NARCOLEPSY

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder seen as excessive sleepiness, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and occasional episodes of cataplexy (partial or perhaps total loss of muscle control, often triggered by a solid emotion such as laughter). This disease develops equally in males and females and is thought to affect roughly 1 in 2,000 people. The symptoms appear in childhood or adolescence, but many persons possess symptoms of narcolepsy for a long time before obtaining a proper diagnosis. Inquire now to get the best homoeopathy treatment.

Types of narcolepsy

There are two types of narcolepsy:

• Type 1 is the most common. It includes an indicator called cataplexy, or sudden lack of muscle tone. Persons with this type include episodes of extreme sleepiness and cataplexy throughout the day due to low levels of a protein called hypocretin.

• Type 2 is normally narcolepsy without cataplexy. Usually, people with type 2 narcolepsy possess normal levels of hypocretin.

Causes:

• Narcolepsy with cataplexy is the effect of insufficient chemical hypocretin found in the brain. Hypocretin is an essential chemical for regulating wakefulness and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. A shortage of hypocretin causes excessive sleepiness, and features of REM sleep (also called ‘dreaming sleep’) become present during wakefulness autoimmune disorder.
• Family history. Some individuals with narcolepsy possess close relatives with similar symptoms.
• Brain injury or brain tumour. In a tiny number of patients, the region of the brain that controls REM sleep and wakefulness could be injured by trauma, tumour or disease.
• Infections. Research also indicates a possible association with contact with the swine flu (H1N1 flu) virus and a certain form of H1N1 vaccine.
• Stress
• Environmental toxins, such as pesticides, heavy metals and secondhand smoke.

Symptoms:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS): All patients with narcolepsy possess this symptom. Generally, EDS inhibits normal activities, such as example work, school, residence life, social activities etc, each day. People with EDS have mental cloudiness, too little strength and concentration, memory lapses, a depressed mood and/or extreme exhaustion.
• Cataplexy: This symptom is an abrupt lack of muscle tone or power due to strong emotions, such as laughter, fear, shock, stress or anger. It could occur anytime. Cataplexy generally lasts a couple of seconds to several minutes. The individual remains fully conscious of these attacks. The rate of attacks ranges from a few in a lifetime to several each day.
• Disrupted nighttime sleep: This symptom is normally described as frequent awakening at night time.  
• Sleep paralysis: This symptom is the inability to go or speak just before drifting off to sleep or just after getting up. Episodes of sleep paralysis generally go away after a few seconds to a few minutes.
• Hallucinations: Usually, these delusional experiences are vivid and may be frightening. The hallucinations occur just before falling asleep (called hypnagogic hallucinations) or perhaps after getting up (called hypnopompic hallucinations). For example seeing a person or animal in the area, feeling of floating or sensations of being touched, and hearing an alarm or voices.
• Automatic tendencies: This symptom is referred to as falling asleep for many seconds but continues to execute routine tasks, such as eating, talking, driving or composing, without any awareness or later memory of ever doing the task.

Management:

A. Drug therapy

B. Lifestyle changes.

Consider the following:

• Follow a regular sleep/wake plan. Go to sleep and wake up at a comparable time every day. Avoid intentional sleep loss, such as remaining awake late on weekends.
• Hold bedroom quiet, dark, cool and comfortable. Usually do not watch TV or take computers or phones into bed.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine (colas, coffee, teas, energy drinks and chocolate) for several hours before bedtime.
• Avoid smoking, especially at night.
• Exercise at least 20 a few minutes per day. Usually do not exercise within 3 hours of bedtime.
• Usually do not eat large, heavy meals or a whole lot of liquids close to bedtime.
• Relax before bedtime. Take a warm bath, meditate, perform some gentle yoga moves, listen to soft music, expose to calming scents such as peppermint, eucalyptus, or lavender.
• Take brief naps, 20 to thirty minutes sometimes, when feeling most sleepy, when possible.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Homoeopathy today is a quickly growing system and has been practised around the globe. Its strength is based on its evident effectiveness since it requires a holistic approach towards the sick specific through the promotion of inner balance at mental, emotional, spiritual and physical levels. When NARCOLEPSY is concerned there are several effective medicines obtainable in Homoeopathy, but the selection depends on the individuality of the patient, considering mental and physical symptoms.

ANTIMONIUM CRUDUM: Strong inclination to sleep during the day, especially at night or morning. Sleepy and weary. Drowsiness, especially in seniors. Deep unrefreshing sleep.

ANTIMONIUM TARTARICUM:  Irresistible inclination to sleep. Great drowsiness. Excessive yawning. On drifting off to sleep electric-like shocks. Cries while asleep with fixed eyes and trembling. Jerking up of limbs while asleep.

ARSENIC ALBUM: Drowsy and sleepiness found in the daytime while sitting down. Talks in sleep. Yawning and stretching of limbs. Awakened by pains. Shocks on dropping to sleep. Violent you start with twitching, trembling of limbs while asleep. Disturbed sleep during the night with great restlessness.

CAUSTICUM:  Sleepiness throughout the day, may scarcely resist it, must lay down. Yawning and stretching. Very drowsy, can hardly preserve awake. Laughs and cries during sleep.

CHELIDONIUM MAJUS: Drowsiness which is indeed marked even in the open air, that she is near falling asleep while walking. Falls asleep while speaking.

CIMEX LECTULARIUS:  Great drowsiness, falls asleep when sitting in the morning. Irresistible sleepiness during chill. Frequent yawning with cold feeling on the skin.

CYCLAMEN: Great inclination to lay down, and also to sleep. No desire to work. Great dejection and melancholy.

HYDROCYANIC ACID: Narcolepsy. Irresistible drowsiness. Yawning and shivering.

KALI BROMATUM: Extreme drowsiness. Drops asleep in char.

KALI NITRICUM: Drowsiness and sleepiness in the daytime. Disturbed sleep at night, frequent dreaming, with frequent awakening.

MERCURIUS:  Great sleepiness during the day, which is not relieved from a long sleep.

NATRUM MURIATICUM: Sleepy in the afternoon. Nervous jerking while asleep. Sobs while asleep. Sleepiness and drowsiness after meals.

NATRUM SULPH: Sleepiness during the working day, especially while reading.

NUX MOSCHATA: Narcolepsy. Irresistibly drowsy, sleepy, muddled, as if intoxicated. Great drowsiness and sleepiness. Sleepy attacks, sudden with vertigo. Great sleepiness with all complaints. Dreams of falling from a substantial place of being pursued.

NUX VOMICA: Drowsy after meals and in the early evening. Better after a nap, unless aroused. Yawning. Weeping and speaking while asleep. Anxious dreams, pursued by animals, dogs, and cats.

OPIUM: Great drowsiness. Falls into a hefty deep sleep.

PHYSOSTIGMA VENENOSUM: Attacks of overpowering sleepiness with sense as if to lose consciousness.

PULSATILLA NIGRICANS: Irresistible sleepiness in the afternoon. Great sleepiness during the working day, wakes puzzled, languid, unrefreshed. Sleepy while ingesting. Wide awake in the evening, earliest sleep restless. Lies with hands overhead or crossed on abdomen and feet drawn up. Chattering in sleep. Talks, whines, or screams during sleep.

SABADILLA: Great inclination to sleep during daytime. Occurs when thinking, meditating or examining. In the morning he begins from his sleep as from fright.

SEPIA: Great desire to sleep during the daytime, falls asleep when he sits down. Talks loudly during sleep.

ZINCUM METALLICUM: Narcolepsy. Sleep is usually cracked and unrefreshing. Cries out during sleep, body jerks wakes frightened, startled. Loud screaming in sleeping without being alert to it. The nervous motion of feet when asleep.