Well first off, I don’t believe that there is anyway your going to get a Doc to prescribe you based on symptoms alone. Doubly so since they having
to prescribe a stimulant, and because they have to take your drivers license away if you’re diagnosed with Narcolepsy or cataplexy.
Secondly, I think it would be silly for a doctor to prescribe anything that is basically a narcotic to someone with a history of illicit narcotics
usage. I think your going to have a rough time trying to fight that in either country, and I highly doubt that you’re going to find many lawyers
that would look cross eyed at the case you’re presenting.
As to the blood test:
· Epworth Sleepiness Scale – This sleep questionnaire asks you to rank whether certain situations make you sleepy and, if so, how sleepy.
Your responses will assist your doctor in providing a formal diagnosis.
· Nocturnal polysomnogram - This test will measure the electrical activity of your brain (electroencephalogram) and heart (electrocardiogram), and
the movement of your muscles (electromyogram) and eyes (electro-oculogram) and usually requires an overnight stay at a sleep clinic for observation
purposes.
· Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) – This test measures how long it takes for you to fall asleep during the day. Sleep specialists will observe
your sleep patterns.
· Blood test – A blood test that measures antigens, often found in people with a family history of narcolepsy, can also be done. The blood
test is not conclusive but it can be helpful in establishing the possibility and probability of narcolepsy.
Its
NOT as effective as the MSLT in the determination of narcolepsy, so if your MSLT was negative, then I doubt the blood test is going to show
otherwise. But hay, go for it, I have been wrong before and it cannot hurt much to have it done.
As to your sleep test, did it also come back positive for sleep apnea, as well as narcolepsy? I did not understand what you meant by passed them, did
that mean you were positive for both or negative?
Hypersomnia can have a number of underlying causes, some of which could be from your illicit drug use and its effects on your nervous system:
Hypersomnia may be caused by another sleep disorder (such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea), dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, or drug or
alcohol abuse. In some cases it results from a physical problem, such as a tumor, head trauma, or injury to the central nervous system. Certain
medications, or medicine withdrawal, may also cause hypersomnia. Medical conditions including multiple sclerosis, depression, encephalitis, epilepsy,
or obesity may contribute to the disorder.
I think I would listen to your doctor if you want to get help, you can always try a different doctor, but then your starting over from scratch again,
most likely getting you back to where you are now. If you were told you also have sleep apnea make sure your wearing your equipment correctly, it
could be that they have treated the narcolepsy, but improper wearing of the Cpap equipment is causing you to still feel tired during the day.
[edit on 2/8/2007 by defcon5]