|
|
|
Ritalin advertisement, 1978. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 35, No. 9, pp. 1088-1090. They thought Ed Sloan was just tired... maybe he had narcolepsy A narcoleptic can fall asleep almost anywhere, anytime. The results can be at least embarrassing... at most devastating. Narcolepsy is often unrecognized As a primary sleep abnormality narcolepsy is characterized by sleepiness, inappropriate sleep episodes, and cataplexy (episodes of muscular weakness precipitated by strong emotion). These are often accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations, automatic behavior and/or disturbed nocturnal sleep. Sleep apnea may be a severe life-threatening complication of narcolepsy. Besides its medical implications, narcolepsy may have drastic social consequences. "All too often, the patient with disabling hypersomnolence is ignored by physicians for years and even decades, with the consequent tragic toll on his ability to learn and to work."(1) Ritalin can help in narcolepsy For narcoleptic sleepiness and sleep episodes, the cited authorities (1,2) most frequently use Ritalin (methylphenidate). References: 1. Dement WC, Carskadon MA, Guilleminault C, Zarcone VP. Narcolepsy: Diagnosis and Treatment. Primary Care 3:609-623, December 1976. 2. Daly DD, Yoss RE. Narcolepsy, in Handbook of Clinical Neurology: Vol 15, The Epilepsies, Magnus O, Lorentz De Haas AM (Eds.), Amsterdam, North-Holland Publishing Company, 1974, pp 836-852. Ritalin® (methylphenidate) For the 200,000 narcoleptics who can't stay awake Please turn page for brief prescribing information. Consult complete product literature before prescribing. CIBA Pharmaceutical Company ~ Division of CIBA-GEIGY Corporation ~ Summit, New Jersey 07901 |