Both men and women Narcolepsy affects both men and women equally. Around 30,000 sufferers in the UK Narcolepsy is believed to affect approximately 1 person in 2,500. It has been estimated that around 30,000 people in the UK suffer from narcolepsy. Most are undiagnosed It has also been estimated that about 80% of people with […]
How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep during the following situations, in contrast to just feeling tired? For each of the situations listed below, give yourself a score of 0 to 3, where0 = Would never doze;1 = Slight chance;2 = Moderate chance;3 = High chance. Work out your total score by […]
Expert assessment is vital All patients who are diagnosed with narcolepsy, or whose GP suspects that they may have narcolepsy, should be referred to a specialist Sleep Centre for expert assessment. Here is our latest list of Sleep Centres, by region: Yorkshire and North East England North West England East Midlands West Midlands South East […]
Travelling with medication can present practical problems, particularly as some narcolepsy medications are controlled drugs. Key points to bear in mind are: Download our simple guide to Travelling with Medication and take a look at the presentation on this subject from our 2015 Annual Conference.
If you are referred to hospital or other NHS premises for NHS specialist treatment or diagnostic tests by your doctor, dentist or other health professional, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS, you must meet […]
For many people with narcolepsy, the costs of prescriptions may be considerable. You should be aware that you can get free NHS prescriptions if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you: Unfortunately, narcolepsy is not a “specified medical condition”, but if you suffer from another disease that is such a condition (eg epilepsy or […]
If you have narcolepsy and are pregnant, you will need to ensure that the healthcare professionals you come into contact with are as well informed as possible about your condition and your medication. Staff in Maternity departments, midwives etc will almost certainly have little knowledge of narcolepsy. Try to explain narcolepsy/cataplexy as clearly as you […]
Background – Pandemrix The Pandemrix vaccine was was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)and given to 6 million people during the global H1N1 ”swine flu” pandemic in 2009 and 2010. Owing to the nature of that pandemic, the European Commission, on the advice of the European Medicines Agency, fast-tracked the vaccine’s licensing. The UK Government then undertook […]
When a new medicine is first developed and approved for use, it is usually only available from one manufacturer. Normally, that is the company that invented it and that obtained the first authorisation for its use, after steering the drug through the complex and expensive process of clinical trials. New drugs are normally very expensive […]
Some of the drugs used to treat narcolepsy are very inexpensive and there are generally no difficulties in patients being prescribed those medications. Depending on the dose taken and the particular brand used, the typical cost to the NHS of a 30-day supply of modafinil or methylphenidate, for instance, is between £6 and £32. For […]
