Constant sleepiness

[C5C6]

Hello,

I've a pretty busy schedule working, teaching, studying, and going to class.

I feel sleepy a lot of times during the day. I feel like I need a nap every three hours, if not I start feeling sleepy and my productivity falls. I can be facing an interesting thing to do and still my eyes close.

Is there any disease or syndrome I could try to discard before assuming I just need to sleep more?

Thanks!

[Mize]

Are you taking anything like oxybutynin or baclofen?
If you can get your doc to prescribe modenifil that prevents sleepiness with zero speediness.

[ancientgimp]

You may have sleep apnea. Your dr could order a sleep study to see if this is the case. If so, problem can often be easily corrected by sleeping with a C PAP mask.

[air ohs]

You may have sleep apnea. Your dr could order a sleep study to see if this is the case. If so, problem can often be easily corrected by sleeping with a C PAP mask.

i was going to post same
i was like that till i had the study done and found i have sleep apnea .
do you snore

[gjnl]

Another possibility is Narcolepsy. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/...psy-Fact-Sheet

What is narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to control sleep-wake cycles. People with narcolepsy usually feel rested after waking, but then feel very sleepy throughout much of the day. Many individuals with narcolepsy also experience uneven and interrupted sleep that can involve waking up frequently during the night.
Narcolepsy can greatly affect daily activities. People may unwillingly fall asleep even if they are in the middle of an activity like driving, eating, or talking. Other symptoms may include sudden muscle weakness while awake that makes a person go limp or unable to move (cataplexy), vivid dream-like images or hallucinations, and total paralysis just before falling asleep or just after waking up (sleep paralysis).
In a normal sleep cycle, a person enters rapid eye movement (REM) sleep after about 60 to 90 minutes. Dreams occur during REM sleep, and the brain keeps muscles limp during this sleep stage, which prevents people from acting out their dreams. People with narcolepsy frequently enter REM sleep rapidly, within 15 minutes of falling asleep. Also, the muscle weakness or dream activity of REM sleep can occur during wakefulness or be absent during sleep. This helps explain some symptoms of narcolepsy.
If left undiagnosed or untreated, narcolepsy can interfere with psychological, social, and cognitive function and development and can inhibit academic, work, and social activities.

[SCI-Nurse]

You may have sleep apnea. Your dr could order a sleep study to see if this is the case. If so, problem can often be easily corrected by sleeping with a C PAP mask.

Yes, this is common in sleep apnea, which is also more common on those with SCI. Best to get a sleep study done and be assessed for this. Untreated sleep apnea puts a lot of stress on your heart as well.

(KLD)

[SCI-Nurse]

Another possibility is Narcolepsy. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/...psy-Fact-Sheet

Very unlikely. His pattern does not fit that of narcolepsy.

Also, when you hear hoof beats, don't assume zebras! It is much more likely to be horses!

(KLD)

[gjnl]

Very unlikely. His pattern does not fit that of narcolepsy.

Also, when you hear hoof beats, don't assume zebras! It is much more likely to be horses!

(KLD)

What kind of a pattern can you discern in five sentences?

[quadfather]

Have you had your Red Blood Count (RBC) measured recently? When I had anemia I was always sleepy.

[SCI-Nurse]

What kind of a pattern can you discerned in five sentences?

I have worked with patients with narcolepsy, have you??? The person falls asleep in the middle of activities or even when talking, not just feels sleepy or tired.

(KLD)

[gjnl]

I have worked with patients with narcolepsy, have you??? The person falls asleep in the middle of activities or even when talking, not just feels sleepy or tired.

(KLD)

Since sleep studies are recommended for either sleep apnea or narcolepsy diagnosis, the good news is that if the original poster finds a doctor who will order a sleep study and he goes to a reputable sleep lab, they will likely find the cause of his symptoms and can prescribe appropriate treatment, despite speculation that all any of us do on this site, given the very limited information we get here.

[C5C6]

Are you taking anything like oxybutynin or baclofen?
If you can get your doc to prescribe modenifil that prevents sleepiness with zero speediness.

10mg per day of oxybutynin... would this still make a sleepy effect? It's a very low dose

today I had a 20-min nap after lunch in the bathroom (can't find a place to nap in college), I woke up, got a coffee, and was with ZERO sleepiness for the rest of the day

I'll certainly consult my doc to do a sleep study...

[Nick047]

Even a quick read of the page you referred to shows the symptoms don’t really align w/ narcolepsy. And one google search shows 200k ppl are affected by narcolepsy vs 22m for sleep apnea. Possibility technically, but very unlikely as sci nurse said. Its not speculation if it’s based on evidence

[Nick047]

I felt the same way for a long time. My doctor attributed it to the meds I was taking, specifically baclofen/lyrica/lexapro.

Recently he prescribed wellbutrin xl. It?s an antidepressant, but works differently than most in that it increases energy levels rather than decreasing them. Apparently it?s often paired w/ lexapro for that reason.

So far it has actually worked really well. I still take a nap here and there but I no longer feel like I?m battling drowsiness all day long.

[gjnl]

Even a quick read of the page you referred to shows the symptoms don’t really align w/ narcolepsy. And one google search shows 200k ppl are affected by narcolepsy vs 22m for sleep apnea. Possibility technically, but very unlikely as sci nurse said. Its not speculation if it’s based on evidence

I get it "Nick047." But on a site like this, we deal in possibilities based on minimalistic descriptions of symptoms. It is not unusual for posters to leave out what may be considered very important descriptions of their symptoms. When doctors work up a diagnosis, it can take quite a while and some very probing questions to get a patient to share everything that is going on with them. Then there are tests and analysis of the tests to consider.

Excessive sleepiness can be a symptom of:
---Hyperinsomnia
---Sleep Apnea
---Insomnia
---Anemia
---Underactive thyroid
---Depression and Anxiety
---Some nutrient disorders
---Undiagnosed Heart Disease
---Too much stress and work in your life
---Narcolepsy (currently a drug company is running television advertisements for a new drug treatment)
---Diabetes
---Gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease
---Fibromyalgia
---Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The list of diseases or conditions that present with excessive sleepiness as a symptom is endless. Possibly some of the easier and less expensive (than a sleep study), tests and physical work ups should be considered before a sleep study is prescribed. Sleep studies are difficult, at best, for a person without a spinal cord injury. Add into the mix the need to for special mattresses, reposition, cath, etc., and the sleep study is a big deal for someone with a spinal cord injury.

There are lots of possibilities. Yes, sleep apnea is way more common than narcolepsy, but a doctor will decide what the greatest probability of the disorder is and work through the problem systematically. None of us can do that here, that is why when we offer an idea, it is only a possibility that might be considered. But, the expression of that possibility is just that an expression of a possibility, not an attempt to diagnose.