BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?

Subject: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:45 PM

We suspect that someone in our office has narcolepsy. They fall asleep sitting up at their desk many times a day. Usually for just a minute. But they are also one of the hardest working folks in the place. It used to be a rare occourance but for the last 6 or 8 months I'd guess it happens about a dozen times a day. We just ignore it since they usually wake up and go back to work quickly. Does this sound like narcolepsy to you or just burning the candle at both ends. I really doubt that drugs are the cause of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:49 PM

I haven't worked with anyone with the affliction but in Oregon I knew a woman who was not allowed to drive a car because of it. She said that she'd had it as long as she could remember but with age it had gotten worse.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:02 PM

If they are not sure it is narcolepsy, they should definitely be checked for sleep apnea as daytime sleepiness is a symptom of it also.

Here's a link to what they say about it at the Natl. Institute of Neurological Disorders.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:02 PM

That happens to me - at work. Never had it happen any where else. It only happens when I'm alone at my desk. I attribute it to boredom with my job and not enough sleep the night before, but perhaps I should be careful.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:03 PM

I had a college housemate whose boyfriend had it. He tended to fal asleep when things got stressful, whether mentally or physically, and would actually fall asleep in the middle of sex sometimes because of that. Sex is, after all, stressful to the system in the sense of high heart rate, sweating, etc.

One question: Does the person REALIZE they've been asleep?

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:04 PM

I think my dog has this problem...

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:09 PM

Yes - I'm pretty sure they are aware that they've been "out".

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 05:11 PM

My acquaintance in Oregon was aware of it. Partly because her husband was non-supportive and tended to treat her as though she were mentally defective.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 07:15 PM

I recently had a friend who was diagnosed as having severe sleep apnoea. Which can lead to narcolepsy, or similar, in some cases. He searched the web and found that there is help. But, if he gets help, his insurance company may not insure him for driving or for life insurance. I am losing sleep over this. Anyone got any comments, advice?

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: bobad
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 07:26 PM

I would suggest that he consult a lawyer as since he has been diagnosed the insurance company can access his medical records in the case of a claim and it would be rejected for non disclosure anyway, it's always best to be up front with insurance companies, they are sneaky.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 07:31 PM

You could suggest (if you're that close) he try some of the standard remedies for serial snorers/sleep apnea sufferers - lose weight, firm mattress and lay off the alcohol. That might improve his night sleeping thus having a knock-on effect.

Of course, it could just be over heating and poor air circulation in the office causing it. Some people seem to be more susceptible to bad air conditioning than others. Modern offices with enclosed air systems and windows that don't open are a big cause.

Good luck.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 07:36 PM

gnu, I've never had any problem with car insurance, driver's license etc. from a sleep apnea diagnosis. If treated there is usually no narcolepsy.

Wesley, could it be petit mal seizures? Just another thought.

Also, has anyone spoken to the person, expressed any concern/support?

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: GUEST,Wesley S
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 08:00 PM

Seizures? I doubt it. But I plan to talk to this co-worker next week.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 09:02 PM

In my basic training company in the Army about fifty-four years ago, we had a fellow--think his name was Simpson--who was perpetually falling asleep.

We'd be in an outdoor training class, in bleachers, and the instructor, in full flight in his lecture, would STOP!--and Simpson! Wake up!"

And then, two or three minutes later, Simpson! Wake up! Stand, so you can stay awake!

A little later: Simpson! WAKE UP! Stand at attention!"

Sure enough, not too long later: SIMPSON! Get your rifle from the stack! PREE-sennt....Harms!!! And there, standing at attention, holding his 12-pound or so rifle stiffly in front of him, Simpson would drift off to sleep, and maintain that posture all the while!

It was truly amazing, under what circumstances Simpson could and would go to sleep. He was eventually given a medical discharge, and a good thing, too. I sure wouldn't have wanted to be in a combat unit, on the front lines, with him as one of my platoon-mates, whether day or night.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:44 PM

Phew! That's be a little scary with the rifle in his hands, Dave!

Wesley, not seizures the way they are generally thought...after reading THIS, though, I think it is unlikely in your co-worker. It's good you are going to talk to him/her.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Rowan
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:52 PM

You could suggest (if you're that close) he try some of the standard remedies for serial snorers/sleep apnea sufferers - lose weight, firm mattress and lay off the alcohol. That might improve his night sleeping thus having a knock-on effect.

A while ago I worked in a distant association with a bloke who was fairly trim, used to sleeping on very thin (1/2") mattresses and rarely drank alcohol but suffered from sleep apnoea so serious he was unable to work for about six months; we lost touch while he was away but I gather the full might of the medical profession was of very limited use.

In a previous life he had been a high altitude guide in the Himalayas and I forget how many times he'd been on and up Everest and we wondered whether this may have been a contributing factor.

But I can't offer anything more constructive in your situation, Wesley.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 12:55 AM

I've never experienced narcolepsy, but just reading the word makes me sleepy.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 01:53 AM

A friend from yrs ago had it, she'd drop off unexpectedly at any moment & then be right back as good as new, a short nap would be just the right thing for her. Her sister would say leave her alone she be fit as a fiddle in just a few. Don't know if she took meds for it or if it continued (lost track of her over the yrs) but I think she had the condition since childhood.
Sorry that doesn't help much does it.

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 02:44 AM

I've never experienced it eit.......Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Deckman
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 02:58 AM

Yes, as you described it, it certainly does sound like it. I've known two people that suffered from it. I worked with one person for two years. It was NOT pretty. They would "fall asleep" at the strangest times, and they wern't faking, or trying to avoid anything.

Both of the men I knew, after waking up, would realize that they'd "done it again." Their reactions were usually the intial embarrasment that moved to fear that they had hurt someone while they were "out".

In both cases, driving was a serious problem. Their spouses did all the driving in the family. So I would suggest that medical help is clearly indicated. Hope this helps. Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: gnu
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 05:58 AM

"...lose weight, firm mattress and lay off the alcohol." I suppose next will be "quit smoking". ;-)

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I'll try to talk some sense into the fat bastard.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 08:52 AM

I once dreamt I was teaching and when I woke up I was.

A friend used to ask dozing students "What time did you go to bed last night?"

And then "What time did you get up and go home?"

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: dwditty
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 01:01 PM

It was not until a few years ago that I realized that my snoring (since I was a kid - a big family joke) was, in fact, causing sleep apnea. I did the sleep study and found that I was "waking myself up every 29-38 seconds, which means I never got any rem sleep. The answer for me was CPAP, and it is a very effective treatment. Still, I would have trouble staying awake at times...in meetings, driving, etc. The doc recently prescribed Provigil which is working great...it ois to treat excessive sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy. The insurance company did make me get prior authorization, but it was approved. Provigil is not an amphetemine...one takes it on an as needed basis, etc. Have your friend get to a sleep clinic right away.

dw

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 01:08 PM

Kat commented:

That's be a little scary with the rifle in his hands, Dave!

Kat, the incident with his rifle was in basic training. They don't (or didn't, in '53) issue ammunition to you in basic unless you're out on the rifle range for practice firing. Actually AT the range, not even in the morning before you march the (in this case) seven miles to the range. Otherwise, your "piece" is empty during basic. Even for guard duty.

The first and only time I ever had rounds in my rifle other than "on the range" was when I had been shipped to Germany, and was on guard duty there. In THAT case, the first sentry on a particular post at night was issued three (3) rounds in a clip, which would be passed to the next sentry when he relieved you, and then passed to the NEXT sentry after that, and so on around the clock. They were checked back in (and counted) when the guard contingent was relieved by the next day's crew.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: gnu
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 01:29 PM

Oh... I should point out that my friend was not actually "diagnosed". He used a Sony HandyCam on Super Nightshot to video himself... same as dwditty... for years, he said, "Yeh, right." Then, he saw himself on video and was alarmed. Very alarmed.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 02:30 PM

CPAP machines are normally seen as the answer.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Nickhere
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 02:49 PM

Hi Wes,

I had a colleague with this once - she even had medictaion to control it. She would nod off for a minute or so, or even as little as a few seconds, though it was usually longer. Apparently she had no control over it.

I had a similar condition for a while. I found I could not stay awake, would nod off on the bus on the way home, risking missing my stop. On one occasion I even awoke to find my head resting on the arm of a woman who was holding one of those upright bars in the bus sued by standing passengers! I looked around bewildered and she must have thought it was funny as she didn't complain about it at least.

I ws baffled as to what was causing it. I must confess that I don't get much sleep - my fault. I am one of those people who knows they need to sleep but considers sleeping a waste of valuable time in which I could be doing things...like mudcatting.....!! ;-)

So I tried getting more regular sleep and that helped a bit but the problem was still there. Then one Lent I gave up caffeine - all coffee, tea, cola whatever. That meant I also practically gave up sugar, since I used to take one or two spoons per cup (and I drank a lot of tea!). Within a few weeks I found I had a lot more energy, and more to the point - more consistent enegry. There was no more nodding off on the way home or at lunchtime or during the day. Speaking to other people with a similar problem we found the same thing - cut out caffeine as a prop, and regulate sugar intake: hey presto, narcolepsy disappears. (I don't knwo if it will work for everyone, there may be other causes). One root problem seemed to be some people's need (eg. mine) for sugar as a source of energy. This leads to lots of sweet drinks, sugary snacks and chocolate to give energy boost. The boost quickly wears off, leaving you tired again and craving more sugar. The problem is you have no idea how tired and lacking in energy you really are until you stop taking sugar (and caffeine) because your body is being artifically propped up by it.

There'e even a slight 'cold turkey' in the form of headaches, dizziness, irritability (though nothing like cigarettes). But after a few days your body seems to normalise and if you eat food that releases energy slowly, you'll feel fine. I made the latter discovery as a result of mountain walking, where the worst mistake is to scoff food or sugar at the first sign of tiredness. You'll feel fine for about twenty minutes, then your legs will feel like lead. It's better to eat some of that 'trail mix' of nuts or small amounts of dried fruit, or a banana which gives you energy slowly. I usually reserve the main snack and sweet stuff for the summit for a boost before making the descent.

One other thing to watch for - uneven sugar levels and sugar cravings can be a sign of a tendency to diabtetes, so it might be worth getting checked for this if you have a sweet tooth and sudden peaks and troughs of energy.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Nickhere
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 02:57 PM

Folkiedave: "I once dreamt I was teaching and when I woke up I was"

hehehe...that happened to me once too. I had a very nice student, but he really was struggling and he was one of those guys who'd ask 'why?' 'but why?' and 'why again?' as he really wanted to understand every last detail of the thing being taught. It could get a bit exhausting at times and one day I was trying to explain, as he came on with a fresh question in the middle of it. It was all too much for my poor tired brain. It was one of those days when you literally have to clench your jaw repeatedly to fight off waves of sleep. I felt my eyes droop closed despite my best efforts, my head dropped forward slightly and that was that. I dozed off mid-sentence, but only for two or maybe three seconds. I awoke with a start to the sound of my own voice saying some nonsense sentence! I had been dreaming out loud, teaching on autopilot.

I immediately glanced at my student whose eyes were wide in alarm, staring at me. But at least I think he got the hint and eased off for the rest of the day.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Nickhere
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 03:15 PM

DaveO,
your post reminded me of a time my friend was on guard duty at a barracks here. Like you said, we'd get 3 rounds each which were passed on and so on. Firing a round, or even losing one, would mean the whole barracks being turned upside down and no breakfast or rest for anyone until it was found (if it was a case of getting lost) and a mountain of paperwork and questions either way 'why did you fire it?' 'did you do this...or that?'

So anyway my friend was there in the gloom of the evening peering out across the narrow bridge that led too the gates. To the right was a steep embankment that bordered the barracks. As his eyes wandered onto this he saw somone - stupidly wearing a light jacket and so very visible even in the gloom - trying to climb up this embankment and thus into the barracks. Such an un-orthodox entry route could only mean a trouble maker or worse. So he shouted the challenge - "halt! who goes there?" then "Identify yourself!" No answer. The guy was evidently just lying pressed flat against the bank hoping perhaps if he didn't move he would just be ignored or unnoticed. Severla more challenges were repeated and still the guy neither moved nor spoke. We were thinking he was really taking a chance. But obviously no-one wanted to fire without some definite good reason (could be up on a murder charge anway if you shot someone without a very good reason, for which there were specific criteria). So he got a pair of binoculars and treid to get a better look. But in the gloom the binoculars weren't much good. Still the guy was there. We were staring to wonder why he wouldn't at least identify his position - since he must have known he ran the risk of getting shot at. So my friend decided to fire a warning shot and was about to do so when someone said wait, let's get a sergeant up here (called 'passing the buck' in military terms). So he telephone down and got a sergeant up after explaining things. The sergeant arrived and got a pair of night-vision goggles. "Is this your intruder?" he asked, handing the goggles to my friend in that tone that lets you know you've scraped the bottom of the barrel of stupidity. My friend took the goggles and saw that his 'intruder' was a forgotten sandbag, discarded or dropped earlier that evening by some thoughtless guy doing his chores.

Everyone was very relieved that he hadn't even fired a warning shot, or like I said there'd have been a mountain of form-filling the next day for everyone. "State reason for firing round: hostile sandbag".

Way of thread I know.....

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Bee
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 03:49 PM

Knew a child once, diagnosed with petit mal seizures, who would lose consciousness for several minutes and come around as if nothing had happened. Sometimes her eyes remained open, other times shut as if asleep.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: Nickhere
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 06:06 PM

Ooops... this sentence " one of those upright bars in the bus sued by standing passengers!" makes more sense if 'sued' is read as 'used'. Gotta do something about those typos.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 08:12 PM

Dave, thanks for the explanation.

It is true, too, one does not have to be overweight to have sleep apnea. The sleep clinic guy who ran my test was skinny and had it as did his son. They both had surgery to relieve it. The doc put me on CPAP, but that was pre-heart surgery. I have NO tolerance for it and stopped using it shortly after surgery. Sometimes I put a small piece of tape on my mouth at night so that I don't mouth breathe, but otherwise I don't notice it anymore, nor does my Rog.

Subject: RE: BS: Narcolepsy - Anyone experienced?
From: folk1e
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 07:15 PM

Petit mal seizures:

    * Minimal or no movements (usually, except for "eye blinking") -- may appear like a blank stare
    * Brief sudden loss of awareness or conscious activity -- may only last seconds
    * Recurs many times
    * Occurs most often during childhood
    * Decreased learning (child often thought to be day-dreaming)

Get the test done! Untill then you don't know what is wrong.
If your workmate is driving (or even crossing the road) they could easily cause a fatality ........ is it worth it?

Dave ...... an apnoea sufferer with a CPAP machine