Narcolepsy by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. There are many natural supplements that induce alertness and it may worth a trial to see if any of them work for you, if your doctor approves.

Narcolepsy vitamin and supplements
Some of the supplements you can try for narcolepsy include Mind Power Rx, Eyesight Rx, alpha lipoic acid, acetyl-l carnitine, Passion Rx (if you also wish to enhance libido, SAM-e, and tyrosine.

Narcolepsy and diet
If you suffer from narcolepsy, consider eating small meals throughout the day that include a good amount of protein, and eat minimal amounts of carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, and sugar during the day. A low-carbohydrate diet leads to modest improvements in daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy symptom
Three additional symptoms are typically associated with narcolepsy: cataplexy (short-lived intermittent muscle weakness), hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations (hallucinations while falling asleep or waking), and sleep paralysis (paralysis while falling asleep or waking). Narcolepsy usually begins when a person is in their teens or early twenties.

Narcolepsy Treatment
Stimulants and antidepressants are used to treat narcolepsy and subsequent cataplexy. Although it has been linked with blood pressure management and depression, the genesis of narcolepsy is unknown. However, recent advances in narcolepsy study suggest the possibility of a cure.

Cause of narcolepsy
The cause of narcolepsy is not very clear. Genetic factors may be involved, and sever stress could also be a factor. Some claim that another cause of narcolepsy could be a virus trigger.

Narcolepsy Emails

Q. Hello, I searched all your website and could not find anything on natural treatment of narcolepsy. Is this because it is a much more rare condition than insomnia? Can you give me a steer to some detailed info on narcolepsy.
   A. A low-carbohydrate diet leads to modest improvements in daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy. We have not seen specific studies regarding narcolepsy and supplements, but many supplements cause alertness including Mind Power Rx, Eyesight Rx, ginseng, tongkat ali, SAM-e, etc.

Q. Is there a natural supplement that could improve daytime sleepiness?
   A. There are many, you could consider Eyesight Rx which can lead to wakefulness. Another supplement that could be helpful is Mind Power Rx.

Q. I have a 16-yr-old son with narcolepsy. I've read just a bit about supplementing with high doses of tyrosine (one article said 100 mg per kg; I suppose daily. I wonder if you have readers with or have experience with treating narcolepsy with this particular amino acid. I'd be grateful for any info.
   A. We have not had feedback regarding the use of tyrosine for narcolepsy, but the dosage appears to be very high and could lead to heart palpitations and anxiety. We suggest starting with 200 mg a day and basing future dosage on initial response. Have your doctor's approval first.

Q. Q.  I tried 3 mg of Yohimbe bark for narcolepsy. It worked, but not as well as I would like, probably the dose should have been 4 mg. However 5 hours later my blood pressure was 174/101. I checked it twice. This is unacceptable. End of experiment. Pure Yohimbine HCl does not do anything for daytime sleepiness; however yohimbe bark does work. I have noticed before that yohimbe bark works. Conclusion: Something in yohimbe bark besides yohimbine is having the desired effect. Some separational chemistry is in order to find what that substance is and separate it from yohimbine. In the literature I note that some people get good results for narcolepsy with 4 to 6 mg of yohimbine. But not all narcolepsy is the same. When I was younger a neurologist put me on d-amphetamine. No matter how much of it I took, I could fall asleep on it. If the dose was high enough, all I got out of it was a headache. End of that route. I have not tried anything since until yohimbe. Also with age the narcolepsy moderated so it was no longer a major concern.