I have been struggling with the parental diagnosis of "lazy" since I was a teenager over thirty years ago. I was misdiagnosed with simple apnea in 2008 but the apnea is gone and of course I am not better. But at least I am finally getting appropriate advice!
I have an adult daughter who we are realizing has all my same symptoms and then some. She falls down laughing, she sleeps inappropriately, she cannot wake up...is it common for multiple family members to struggle with narcolepsy/cataplexy?
I’m not sure how common it is but there has been some evidence of Narcolepsy being hereditary. It isn’t always. In some cases there are other causes for the onset. But it sounds like it’s heredity in your family :-/
I read about the evidence that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disfunction can be hereditary so it makes sense that narcolepsy can be as well.
I’ve also read that it can sometimes be caused by concussion.
My dad would fall asleep in the evenings, even when we had company. I was told that dad fell asleep at inappropriate times because of his long hours of work. I now have great concern for my granddaughter. She has been extremely bright. About and year and a half ago, she has had difficulty concentrating and completing projects. She is a senior. My family does not want to consider that narcolepsy might be part of the picture. At this time, she is diagnosed with OCD and anxiety disorder.