Question 1

is there any significant difference in effectiveness and side effects between armodafinil/ nuvigil and modafinil/ provigil for narcolepsy/sleep apnea?

Accepted Answer

Nuvigil is the right: side of the Provigil molecule. Efficacy &amp; side effects are the same. See http://www.diffen.com/difference/Nuvigil_vs_Provigil. Provigil now comes in a generic form. Nuvigil may  last a little longer, causing more risk of insomnia. Both are FDA-approved for narcolepsy, Obstructive Sleep Apnea for the 30% of CPAP or BiPAP users who don't respond optimally to their use alone &amp; shift worker disorder.

Question 2

can you have sleep apnea and narcolepsy? what is the test for narcolepsy?

Accepted Answer

You may: See sleep specialist or pulmonologist to be evaluated for sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea and get guidance how to treat it, may be your narcolepsy will be resolved.

Question 3

i am wondering how do doctors treat people with diseases like narcolepsy, sleep apnea or chronic fatigue?

Accepted Answer

Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea can be treated by losing weight, avoiding sleeping on one's back, wearing a device that forces oxygen into the lungs ( cpap) or a custom made dental device that holds the jaw forward to open the airway. Chronic fatigue may be related to sleep apnea, however, it might be  a thyroid problem. Seeing an md for a proper diagnosis is essential to the proper care.

Question 4

heavy head, intense drowsiness during the day, no narcolepsy or sleep apnea. recent decrease in bupropion. is it due to that?

Accepted Answer

Possibly: however, other medical issues should be addrfessed by your PCP.

Question 5

prev dr said  i may have narcolepsy but i don't have vivid dreams or sleep paralysis but i have daytime sleepiness  & moderate sleep apnea. thoughts?

Accepted Answer

Need to treat: Sleep apnea results in stroke risk, and needs direct treatment, like c-pap or dental splint.  The daytime sleepiness may be secondary.  Narcolepsy can be assessed by hla studies, and maybe eeg, but really, you need sleep study and confirmation of diagnosis, not guess-work.

Question 6

is sleep apnea and narcolespy the same and if not what's the difference, a dot doctor told me he thinks i have sleep apnea!

Accepted Answer

They : They are not the same but both can present with excessive sleepiness.

Sleep apnea disrupts sleep, and in the more severe cases can lead to intermittent drops in body oxygen levels. The sleep disruption then leads to  the daytime sleepiness.

Narcolepsy is caused by the selective death of a small group of nerve cells inside the brain. This leads to severe sleepiness and sudden attacks of loss of muscle  tone (cataplexy) that are often triggered by strong emotions.

Question 7

can one have both sleep apneas & narcolepsy?

Accepted Answer

Sure: In narcolepsy, you just skip all the early phases of sleep, and just go to sleep immediately and at inappropriate times and places.  Once alseep, you are not immune to the potential of blockage of the airway and apneas that everyone else has.  So you can be narcoleptic, and experience apnea once you are asleep.

Question 8

33/m, constant tiredness, difficulty waking, using fire alarm to wake me.75 min+ of fire alarm and wife shaking me.sleep intertia.no narcolepsy/apnea.

Accepted Answer

Get Sleep Study: It is hard to say  what is going on just based on this description. Even though you deny, you probably have narcolepsy. You will need an overnight sleep study with eeg monitoring. This is usually done in a sleep lab.

Question 9

what is the difference between central sleep apnea and regular apnea?

Accepted Answer

Obstruction vs CO2: Central apnea is caused by the brain's inability to respond to elevated co2 (carbon dioxide) levels in the blood. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the collapse of the airway when the muscles of the throat, tongue, and possibly the palate when they are flaccid/paralyzed during the deeper stages of sleep. Osa responds well to CPAP and dental devices. Central may not.

Question 10

what's the difference between sleep apnea and nocturnal hypoxemia?

Accepted Answer

Overlap: Nocturnal hypoxia is a drop in oxygen in the blood when sleeping. It's associated with sleep apnea, but also with hypoxic chronic bronchitis pulmonary hypertension and emphysema.   Sleep apnea can be due to airway obstruction or of central origin. It causes reduced oxygen, often dangerously, and arousal from sleep, leading to daytime fatigue.

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Doctor answers about:

Difference between narcolepsy and sleep apnea

A member asked:

Is there any significant difference in effectiveness and side effects between armodafinil/ nuvigil and modafinil/ provigil for narcolepsy/sleep apnea?

A member asked:

Can you have sleep apnea and narcolepsy? what is the test for narcolepsy?

A member asked:

I am wondering how do doctors treat people with diseases like narcolepsy, sleep apnea or chronic fatigue?

A member asked:

Heavy head, intense drowsiness during the day, no narcolepsy or sleep apnea. recent decrease in bupropion. is it due to that?

A member asked:

Prev dr said i may have narcolepsy but i don't have vivid dreams or sleep paralysis but i have daytime sleepiness & moderate sleep apnea. thoughts?

A member asked:

Is sleep apnea and narcolespy the same and if not what's the difference, a dot doctor told me he thinks i have sleep apnea!

A member asked:

Can one have both sleep apneas & narcolepsy?

A member asked:

33/m, constant tiredness, difficulty waking, using fire alarm to wake me.75 min+ of fire alarm and wife shaking me.sleep intertia.no narcolepsy/apnea.

A member asked:

What is the difference between central sleep apnea and regular apnea?

A member asked:

What's the difference between sleep apnea and nocturnal hypoxemia?

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