[AllyIsHopeful]

Does anyone have personal experience, or perhaps a relative, who suffers from narcolepsy?

I am beginning to think this runs in my family and I am suspicious I have it. My biggest concern is: How do I go about receiving a formal diagnosis? Do I need to see a specialist? Are there any tests absolutely necessary to officially diagnose someone with narcolepsy?

I am at a loss and I am beginning to think this could be the cause of my depression and why this depression is so medication-resistant. I used to think my sleep issues were caused by depression but now I think it may be the other way around.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Fresia]

A family member suffers from narcolepsy. He was referred by his GP to a pulmonologist for diagnosis. It involved questionaires about your health history, medications, daily living activities, and family history; and then either going to a sleep lab for testing or using an at-home sleep lab monitoring device. It can be very valuable testing to do because it can change the course of how your depression and further treatment can go if you suspect you have it. They can help.

Depending on your insurance, you may or may not need an actual referral, or it may be required just to get to see the specialist, non-insurance related. Contact your GP to get the ball rolling. Help is out there for the asking. Wishing you all the best. I hope you find the answers that you seek and the help you need to get better.

[SnakeCharmer]

Fresia's message is right on the mark.

This is from WebMD: Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. These sudden sleep attacks may occur during any type of activity at any time of the day.

This is what it says about diagnosis: A physical exam and exhaustive medical history are essential for proper diagnosis of narcolepsy. However, none of the major symptoms is exclusive to narcolepsy. Several specialized tests, which can be performed in a sleep disorders clinic or sleep lab, usually are required before a diagnosis can be established. Two tests that are considered essential in confirming a diagnosis of narcolepsy are the polysomnogram (PSG) and the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT).


This is the link to the full article: What is narcolepsy, symptoms & causes - WebMD

It explains what narcolepsy is, symptoms, tests for diagnosis and how it's treated.

Seeing that it's a neurological disorder, you may want to ask your primary to give you a referral to a neurologist who would decide whether or not to refer you to a sleep disorder clinic after an exam and complete history of your symptoms. Hope you get it figured out soon.