Narcolepsy and obesity: remission of severe cataplexy with sibutramine.
Article Details
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Krahn LE, Moore WR, Altchuler SI
Narcolepsy and obesity: remission of severe cataplexy with sibutramine.
Sleep Med. 2001 Jan;2(1):63-65.
- PubMed ID
- 11152984 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
An overweight patient (body mass index of 34 kg/m(2)) with narcolepsy associated with cataplexy is described. Polysomnography did not indicate obstructive sleep apnea. Her obesity was treated with sibutramine, a norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine reuptake inhibiting medication and her severe cataplexy remitted. Clinicians must be aware that sibutramine may suppress cataplexy when evaluating excessive daytime sleepiness in an overweight patient taking this anti-obesity medication. Therefore a negative history of cataplexy in these cases may be misleading and narcolepsy may be overlooked in the differential diagnosis. Sibutramine should be discontinued before polysomnography and multiple sleep latency testing but may be a useful medication in the management of obese narcoleptic patients with cataplexy. With the discovery of decreased hypocretin 1 levels in humans with narcolepsy, a neuropeptide that modulates sleep and feeding, the association between narcolepsy and obesity requires more attention.
DrugBank Data that Cites this Article
- Drug Targets
Drug Target Kind Organism Pharmacological Action Actions Sibutramine Sodium-dependent dopamine transporter Protein Humans YesInhibitorDetails Sibutramine Sodium-dependent noradrenaline transporter Protein Humans YesInhibitorDetails Sibutramine Sodium-dependent serotonin transporter Protein Humans YesInhibitorDetails