| Have you dated anyone with narcolepsy?
Posted: 8/20/2009 11:38:14 AM | I'm raising this question because my ex has a girlfriend he has problems with but he sticks with her because he figures no one else would want him because of his narcolepsy. He didn't develop it full blown until after we divorced. He was able to sleep easily when I knew him, which wasn't a problem, but now he has developed symtoms where if he even finds something funny, he'll zonk out and have mild tremors. It can be embarrasing for him when he's in a public setting, finds something funny, even if he just thinks something is funny, and he'll pass out (but still be able to hear everything around him). I've tried to tell him (yes, I'm his friend still) that there are plenty of women out there who are caring enough, understanding enough and educated enough that he doesn't have to "settle" for someone who makes him miserable, just because he has a fear of living his life without female companionship and a fear of being alone for the rest of his life. He won't go to support groups either. I figured that would be a great place to even meet females for companionship - who better to understand what he goes through than someone else who has the same problem.
So, has any one dated a person with narcolepsy? If so, what was it like for you and would you do it again? Conversely, if you are narcoleptic, what has your experience been with respect to relationships? | |
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| Have you dated anyone with narcolepsy?
Posted: 8/23/2009 10:12:28 AM | I was married for 18 years to a man who turned out to be narcoleptic. The popular notion is that narcoleptics fall asleep spontaneously. That's the most extreme case. Lots of people are mildly narcoleptic and they don't know it. My husband didn't. He did, however, think there was something wrong. He felt tired all the time, said his concentration wasn't good. He thought he might have sleep apnea, though he didn't have the obvious symptoms of it. He went to a sleep clinic and had a sleep study done and found out he was narcoleptic.
They put him on a low dose of amphetamines. That made me nervous at first because he got jumpy and irritable on coffee. However, he felt better and functioned better on the amphetamines. He'd been self-medicating with high doses of caffeine.
The narcolepsy wasn't a problem for me. However, there were other problems and that's why we're not together any more. | |
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| Have you dated anyone with narcolepsy?
Posted: 8/23/2009 12:27:47 PM | | I am disabled. Tell him to go to the site: dating4disabled.com. They have all kinds of people on that site that has the same disease. | |
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| Have you dated anyone with narcolepsy?
Posted: 8/23/2009 6:57:17 PM | | Pffft! If I met a great girl and her only issue was that, I wouldn't let it stop me from dating her. Sex would suck though. I'd whip it out and she'd fall flat asleep : ( | |
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| Have you dated anyone with narcolepsy?
Posted: 8/26/2009 9:19:58 PM | Narcolepsy is classified as "with cataplexy" or "without". Cataplexy is the symptom that everyone knows about because it is the sudden loss of motor function during consciousness. During cataplexy the person is NOT asleep but simply unable to move; they are fully aware of the situation. It can last for a few seconds to several minutes at a time and is usually triggered by a heightened emotional state (laughter, shock, fear).
Narcolepsy without cataplexy is excessive daytime fatigue and a propensity to fall asleep. The cause of narcolepsy is a loss of function of orexin producing cells in the brain, which controls the wake/sleep cycles.
Narcolepsy without cataplexy is more easily treated with stimulants and the patient can live a normal life, whereas those with cataplexy often times are unable to work, drive or live without significant supervision. Cataplexy would make relationships difficult for all but the most dedicated partner. | |
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