Pill for Sleep Apnea

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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ChicagoGranny
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Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by ChicagoGranny » Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:09 pm

Go ask Alice.
Massachusetts-based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company Apnimed has been conducting trials of a pill named AD109 that aims to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) ... In 2018, a separate team of researchers based in Boston conducted a study on 20 patients and found that each one experienced a reduction in snoring by at least 50 percent after taking the medications atomoxetine and oxybutynin.

Atomoxetine is widely used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by increasing levels of the brain chemical norepinephrine. The Boston-based scientists believe that norepinephrine can help improve activity of the throat muscles when one is asleep. Oxybutynin, on the other hand, is usually used to treat overactive bladder but is now believed to also prevent a tongue muscle from moving and blocking the throat, which causes snoring. Phase one of Apnimed’s study found that R-oxybutynin was well-tolerated and that there were no adverse events related to the study drug.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5bp73/ ... ep-snoring

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:57 pm

Maybe for central apnea . . .
Obstructive--- I can keep an open mind.
I guess we will see.

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LSAT
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by LSAT » Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:13 pm

Unfortunately by stopping snoring, you are not curing/treating sleep apnea.

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khauser
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by khauser » Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:30 pm

Oxybutynin (Ditropan) has the listed common side effect trouble sleeping so maybe that reduces the snoring? :lol:

Thanks for posting that ... it is interesting. We'll see how far it goes but I'm sticking to my machine for the time being.

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Pugsy
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by Pugsy » Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:57 pm

khauser wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:30 pm
Oxybutynin (Ditropan) has the listed common side effect trouble sleeping so maybe that reduces the snoring? :lol:

Thanks for posting that ... it is interesting. We'll see how far it goes but I'm sticking to my machine for the time being.
Well maybe we won't be getting up to pee as much. :lol: :lol:
Just what I don't want...another pill that messes with my already fragile sleep.
Then there's the potential side effects for the other drug listed. I have already discovered that my body seems super sensitive to various drugs and I just don't want to go there. Give me the cpap machine which the only side effect is maybe a big fart or burp when I first get up in the morning and I can actually sleep and hubby sleeps as well.

Interesting though and I am sure it likely is going to appeal to the people who want to take a pill and have it fix all their problems. We all want a quick easy fix. Everything comes with baggage though and we have to decide if we want to tolerate the whatever baggage or not.

Note the excessive tiredness side effect...fatigue...one of the main complaints we see from sleep apnea patients.

Atomoxetine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

heartburn
nausea
vomiting
loss of appetite
weight loss
constipation
stomach pain
gas
dry mouth
excessive tiredness
dizziness
headache
mood swings
decreased sex drive or ability
difficulty urinating
painful or irregular menstrual periods
muscle pain
sweating
hot flashes
unusual dreams
burning or tingling in the hands, arms, feet, or legs

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Oct 28, 2020 3:07 pm

I'd take the weight loss--the rest, not so much.

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Pugsy
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by Pugsy » Wed Oct 28, 2020 3:19 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 3:07 pm
I'd take the weight loss--the rest, not so much.
:lol: :lol: You get the weight loss from not being able to eat from the nausea and vomiting. Yuck.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Oct 28, 2020 7:56 pm

Yuck, times 1000!
Fyi: At first I thought the "pill" was literal, referring to one of several trolls that frequent the forum
Indeed, one can be thought of as being a pill--of sorts.

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Arlene1963
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by Arlene1963 » Thu Oct 29, 2020 5:24 am

A few years ago when I was really struggling to get used to CPAP I would have gladly taken a pill to treat my OSA.

Now, not a chance.

Two reasons: First, I don't want to add daily medication with all the potential side effects and harms.
Second, how would I measure my nightly AHI and see if I am being successfully treated?

This is not like BP where you can measure it to see if the medication is working, or like diabetes where you can check glucose levels.

Would there be some sort of "home sleep study" done intermittently to determine if the medication is working?

With CPAP you have the daily data right there, but not so with a pill.

Now I can definitely see some advantages to taking a pill, for example if the medication is more cost effective than CPAP, folk who are uninsured and those who can't afford CPAP could possibly afford a pill.

For short term use, on a flight for example, or if you are going camping, etc.

Then there are those who simply never adjust to CPAP for whatever reason, and at least for them there would be an option.

However, how would a doctor monitor "compliance" in the case of those who need to prove they are treated i.e. those in high risk occupations?

Interesting issues are raised for sure.

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Pugsy
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by Pugsy » Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:17 am

Arlene1963 wrote:
Thu Oct 29, 2020 5:24 am
However, how would a doctor monitor "compliance" in the case of those who need to prove they are treated i.e. those in high risk occupations?
I suppose one could have a sleep study after being on the meds for a certain amount of time and see if OSA was still present or not.
And there is the other elephant in the room....just because snoring goes away doesn't mean the OSA goes away. Not everyone with snoring has OSA and just because someone doesn't snore doesn't mean they don't have OSA.

And proving compliance would be a nightmare. Like DOT regulations...I know truck drivers since my hubby is one and they will stretch the truth every chance they get when it comes to OSA treatment. Plus the safety aspect of the side effects to those meds and someone driving a big truck....do I really want someone driving a big truck taking a medication that can cause fatigue or drowsiness or mess with their already screwed up sleep???

Would a truck driver ever lie about taking a medication even if it did resolve a medical problem??? Yep, every chance they get if there is no way to prove it. :lol: :lol:

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:00 am

Truck drivers, pilots, air traffic controllers.
Gotta love them--but they are only human.

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fmj13
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by fmj13 » Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:22 pm

I tried this years ago, no real effect:
https://www.mynaturesrite.com/product/s ... ea-relief/

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:41 pm

From the ADVERTISEMENT:

" Lobelia– Enhances and maintains respiration intensity.
Thyme– Increases lung efficiency.
Chamomile – relaxes the sleeper
Cramp Bark– reduces muscular tension to allow more signal from the brain to the diaphragm."

Some herbs fairly ineffective, others dangerous in improper quantities.
I smell a charlatan!

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stcrim
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by stcrim » Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:12 pm

I tried https://www.mynaturesrite.com/product/s ... ea-relief/ (purchased on Amazon) for the past two nights while using my CPAP. Using the Lookee Pulse/Oximeter. My oxygen went from an average of 93, 94, 95 all the way to 98 I had zero 4 percent drops (usually had 10 to 20 per night) and my total score was 9.9 both nights. My heart rate is always in the high 60s low 70 at night and that didn't change. The first night I went a full 8 hours before getting up to pee. May have been 30 years since that has happened. The second night I got up once after about 5 hours and again at 8 hours. I've been on a CPAP for so long that I'm a bit scared to go without it but I'm going to give it a shot tonight. Both nights the CPAP said I had an AHI for 3 (clear airways) but I doubt that based on my oxygen saturation.

I honestly thought I was throwing 35 bucks down a rat hole but with those two nights, I'm convinced there may be something to this. I found this thread while researching Lobelia. I don't bother posting or inquiring here anymore but felt this was worth replying to...

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Pill for Sleep Apnea

Post by ChicagoGranny » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:18 am

stcrim wrote:
Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:12 pm
I honestly thought I was throwing 35 bucks down a rat hole
You did.