treat a small subset of people with narcolepsy who have excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy that does not respond to the other medications. It is the only drug approved by the FDA for cataplexy. It has a history of abuse as a recreational drug; therefore, the FDA has classified it as a controlled substance.How having a service dog can help....

Most people with narcolepsy get a large dog.  They are trained in what do if their legs give out.  They are also trained in what to do during periods of extreme sleepiness. If the patient falls and goes into sleep more the dog is trained to stand over their master and use their dog phone if they have one or push the humans help button if they have one.   They are trained to help their masters to the floor, help them walk, and even help keep them propped up during sleepiness times.  They are also trained to know when such attacks are happening and warn their master.  They help just by being their and putting them with depression and anxiety most people with narcolepsy experience.  There are many other ways they are able to help, and many other things they are able to do.  This is just a brief introduction of what a nacolepsy service dog may be able to or help you with.

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