WOMAN HAS opening up about the rare condition that causes her to sleep for up to a week at a time after drinking alcohol.
Speaking to Real Life, student Hermoine Cox-Denning revealed how when she first began drinking alcohol, she would regularly wake up the day after feeling ill.
Though she initially dismissed the feelings as a stomach bug, the symptoms persisted after each and every night out.
Worried about what it could mean, Cox-Denning decided to consult her doctor.
After several tests, it was discovered she had a rare neurological condition called Kleine-Levin Syndrome, which can cause the body to effectively shut down for days at a time.
Putting two and two together, she realised that consuming alcohol was a major trigger.
"It took me a long time to see what was triggering this for me. I knew it wasn't stress and I couldn't see a particular food pattern,” she told Real Life.
"I realised that when I drank alcohol, I would often have an episode the next day.
"I've learned that I can have one or two drinks, but much more than that causes me to plunge into a deep sleep for days afterwards. I'm like the real-life Sleeping Beauty."
The rare condition leaves Hermonie at the mercy of her body. A sudden flare up for the illness can leave her unable to drink, eat or, worse still, go to the toilet.
"My mind was so confused,” she says, recalling the first time the condition took hold. “I couldn't speak, I didn't eat, or drink and I didn't go the toilet. It was like my body shut down.
"I was always on my phone before, but I didn't speak to anyone for a whole week because I kept sleeping.
"I think a lot of my friends were worried because I just disappeared."
A troubling and difficult to manage illness, Hermoine’s story provides plenty to think about.
