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I Have Severe Idiopathic Hypersomnia

I Think I Have Hypersomnia

By: UnabashedVixen
Written on February 7th, 2013
But I don't have a diagnosis yet. I've always been a sleeper, since I was a kid it's been a bit of a joke in my family that I'm always sleeping. When I was 20 I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression and I struggled with insomnia a lot too. Since then I have gone up and down (mostly down) with the depression and have gotten progressively more and more tired. Right now I sleep about 11 hours a night and am tired all the time. But unlike a lot of people with hypersomnia it seems, I do not fall asleep anywhere. I could never fall asleep doing anything because I have a hard time falling asleep in general. I have a very hard time waking up though and often sleep through both alarms. I am late for work a lot and in trouble for that all the time. I also have memory problems and being tired all the time really affects my depression negatively.

I am on cipralex and lithium for my depression, and trazadone helps me sleep at night. I am waiting to see a psychiatrist and am going to ask about mondafinil or other stimulants. I would love to hear about others' experience with them.
By: UnabashedVixen
Age: 31-35 , Female
160 people have read this story

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2 responses
  • apemay
    apemay

    Check out this page on sleep disorders. I have hypersomnia and Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. I hope you find the answers you need. I didn't even know the doctors put these in my chart until I got access to it online. Gotta love doctors!

    http://www.soundsleeping.org/sleeping-disorders.htm

    Mar 8
    1 like
  • ptl4now
    ptl4now

    GOod luck getting a diagnosis!!!! Have you had any sleep studies done yet?? I had one, and it said I didnt' have sleep apnea, and they said to come back for the day time study. I lost my job, and no longer had insurance to cover that study. Years later, I got insurance, and got tested for sleep apnea again, and this time I had it. The sleep machine works wonders, but not enough. The doctors don't listen to me when I tell them I had the extreme fatugue when I didnt have sleep apnea, and that it is NOT the sleep apnea causing this. I miss the diagnosis for Chronic Fatigue, and Fibromayalgia, and everythign else that could cause this extreme daytime sleepiness. I think hypersomnia is what I have, it explains everything but the utter exhaustion I get when I excercise, or am just active for a day. Provigil is awesome if it works for you!!! I have no side affects from it, and it doesnt make me jittery. It just defogs the brain, helps you focus, and feel like you had a good nights sleep. Provigil with an amphetamine is the best, becuase provigil doenst giv emy physicaly energy, just helps me stay awake. The amphetimine helps me get my house clean, but will keep my mind foggy. The two togehter work great, but its hard to talk a doc into that much stimulation. Harder yet to talk a insurance company into it.

    Feb 8
    1 like