Follow-Up: Yes, according to the research I've done on narcolepsy this type of misdiagnosis has happened in the past and it is suspected it occurs more frequently than we really know. Very few doctors are given intensive training in sleep studies during their internship. I currently work in a psychiatric hospital, and know that this can happen. However, I've yet to run across a person with your particular characteristics. I did have a patient, when I was a Social Worker, who was admitted to the hospital and told me he had Narcolepsy. He also had Huntington's which is a neurological disorder which causes behavioral problems and many persons wind up committing suicide. It is a slow, debilitating disease. However, back to the point. Although I knew Narcolepsy was a sleep disorder I did not know the particulars involved, and the Doctors thought I was saying Epilepsy at first. They too were baffled by this combination and did not know what to do. After being diagnosed with Narcolepsy in '92, I now understand some of the behaviors of the patient, e.g. sleep paralysis - staff thought he was just being stubborn and refusing to get up - none of us knew about sleep paralysis. When the hospital found out I had Narcolepsy, I was removed from my Social Work position, although they found no work out of compliance (they said they found too much & too well done!). I had to fight them legally for two years just to keep my job. They said I was negligent of my residents because I was coming in late in the morning, and that my residents wouldn't understand my disability!!!! Of course my residents already knew of my disability, had been and were still willing to be supportive of me, and my staff were also supportive. At this point I was moved to an unsupportive staff with a new caseload on the admissions wards where the work had to move at a much faster pace, thereby, setting me up for dismissal for not doing work. Since then the situation has let up some, but I still have to be cautious. Staff and residents come to me now, esp. staff who have sleep apnea, narcolepsy (5 of them!!!), and major depression, and those with sleep deprivation, insominia, etc. Perhaps if you persevere you could advocate for persons in the psychiatric setting, educate professionals, and share your experiences with others. Try to find a good sleep specialist if you want to be tested. Many of them are already a psychiatrist and have the credentials to treat both of these type of illnesses. I know my sleep specialist does. Look for a Board Certified Sleep Specialist. He or She can then hopefully gain the assistance of a neurologist in properly dianosing your condition. In the meantime I would hesistate to withdraw from the medication without working with a doctor in doing so. It is possible to have a sleep disorder and a mental illness disorder, esp. in particular types of Schizophrenia, Major Depressive, Bipolar Disorder, just to name a few. I wish you luck. BRaymond