People with narcolepsy often experience sleep paralysis. Not everyone with narcolepsy has these symptoms. Some people with narcolepsy experience only one or two episodes of cataplexy a year. Or your knees may suddenly lose strength, causing you to fall. For example, when you laugh, your head may drop without your control. But sometimes fear, surprise or anger can cause the loss of muscle tone. Laughter or excitement may cause the symptoms. Often the emotions that cause cataplexy are positive. Symptoms may last up to a few minutes.Ĭataplexy can't be controlled. It can cause slurred speech or complete weakness of most muscles. When you awaken, you can't remember what you did, and you probably didn't do it well. You might continue to perform that task while asleep. For example, you may fall asleep while writing, typing or driving. Some people with narcolepsy continue doing a task when they fall asleep briefly. Feeling sleepy makes it hard to focus and function. Daytime sleepiness often is the first symptom to appear. You also may experience a decrease in how alert and focused you feel during the day. After waking, you'll often feel refreshed but you'll get sleepy again. You might fall asleep for only a few minutes or up to a half-hour. It can be especially dangerous if you fall asleep while driving. For example, you may be working or talking with friends and suddenly fall asleep. It may happen when you're bored or during a task. People with narcolepsy fall asleep without warning. They include:Įxcessive daytime sleepiness. The symptoms of narcolepsy may get worse during the first few years of the disorder. Support from others - family, friends, employers and teachers - can help people cope with the disorder. However, medicines and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms. Narcolepsy is a life-long condition for which there's no cure. Most people who don't have cataplexy have type 2 narcolepsy. Most people with type 1 narcolepsy have cataplexy. This can be triggered by strong emotion, especially laughter. Sometimes narcolepsy also causes a sudden loss of muscle tone, known as cataplexy (KAT-uh-plek-see). This can cause serious problems in their daily routine. People with narcolepsy find it hard to stay awake for long periods of time. More information can be found in our resources on symptoms of narcolepsy and narcolepsy diagnosis and assessment.Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that makes people very drowsy during the day. Whilst there are a few neurodevelopmental conditions in which a form of cataplexy may be seen, those conditions are exceedingly rare, and so the occurrence of cataplexy generally makes diagnosis of narcolepsy much more certain. When cataplexy is present, it is extremely rare for it to be an isolated symptom – the vast majority of those with typical cataplexy will also have symptoms of narcolepsy. Cataplexy may be most severe when the person with narcolepsy is tired rather than fully alert, and can lead to considerable anxiety. Typically, cataplexy does not develop for months or even years after the first signs of excessive daytime sleepiness, but in rare cases it is the first observed symptom of narcolepsy. It is thought that about 75% of patients with narcolepsy experience cataplexy. Does everyone with narcolepsy have cataplexy? During both mild and severe attacks, the person stays fully conscious. How long does it last?Ĭataplexy attacks generally last less than two minutes, and they may only last a few seconds, though some people have repeated attacks of cataplexy which persist for up to 30 minutes. Speech may be slurred, and eyesight impaired (double vision, inability to focus) but hearing and awareness remain undisturbed. The loss of muscle tone that occurs may range from a just-perceptible weakening of the facial muscles through weakness at the knees, to total collapse on the floor. Cataplexy is the term given to sudden muscular weakness triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, anger and surprise.
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