Sodium oxybate, narcolepsy

Sodium oxybate is effective and indicated for the treatment of cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy it could also be effective for general anesthesia, narcolepsy, fibromyalgia syndrome, insomnia, alcoholism and opiate withdrawal, but its potential for abuse is unacceptable... 

Anonymous. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial comparing the effects of three doses of orally administered sodium oxybate with placebo for the treatment of narcolepsy. Sleep 2002 25 42-49. 

Scharf MB (2001) Assessment of sodium oxybate for the long-term treatment of narcolepsy. Sleep 23 A234... 

Black J, Ristannovic R, Mamelak M, Montplaisir J (2001) Dose response effects of sodium oxybate on polysomnographic (PSG) measures in narcolepsy patients preliminary findings. Sleep 24 A321... 

Hayduk R, Mitler MM (2001) Sodium oxybate therapy improves the quality of life of narcolepsy patients. Sleep 24 A326... 

Narcolepsy is a rare disease characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. It has a prevalence of 0.05% in the general population and affects an estimated 140,000 people in the United States. In 2002, the FDA approved sodium oxybate (Xyrem ) for the treatment of cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy. The active ingredient in this drug is gamma hydroxybutyrate, or GHB. The development and marketing of sodium oxybate was permitted after a revision of the Date Rape Prevention Act of 2000 (see Chapter 5) that allowed GHB to be legally administered for medical purposes. 

This is a central nervous system depressant licensed for the treatment of narcolepsy with cataplexy. At recommended doses, it has been associated with confusion, depression and other neuropsychiatric effects. Sodium oxybate is related to gamma hydroxybutyrate, a known drug of abuse, which has been associated with seizures, respiratory depression, coma and death. 

Sodium oxybate (y-hydroxybutyrate) shows the most promise of new agents for the treatment of narcolepsy. Early investigations demonstrated that the nightly administration of sodium oxybate changed sleep architecture to close to that of normal sleep. Sodium oxybate has been shown to increase slow-wave sleep, decrease nighttime awakenings, and increase REM efficiency. Not only does it... 

GABA-A receptor thereby enhancing the action of GABA. Sodium oxybate is the sodium salt of Y-hydrox)rbutyrat commonly referred to as GHB. This dmg has a very specific indication which is the treatment of cataplexy in narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder and the narcoleptic patient will often present as having severe insomnia. Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone and strength, usually caused by an extreme emotional stimulus. This occurs regularly (approximately 75% of cases) in patients with narcolepsy. Treatment with sodium oxybate is reported to improve the symptoms of narcolepsy and also to reduce the number of occurrences of cataplexy. 

---