Patients with the lifelong sleeping disorder, narcolepsy, remain seriously under-diagnosed in the Republic, with only 200 of an estimated 2,000 people diagnosed to date, a Dublin conference on sleep was told yesterday.
A person with narcolepsy experiences an increase in daytime sleepiness, disturbed nocturnal sleep and episodes of cataplexy, an abrupt loss of muscle tone.
Dr Catherine Crowe, a sleep disorder specialist at the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin, told the conference that the average delay for patients attending her clinic from earliest symptoms to diagnosis was 12 years for men and eight for women.
Ms Sheila Farrell, of the All Ireland Support Group for Narcolepsy, told The Irish Times that GMS patients and those without access to private health insurance were at a serious disadvantage.
The major centre for narcolepsy is in a private hospital. She called for narcolepsy to be included in the Long Term Illness Scheme of the Department of Health, which would help defray the considerable expense of treatments.
The conference was told of the important role of patient support groups in different sleep disorders. The Narcolepsy Support Group is at (01) 2895356 or email sheilafarrell@eircom.net
A Sleep Apnoea Support Group can be contacted via the Sleep Disorder Unit of St Vincent's Hospital at (01) 2094339.
mhouston@irish-times.ie