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| CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS TO THE BOOK | ||||
If you already have a copy of the book, you may want to make a note of
these changes. If you are ordering a book, an insert with the following
information will be enclosed. |
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p. 92: Drugs Used to
Treat Narcolepsy
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| Chapter
11: My Experiences With Diagnosis and Treatment, pp. 114-118 At the time I wrote the book in 1995, I was taking Cylert to help keep me awake. I continued to take it until a couple of months before Provigil came on the market. By that time, Cylert had lost its effectiveness, and I needed something to “get me by” until Provigil was available. I asked my doctor to try me on Adderall, which is used mainly for the treatment of ADD. From the time I started taking 10 mg. of Adderall in the morning, it worked almost like a miracle drug for me. The crucial test is always, “Will it keep me awake during church service?” Adderall passed the test with flying colors. I stayed awake and alert—without any noticeable side effects. Although Adderall was working well, I decided I should give Provigil a try, since it is less addictive. After a trial period of 2-3 months, I found that Provigil did not work well for me, and went back to Adderall. Then one Sunday morning, I forgot to take my Adderall, and—wonders of wonders—I stayed awake anyway! Now, the only time I take any medication is when I need to sit through two services, and then I take only 5 mg. of Adderall. After having said all that, I need to add some further comments. I cannot emphasize enough that what works for one person may not work for another. Some people get good results from Provigil, which is wonderful. That really would be the preferred course of treatment. Other people will not benefit from Adderall. What I would say, again, is that if one medication doesn’t work, ask your doctor to prescribe something else. Doctors are now prescribing Adderall with other stimulants to get more specific results. When I say that I don’t take medication now, as a rule, it doesn’t mean that I don’t ever get sleepy during the day. I am “retired” and can sleep when I need to. I don’t think I could punch a time clock without taking some kind of stimulant. All of my symptoms are very mild now. They just manifest themselves enough to let me know they’re still there. Another word of caution: This lessening of symptoms, and severity of symptoms, is not necessarily to be expected—even with age. I consider myself very fortunate.
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| Chapter
14: Causes of Narcolepsy, pp. 127-129 For recent sleep research into the cause of narcolepsy, see an article by Dr. Jerome Siegel, “Recent Developments, An Explanation for Patient and the General Public: Mystery of Human Narcolepsy Solved."” |
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