What Treatments are Available?
Narcolepsy cannot yet be cured. But EDS and cataplexy, the most disabling symptoms of the disorder, can be controlled in most patients with drug treatment. Often the treatment regimen is modified as symptoms change.
For decades, doctors have used central nervous system Stimulants-amphetamines such as methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, methamphetamine, and pemoline-to alleviate EDS and reduce the incidence of sleep attacks. For most patients these medications are generally quite effective at reducing daytime drowsiness and improving levels of alertness. However, they are associated with a wide array of undesirable side effects so their use must be carefully monitored. Common side effects include irritability and nervousness, shakiness, disturbances in heart rhythm, Stomach upset, nighttime sleep disruption, and anorexia. Patients may also develop tolerance with long-term use, leading to the need for increased dosages to maintain effectiveness. In addition, doctors should be careful when prescribing these drugs and patients should be careful using them because the potential for abuse is high with any amphetamine.
In 1999, the FDA approved a new non-amphetamine wake-promoting drug called modafinil for the treatment of EDS. In Clinical trials, modafinil proved to be effective in alleviating EDS while producing fewer, less serious side effects that do ampehtmines. Headache is the most commonly reported adverse effect. Long-term use of modafinil does not appear to lead to tolerance.
Two classes of Antidepressant drugs have proved effective in controlling cataplexy in many patients: tricyclics (including imipramine, desipramine, clomipramine, and protriptyline) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (including fluoxetine and sertraline). In general, antidepressants produce fewer adverse effects than do amphetamines. But troublesome side effects still occur in some patients, including impotence, high blood pressure, and heart rhythm irregularities.
On July 17, 2002, the FDA approved Xyrem (sodium oxybate or gamma hydroxybutyrate, also known as GHB) for treating people with narcolepsy who experience episodes of cataplexy. Due to safety concerns associated with the use of this drug, the distribution of Xyrem is tightly restricted.
