There are two types of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. There is also a sleep apnea that is a combination of the two. Central apnea is caused by a defect in the brain that controls your breathing, and obstructive sleep apnea is caused by an obstruction in the airways. Whether you can be treated with medication will depend on what type of sleep apnea you have and it will also depend on how severe your symptoms are.
How is Sleep Apnea Usually Treated?
Obstructive sleep apnea is, more often than not, treated with a CPAP device and nasal CPAP mask. CPAP is one of the most effective ways of treating sleep apnea and that is why it is the most commonly used treatment method. CPAP or BiPAP devices can also be successfully used to treat central or mixed sleep apnea. However, there are a few medications available that will support CPAP or other treatments in sleep apnea sufferers.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Individuals suffering from sleep apnea who are being successfully treated with a CPAP device but who are still feeling very tired throughout the day can be treated with a wakefulness-promoting medicine, such as Modafinil. This drug is used to treat daytime sleepiness that may still be occurring, by affecting certain chemicals in the brain that affect alertness and memory, amongst other things. Modafinil must be used in conjunction with CPAP to successfully treat the apnea – Modafinil alone would not treat the apnea, so it’s important that you continue CPAP treatment whilst taking the drug.
Modafinil can also be prescribed to individuals with Shift Work Sleep Disorder to keep them more alert when they’re awake. The most common side effects of Modafinil are:
- Nervousness and anxiety
- Nausea
- Headaches and back pain
- Upset stomach
- Insomnia (if used incorrectly)
- Dizziness
The drug can also interfere with the birth control methods that use estrogen, such as the birth control pill, the birth control patch and the vaginal ring. It can also affect some other medications, including anti-depressants, warfarin and cyclosporine.
Central Sleep Apnea
Treatment for central sleep apnea includes using CPAP/BiPAP or ASV devices. Studies have shown that ASV (adaptive servo-ventilation) is more successful at treating the apnea than CPAP or BiPAP. ASV works by monitoring your breathing pattern via a computer, and the machine will then use pressure to regulate your breathing pattern and to prevent pauses in your breathing.
However, there is a drug available called acetazolamide that works to treat the apnea by encouraging respiration and by lowering the blood pH. The drug isn’t used that widely for central apnea and instead, it tends to be used for treating altitude sickness and heart failure.
Side effects of this drug include numbness and tingling in fingers and toes as well as taste alterations. Acetazolamide also increases the risk of you developing kidney stones, and it can cause you to need to urinate more frequently. Individuals taking the drug are encouraged to drink more fluids so that they stay hydrated. People with sickle cell disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and Addison’s disease should steer clear of this drug, as should pregnant or nursing mothers.
These are the only medications that are available for sleep apnea that can effectively treat or support the apnea. There are a number of other supportive treatments, such as saline nasal spray to keep the airways open, although these are not suitable for all sufferers. If you want more information about medications used for treating sleep apnea, speak to your doctor. Make sure to take along a list of all current medications that you’re taking to ensure that any medication that you get will work alongside any medication that you’re taking.