Which adverse effect is most likely with a CNS stimulant in a patient with narcolepsy?

• A. Drowsiness
• B. Nervousness
• C. Weight gain
• D. Rash

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding what side effects come with CNS stimulants used to treat narcolepsy. These medications work by boosting wake-promoting signals in the brain, which helps with alertness but also increases overall arousal in the nervous system. That heightened arousal often shows up as nervousness, jitteriness, restlessness, and sometimes trouble sleeping.

Nervousness best fits this pattern because it reflects the increased CNS and sympathetic activity these drugs provoke. Drowsiness would be counterintuitive to the drug’s purpose and is not a typical side effect. Weight gain is unlikely; stimulants commonly suppress appetite and can cause weight loss. Rash is not a characteristic adverse effect of these medications, though any drug can rarely cause a rash, it’s not the pattern you’d expect with narcolepsy stimulants.

So, nervousness is the most likely adverse effect because it aligns with the drugs’ mechanism of increasing alertness and sympathetic arousal.