Linzruffino

So I have been clean and sober for four and a half years. I was diagnosed with narcolepsy from a sleep study done in November. I need someone with experience in this. Sobriety gave me back my life, but sleeping is taking it away. I saw a sleep specialist today with 42 years experience and he said just like my addiction is a disease, so is narcolepsy. I’m scared because I’m 100% convinced of the doctors opinion in the big book, so I don’t know what to do. I have seen three doctors and they all say stimulants are the only thing that is going to work. I am praying I can find some people in recovery who have a legitimate diagnosis of narcolepsy.

Anna

Welcome, I moved your post to the Newcomers Forum.

My understanding is also that narcolepsy is a disease, but if you don't agree with what your dr told you, maybe you could try another dr. But, it's my opinion that it's fine to take medication prescribed by your dr. I take antidepressants for a chemical imbalance and they level the playing field for me. But, you can always get a second opinion from another dr.

tomsteve

welcome,linz.
i think there is a huge difference between the doc silkworths opinion on the disease alcoholism and your doctors opinion on the disease of narcolepsy.

is there a fear of taking medication?
this is a good pamphlet published by AA:
https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/p-11...ersMedDrug.pdf

Linked with the permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Dee74

Hi and welcome Linz

I don't have narcolepsy but I have read the Big Book a few times and its pretty clear to me the Doctors Opinion is referring specifically to alcoholism.

Personally, I think it would be a mistake to extrapolate that to other conditions or illnesses.

D