A 'Holy Grail' Sleep Apnea Pill Could Be on the Market Next Year

13 pointsposted 12 hours ago
by cebert

9 Comments

A_D_E_P_T

12 hours ago

A weirdly low-information article.

If anybody's curious, the drug is called AD109. It combines "an antimuscarinic, aroxybutynin (2.5 mg), with a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, atomoxetine (75 mg)." https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245186542...

Atomoxetine is an old generic.

Aroxybutynin is (R)-Oxybutynin. Oxybutynin is an ancient (>50 year old) generic. Wikipedia notes that "the (R)-enantiomer is a more potent anticholinergic than either the racemate or the (S)-enantiomer, which is essentially without anticholinergic activity at doses used in clinical practice. However, (R)-oxybutynin administered alone offers little or no clinical benefit above and beyond the racemic mixture."

If you have sleep apnea and live in a country where you can buy most drugs OTC, this "Holy Grail" is something you can put together for yourself by tomorrow! Simply combine oxybutynin 5mg with atomoxetine 75mg, and done.

PPoreddy

4 hours ago

This is a huge value add to the above article, thanks for the breakdown. I'm gonna ask my doc to review this literature and evaluate whether it's worth being prescribed ahead of time for a off label trial of my own.

al_borland

11 hours ago

> In very simplified terms, the medication works by waking up the brain stem, preventing full muscle relaxation in the throat, while allowing the brain itself to rest during sleep.

I wonder if this is the same level of restorative rest one would get without keeping the brain stem awake?

b3ing

8 hours ago

The purple sleep pills at Walmart work pretty good, but you might have to take 2+.

I’ve tried melatonin and magnesium and they never helped

nubinetwork

10 hours ago

> (CPAP machines) it’s hated by most everyone who has to use it. Many people with sleep apnea refuse to try it or won’t even get diagnosed for fear they may have to.

After knowing I've had sleep apnea for the past 10 years, I actually want the damn machine... I'm sick of having to sleep 3-4 times a day and still feeling like trash.

onedognight

8 hours ago

The machine (AirSense 11) has been a god send for me. I can’t believe I waited so long. I haven’t slept a night without it since my first. I haven’t had to tweak any settings. It’s just worked. Sure it’s annoying to travel with, and you look odd while wearing it, but deep sleep is so worth it.

smackeyacky

7 hours ago

What happens when it’s impromptu sexy time? I can’t imagine the Darth Vader mask is conducive to marital relations

thisislife2

2 hours ago

If your spouse thinks that a CPAP mask is an ornamentation that you wear to look good, you may have bigger problems in the relation ...

Doxin

4 hours ago

So take it off? You need it for sleeping, not for other activities.