Kleine-Levin Syndrome

A 2000 account on the Kleine-Levin Syndrome Foundation web site tells of S, who had night terrors as a child and then multiple episodes of excessive sleep beginning when he was 14 years old:

He slept in a cocoon fashion, only arousing for meals and calls from his girlfriend during the week of February 15 through 21. On the night of February 18, [his mother] took S to his Middle School's basketball game. This was the first time that S had been out since his illness started. He wore sweats and house slippers. S was the starting point guard for his team and an excellent player. Basketball is a game he loves and his attitude was one of indifference at the game. His girlfriend was also at the game and he was more interested in her than the game. He kept his arm around her and kissed her as if they were the only two people in the gym. This was totally unlike S's behavior.

The episodes lasted from a few days to a few weeks, and seemed to be triggered by illnesses, allergies or dental work (or medications associated with these).  Often he felt an urge to eat a large amount of food.  He seemed at times to have increased sensitivity to stimuli:

S's hearing seemed super sharp today. He kept commenting on things [his father] and [mother] said even when we were talking softly in another room.  This was very noticeable in early episodes.

Click here to see the result in SimulConsult Diagnostic Decision Support with all the findings combined together.  Kleine-Levin syndrome is by far the leading diagnosis. 

The Kleine-Levin Syndrome Foundation has more "diaries" on their homepage.  Some have a huge amount of detail that may be helpful in getting clues as to the cause or triggers of this disorder of unknown cause.

Registration is required to click into the software because access to the software is restricted for legal reasons to medical professionals and students.

If you know of interesting cases in the news, in journals or on open Web sites of hospitals or foundations, please contact us and include enough information for us to find the material. The differential diagnosis will change over time as people mull over the case and submit new information to the database about findings in the relevant diseases.