Ask The Sleep Experts

I’m just sleepy and just want to take naps throughout the day.  Someone told me that I might be suffering from Idiopathic Hypersomnia and there’s a new drug called Provigil that can help people like me.  Can you explain more on what’s going on with me and how this new drug can be a treatment option for hypersomnia and if Provigil have known side effects?

The reason why so many sleep disorders remain undiagnosed and untreated is because people either don’t recognize or do not want to acknowledge that the constant sleepiness or lack of it is a medical condition. Since sleep is actually one of the most taken for granted necessities of the human body, we don’t take heed when a bolt is loose.

For instance, not many of us know that there is such a thing as hypersomnia; most of us know only insomnia. As its name suggests, it is characterized by excessive sleepiness during the day, hence it is often referred to as somnolence. Somnolence can happen at any time of the day, even while you are driving, and can be very dangerous if left unaddressed.  Statistics show that around 5% of the population has it.

When you sleep more than eight hours every day, have trouble waking, find yourself extremely drowsy during waking moments and then conking out mid-conversation, then you might be suffering from hypersomnia. Your sleep doctor will tell you if you have either idiopathic hypersomnia or recurrent somnolence. You might first need to undergo an overnight study called polysomnogram to make sure you don’t have Sleep Apnea or other sleep disorders that’s making you sleepy. Idiopathic somnolence happens all day every day, while recurrent somnolence can take months before it manifests itself again.

There are many possible treatments for hypersomnia. One is to avoid caffeinated drinks and engage in a healthy, exercise-active lifestyle. Going to bed at the same time every night would also help. For worse cases, however, medications are necessary. The most popular among the hypersomnia drugs is Modafinil (Provigil).

Modafinil (Provigil) is a wake-promoting chemical agent that is also referred to as a eugeroic drug, or an alpha1-adregenic agonist medication. Modafinil (Provigil) is designed to boost the responses of alpha-1 receptors in the brain to noradrenalines, which are responsible for strengthening the memory, and keeping us alert and energized.
 Modafinil (Provigil) was approved for commercial use on hypersomnia in 1988, and then moved on to be used as treatment for sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, and excessive sleepiness years after.

Reviews on Modafinil (Provigil) are positive and it seems that there is very minimal to no side effects to its use. Regular sleep drugs have side effects like irritability, palpitations, euphoria, agitation. Past user os Modafinil (Provigil) generally rated the drug 8 out of 10 for effectiveness and ease of use.

Perhaps the reason why Modafinil (Provigil) is void of the usual aches and pains is because it targets very specific areas of the brain that control sleep and wakefulness. In addition, the effects of Modafinil (Provigil) can last for around 15 hours, so although it is comparatively expensive, it’s a practical buy. Other sleep drugs need to be taken three times a day, thereby increasing the patient’s exposure to chemical ingredients and risk of developing other ailments. Modafinil (Provigil) is taken during the morning, once a day.

Of course, Modafinil (Provigil) has its share of critics and dissatisfied users. Some comments on Modafinil (Provigil) on the Internet forums say it causes headaches for the entire duration of the treatment. Some even say that Modafinil (Provigil) does not work, at all. Having seen these, it is safe to say, then that the effects of Modafinil (Provigil) vary from case to case and from person to person. Since we have different make-ups, we can’t say that Modafinil (Provigil) successfully treating the somnolence problem of one is the same for another.

Besides Modafinil (Provigil) other drugs used to treat idiopathic hypersomnia and somnolence include ampethamine and methylphenidate. Ask your doctor which treatment suits you best. Idiopathic hypersomnia is a serious and long-term condition. In addition, Modafinil (Provigil) is a pretty strong drug and must be taken under medical monitoring and supervision. Never attempt to self-medicate.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 21st, 2007 at 10:27 am and is filed under Sleep Disorders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.