Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Excessive Day Time Sleepiness?
Question: There are days when i can hardly stay awake even after 7 to 8 hours of sleep. I'm awake for an hour or less and fall back to sleep for an hour or so and this goes on for most of a morning. I have my oatmeal at 6:30 am and if I wake around 9:30 I eat a banana and I'm usually out until around 11ish. What can this be....please
Brief Answer:
can be bipolar or organic neurological problem
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have read your query carefully and according to my clinical experience there are two possible diffrential diagnosis for your presentation. First, It can be due to bipolar disorder where instead of sadness - lethargy and sleepiness is the main feature during depressive episodes.
OR this can be a neurological problem- where a electrical disturbance leads to on and off hypersedative phases.
I need to know your predominant mood and thoughts to see if there is a significant difference in acitivity level, mood, thinking etc. between the hypersedative and non sedative (normal) phases. This difference will help in deleniating bipolar disorder as the reason of this presentation.
Secondly, you should get an EEG ( ideally without taking gabapentine for few days as this can alter the readings). This report can help to clarify the possible neurological reason behind your symptoms.
Gabapentine is an anticonvulsant drug but dosent help in bipolar disorder ( however, there are few good anticonvulsant meds like sodium valporate, oxcarbazepine etc available which are helpful in both bipolar disorder and are anti convulsant also). Im telling this because if you turn out to be a bipolar then by changing this drug the situation can be managed with a single molecule.
Hope the reply is helpful for you.
Wish you good health.
Dr. Manisha Gopal
MD Neuropsychiatry
can be bipolar or organic neurological problem
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have read your query carefully and according to my clinical experience there are two possible diffrential diagnosis for your presentation. First, It can be due to bipolar disorder where instead of sadness - lethargy and sleepiness is the main feature during depressive episodes.
OR this can be a neurological problem- where a electrical disturbance leads to on and off hypersedative phases.
I need to know your predominant mood and thoughts to see if there is a significant difference in acitivity level, mood, thinking etc. between the hypersedative and non sedative (normal) phases. This difference will help in deleniating bipolar disorder as the reason of this presentation.
Secondly, you should get an EEG ( ideally without taking gabapentine for few days as this can alter the readings). This report can help to clarify the possible neurological reason behind your symptoms.
Gabapentine is an anticonvulsant drug but dosent help in bipolar disorder ( however, there are few good anticonvulsant meds like sodium valporate, oxcarbazepine etc available which are helpful in both bipolar disorder and are anti convulsant also). Im telling this because if you turn out to be a bipolar then by changing this drug the situation can be managed with a single molecule.
Hope the reply is helpful for you.
Wish you good health.
Dr. Manisha Gopal
MD Neuropsychiatry
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
