While narcolepsy symptoms are often confused with depression, there is a link between the two disorders. Research studies have mixed results on co-occurrence of depression in people with narcolepsy, as the numbers quoted by different studies are anywhere between 6% and 50%.Narcolepsy can occur in both men and women at any age, although typical symptom onset occurs in adolescence and young adulthood. There is about a ten-year delay in diagnosing narcolepsy in adults. Cognitive, educational, occupational, and psychosocial problems associated with the excessive daytime sleepiness of narcolepsy have been documented. For these to occur in the crucial teen years when education, development of self-image, and development of occupational choice are taking place is especially devastating. While cognitive impairment does occur, it may only be a reflection of the excessive daytime somnolence. Society and culture
In 2015, it was reported that the British Department of Health was paying for sodium oxybate medication at a cost of £12,000 a year for 80 people who are taking legal action over problems linked to the use of the Pandemrix swine flu vaccine. Sodium oxybate is not available to people with narcolepsy through the National Health Service. Name
The term "narcolepsy" is from the French narcolepsie. The French term was first used in 1880 by Jean-Baptiste-Édouard Gélineau, who used the Greek νάρκη (narkē), meaning "numbness", and λῆψις (lepsis) meaning "attack". Research
Histamine-directed medications
It remains to be seen whether H3 antagonists (i.e., compounds such as pitolisant that promote the release of the wakefulness-promoting molecule amine histamine) will be particularly useful as wake-promoting agents.
Ibuprofen/paracetamol, sold under the brand name Combiflam among others, is a fixed-dose combination of the two medications, ibuprofen, and paracetamol (acetaminophen). It is available in India, the United States, and Australia. It may be used for fever, headache, muscle pain and menstrual cramps. Ibuprofen belongs to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) class of drugs. There is evidence that paracetamol combined with an NSAID provides pain relief better than either drug used alone. Adverse effects
References
External links
"Acetaminophen mixture with ibuprofen". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.