What happens if you have high or abnormal hypocretin levels?
Actually, narcolepsy is typically associated with low or deficient hypocretin levels, not high levels. In type 1 narcolepsy, more than 90 percent of the brain cells that produce hypocretin are missing, leading to very low levels of this important brain hormone.
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What happens if you have high or abnormal hypocretin levels?
Actually, narcolepsy is typically associated with low or deficient hypocretin levels, not high levels. In type 1 narcolepsy, more than 90 percent of the brain cells that produce hypocretin are missing, leading to very low levels of this important brain hormone.
High hypocretin levels wouldn't help with narcolepsy symptoms. In fact, the opposite is true — the lack of hypocretin is what causes many narcolepsy symptoms like:
* Sleep attacks
* Sleep paralysis
* Cataplexy (in type 1)
* Excessive daytime sleepiness
Hypocretin acts like a "flip-flop" switch in your brain that helps maintain steady wakefulness and keeps sleep and wake states separate. When hypocretin levels are too low, this switch doesn't work properly, and REM sleep can break into daytime hours.
People with type 2 narcolepsy usually have more normal hypocretin levels compared to type 1, but they still experience extreme daytime sleepiness and sleep attacks.
If you're concerned about your hypocretin levels or how they relate to your symptoms, it's worth discussing with your healthcare provider who can help interpret any test results in the context of your specific situation.
March 26
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