Fatal Familial Insomnia

Fatal Familial Insomnia

Sounds weird? It is.

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a very rare autosomal dominant inherited prion disease of the brain. The dominant gene responsible has been found in just 28 families worldwide; if only one parent has the gene, the offspring have a 50% chance of inheriting it and developing the disease. The disease’s genesis and the patient’s progression into complete sleeplessness is untreatable, and ultimately fatal.

With Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI), once the genetic switch has been flipped (usually at midlife) there is no turning back, no cure and no treatment. Sleepless night inexorably follows sleepless night. Finally, five to nine months later the afflicted lapse into an irreversible coma and die – sweet release. Sedatives, sleeping pills only make it worse and hasten the inevitable. Sominex just doesn’t cut it.

Imagine not being able to sleep for nine months! Then hallucinations and that pre-sleep time accompanying you every hour of the day.

As Symon would say, sweet dreams.

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