Cataplexy treated with escitalopram--clinical experience.
BACKGROUND
Narcolepsy with cataplexy is a debilitating sleep disease of which some symptoms can be treated with antidepressants. The antidepressant escitalopram is considered the most specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor.


METHODS
Ten patients (5 men and 5 women, age range 18-77 years) suffering from narcolepsy with cataplexy occurring at least weekly were treated with escitalopram 5 or 10 mg a day for 28-98 days. These patients were barred from taking any drugs influencing cataplexy and also had no other diseases affecting sleep or vigilance.


RESULTS
The mean number of cataplexies per week in 8 compliant patients declined significantly from 6.7 (+/-SD=7.2) to 0.3 (+/-0.6), P=0.02 (Sign test). Cataplexy completely disappeared in 6 patients. Subjective daytime sleepiness, power of concentration, quality of night sleep and mood remained unchanged. During the treatment, two patients had ejaculation disturbances. Two patients withdrew from the therapy (one because of ejaculation disturbance, the other for unknown reason).


CONCLUSIONS
Escitalopram proved to have anticataplectic effects in this small-scale open-label study.
Sonka
Karel
K
Department of Neurology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic. ksonka@lf1.cuni.cz
Kemlink
David
D
Pretl
Martin
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002385:Cataplexy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012890:Sleep
D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors