i too used drugs up until i was about 22/23... ive been a little worse than you in that department though =\
one thing though that struck a funny chord in me was about cylert being used for this because (and yes i expect someone to say something here lol) when i was like 16 and started experimenting with drugs, one day i saw the cylert pills my sister had been prescribed for another problem and i took maybe 10 of em? i was awake for days and had hallucinations happen off and on, visually and auditory, and no buzz in the end which was the drive to do it anyhow! haha, but anyhow, it was a very weird experience and i never thought much about it until recently when i saw cylert is used to treat narcolepsy. coincidence? probably...still an odd fact about my specific case.
i still wonder what all certain things like hallucinogens might have to do with it all ya know?
when did N and C set in for you, or at least approximately cuz i know its hard to pinpoint..
for me it was actually about 23 i started to notice signs like occasionally waking up during sleep.. but still had tons of energy but once in every few months would have a microsleep attack at work with automatic behaviour... those symptoms all slowly snowballed up until i was 24 where it was just horrible and when i started to decide something was wrong and got insurance...and it took so long to get insurance i didnt start seeing a doc until 4 months ago, stupid insurance lol
did you ever have serious fevers prior to diagnosis of N and C? bringing it up in regards to the whole hypothalamus auto immune attack theory... i remember having fevers most of the times i would get sick, even now. and maybe twice i was feverish to the point i was out of it. once when i was little, around 10 maybe, my parents had to put me in a tub of water to try to cool my temp down while they got on the phone with whoever and took me to the hospital because it wouldnt let up at first. im not a hypochondriac btw and tie together every string i can find to reach the end i want, i just try to consider every possibility and coincidence out of intrigue and curiosity.
okay, enough babbling..i hafta try to go to bed cuz i work in 8 hours. fortunately i work in a small family business so they are all being pretty understanding of my problem and how it may affect me (tardiness or huddling in the corner taking a micronap on the longer days). unfortunately it isnt a career type job and is something ive used as a part time job in addition to better paying jobs... but now i only work it.
one last question popped into mind.. do the meds you take help you at all? i have yet to get prescribed any, have to do a few final test things on the 6th of april before they decide what combo or single pill to give me. i am so excited to get to start my life again after putting so many personal short and long term goals and endeavors on hold for overa year now =)