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Sleep Disorders: Diagnosing Hypersomnia
If you consistently feel drowsy during the day, talk to your doctor. You may be suffering from a sleep disorder called hypersomnia, which causes excess daytime sleepiness.
To determine the cause of your sleepiness, your doctor will ask about your sleeping habits, how much sleep you get at night, if you wake up at night, and whether you fall asleep during the day. Your doctor will also want to know if you are having any emotional problems or are taking any medications that may be interfering with your sleep or may be causing you to feel sleepy during the day. You may also be asked to keep a sleep diary.
Your doctor may also suggest the following tests:
- Blood tests to rule out underlying conditions such as anemia (low blood count) or a sluggish thyroid
- Computed tomography (CT) or MRI scans to rule out neurological issues such as multiple sclerosis
- Polysomnography, a sleep study used to determine the cause of many sleep problems.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures the electrical activity of the brain.
Reviewed by The Sleep
Medicine Center at The Cleveland Clinic.
WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic
Sleep Disorders Guide
TOPAMAX is approved for migraine prevention in adults only.
TOPAMAX is not used to stop a migraine after it starts.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX include lowered bicarbonate levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the blood (metabolic acidosis). Symptoms could include hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing), tiredness, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Call your doctor immediately if you get these symptoms. Your doctor may want to do simple blood tests. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase the risk for kidney stones or bone disease.
Other serious risks include decreased sweating, increased body temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and increased eye pressure (glaucoma). Call your doctor immediately if you have any decrease in vision or eye pain. These problems can lead to blindness if not treated right away.
More common side effects are tingling in arms and legs, loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, taste change and weight loss.
Tell your doctor about other medications you take. Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information.
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