Posted by John Saunders on December 24, 1997 at 18:42:34:

This is in response to a message posted in the "Sleep Forum", asking if there is a relationship between sleep disorders, ADHD and bipolar.

I was diagnosed at 17 with Narcolepsy at Montefiore Hospital in NYC, found to have "Narcolepsy, but we
don't know why you don't have sleep attacks"; was recently diagnosed with Restless Legs Syndrome at Newton-Wellesly Hospital in Massachusetts; and most recently, 7/96, was diagnosed with ADD! Oh, and I'll be addressing the possible depression next month!

Now, the RLS was treated with Sinemet CR, which helped, and which felt a lot like the Tryptophan which was tried once for the Narcolepsy (I think because it was being used for depressed people who had trouble sleeping?). Reading about Ritalin, I find that it too has the affect of raising dopamine levels. Also, when I heard that ADHD might be due to dopamine problems, I wondered why there were not broader effects...

The ADD diagnosis (and more importantly, the treatment) are helping greatly ("Ritalin, again?"). But it's becoming clear to me that my future, and that of my family, will depend in large part on the research being performed on these disorders. In my case, the cataplexy is documented as inherited from my mother's father, and I'm pretty sure the ADHD is from my mother. My teenage nephew is also diagnosed ADHD (which is how I found out about it), and I suspect ADHD in several cousins of the same bloodline.

Obviously, if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. Among other things, I think my "charity of the year" should be some organization which funds sleep and/or ADHD research, and I'd like to know who that should be.

Thanks for listening to my rambling,
John Saunders
jws@jws.ultranet.com

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