Cataplectic and sleep attacks

I've got a mild form of narcolepsy with cataplexy. I'm 20 years old

The furthest back that I can ever remember starting to sleep in class was back in 8th grade where I'd rest my head and start to take a nap. Then it progressed and got worse and worse. During 12th grade the cataplexy then started to kick in.

Medicine prescribed: Nuvigil
The medicine sometimes works, but at other times it gives me a little bit of a headache. I do not like to take it though since I want to try and find a more natural way to combat narcolepsy rather than have my body be dependent upon a type of medication.

Some solutions I've found to not falling asleep are:

Holding my breath when I start to feel tired. -

Holding breath so far seems to work, but its something you have to keep constantly doing at the point of starting to feel sleepy. Which can be tough. There is then the fact that it is quite uncomfortable.

sipping down water (preferably cold)

moving

this works sometimes, but at other times I sometimes it just doesn't work, or rather it works for a few seconds, but the want to sleep still lingers

keeping my mind engaged

--As far as cataplexy goes, it happens randomly from time to time. The most often would be when I either find something funny. The type of funny where you just have to laugh. I'm sure that it also can happen with the other emotions, but humor seems to be the more often one. When this happens It ends up making me start to lose control of my muscles. To the point where If I am standing that I sometimes might have to lean up against something if I cannot control it. I've been having less and less attacks though as the time goes by and I learn to moderate myself. Such as not laughing as much or just not laughing at all when I find something funny ( using controled breathing and pausing ) or preparing myself by flexing my muscles before it might end up happening.

As far as stopping these attacks, besides trying to control my emotions. I try to overcome them by flexing my muscles. Mostly just my upper body muscles. (( the only thing I worry about is the rush of blood being used to do this, and ending up raising my blood pressure? - which leads me to think may have bad implications in the long run))

Sometimes the sensation is just to overwhelming. What I hate most about it is that is such a calming and relaxing sensation to just let it take over, because, it just feels right....???? but mentally it feels so wrong, because at times it happens when I'm just trying to do a normal everyday task that back when I was younger I'd be able easily complete, only to now have to pause and take time to just gain control of myself

example being: While maybe watching a movie, playing a game, or any other activity and something funny comes up. It starts to hit and I lose full body function then I have to wait till it ends and get back to the task.

One thing I would really like to try is meditation

As far as all of this goes. I'd like to know if anyone has any other solutions to these problems. Or has tried these and found that they do not help particularly. As well, if anyone has ever tried meditation to try and set themselves straight?

Hi, sedempireX! Maybe you will find some Answers about meditation or other calming methods here: coping-methods-techniques/
It's ok to post in more forums to ask about this, sorry this one is a bit slow at the moment.

It has been suggested that an accumulation of worries and concerns can be detrimental to emotional health: more than 50% of narcoleptics are depressed to some extent. Therefore, this pathology is extremely incapacitating.

Meditation is also effective in such problem.

Thank you.

Try meditating and yoga . Both have immense benefits , both physically and mentally . It relieves insomnia , makes your mind and body more active and clear , lowers blood pressure and takes out the everyday stress factor in our lives . Yoga gives you flexibility and energy to carry on with your day to day activities , and more importantly gives you a lot of confidence with your everyday life . It's used to cure insomnia and acute depression . It's simple , effective and has huge benefits .