Treatment of severe snoring with a combination of pseudoephedrine sulfate and domperidone.

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES:

Pharmacologic treatment of severe snoring has not been considered to be of great value. The objective of this study was to determine whether the combination of a nasal decongestant and a prokinetic drug would decrease or eliminate severe snoring.

METHODS:

Thirty healthy individuals whose sleeping partners reported that the patients had severe nightly snoring entered an open-label trial of 60 mg of pseudoephedrine and 10 mg of domperidone at bedtime for 30 days. Each night's snoring was scored on a diary by the sleeping partner. At the end of the open-label trial, a subset of subjects whose snoring had recurred were randomized to one or both placebo-controlled trials, either 60 mg of pseudoephedrine sulfate plus 10 mg of domperidone or to 30 mg of pseudoephedrine sulfate plus 10 mg of domperidone. In another placebo-controlled trial, the drug combination was compared with each component.

RESULTS:

In the open-label trial, 493 of 772 evaluable subject-nights were free of snoring; another 232 nights were scored as mild snoring. In the placebo-controlled trials, low-dose therapy caused a reduction in snoring, and high-dose therapy even a greater reduction in snoring. The drug combination was more effective than either agent alone.

CONCLUSION:

Treatment with a prokinetic agent plus a nasal decongestant reduced or eliminated severe snoring in the majority of subjects treated.

• Authors: Augusto Larrain, Monica Hudson, Jason A Dominitz, Charles E Pope 2nd
• Journal: Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (J Clin Sleep Med) Vol. 2 Issue 1 Pg. 21-5 (Jan 15 2006) ISSN: 1550-9389 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17557432 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Dopamine Antagonists
• Vasoconstrictor Agents
• Domperidone
• Ephedrine

Topics

• Adult
• Domperidone (therapeutic use)
• Dopamine Antagonists (therapeutic use)
• Double-Blind Method
• Ephedrine (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Severity of Illness Index
• Snoring (drug therapy)
• Vasoconstrictor Agents (therapeutic use)