The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Narcolepsy includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
The first step in getting correct treatment is to get a correct diagnosis. Differential diagnosis list for Narcolepsy may include:
Hidden causes of Narcolepsy may be incorrectly diagnosed:
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Narcolepsy:
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Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any prescription drug, OTC drug, medication, treatment or change in treatment plans.
Some of the different medications used in the treatment of Narcolepsy include:
Unlabelled alternative drug treatments for Narcolepsy include:
The following are some of the latest treatments for Narcolepsy:
These medical statistics relate to hospitals, hospitalization and Narcolepsy:
The daytime sleepiness of narcolepsy is treated with stimulants similar to amphetamine, and cataplexy is treated with antidepressants. More effective treatments are being investigated and may include replacing the missing hypocretins with drugs that stimulate the hypocretin receptors. (Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology)
There is presently no cure for narcolepsy; however, the symptoms can be controlled with behavioral and medical therapy. The excessive daytime sleepiness may be treated with stimulant drugs or with the drug modafinil (Provigil), which was approved by the FDA for this use in 1999. Cataplexy and other REM-sleep symptoms may be treated with antidepressant medications. At best, medications will reduce the symptoms, but will not alleviate them entirely. Also, many currently available medications have side effects. Basic lifestyle adjustments such as regulating sleep schedules, scheduled daytime naps and avoiding "over-stimulating" situations may also help to reduce the intrusion of symptoms into daytime activities. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Narcolepsy Information Page: NINDS)
Although there is no cure for narcolepsy, treatment options are available to help reduce the various symptoms. Treatment is individualized depending on the severity of the symptoms, and it may take weeks or months for an optimal regimen to be worked out. Treatment is primarily by medications, but lifestyle changes are also important. The main treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy is with a group of drugs called central nervous system stimulants. For cataplexy and other REM-sleep symptoms, antidepressant medications and other drugs that suppress REM sleep are prescribed. Caffeine and over-the-counter drugs have not been shown to be effective and are not recommended.
In addition to drug therapy, an important part of treatment is scheduling short naps (10 to 15 minutes) two to three times per day to help control excessive daytime sleepiness and help the person stay as alert as possible. (Source: excerpt from Narcolepsy: NWHIC)
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