The effect of drug therapy on the perceived symptom and ADL experiences of narcoleptics

Medications for the treatment of narcolepsy consist of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants to control the somnolent symptoms and tricyclic antidepressants to control the rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep related symptoms. Anecdotal information suggested that many narcoleptics perceive their symptoms, particularly their sleepiness, to be poorly controlled despite taking medication. This study was a secondary analysis which examined if drug therapy made a difference in the perceived symptom experience and ability to perform daily living activities (ADLs) as reported by narcoleptics. No significant association was found between CNS stimulant or tricyclic antidepressant drug therapy and the subjective ratings of narcoleptic symptoms, nor with the perceived ability to perform ADLs. While this study did not examine symptom ratings on and off drug therapy, these findings do suggest that narcoleptics may have to utilize behavioral strategies with their medication regimens to effectively cope with narcolepsy's adverse effects on daily life.