title: Cocaine abuse and sleep apnea in severe obesity.
abstract: Obesity is a cause of sleep breathing disorders that result in excessive daytime sleepiness. We describe the adaptive strategy used by an obese person who started to snort cocaine to remedy incoercible drowsiness affecting his working financial skills. Clinical workup documented severe sleep apnea, which was treated by noninvasive ventilation and resulted in withdrawing cocaine abuse. Undiagnosed sleep disorders may trigger surreptitious psychostimulant abuse in vulnerable individuals.
authors.affiliation: From the Divisions of General Medicine (PM, GG, EU, MAT, AL) and Pulmunology Rehabilitation (PF), Ospedale S. Giuseppe, I.R.C.S.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania; Division of Internal Medicine (MM) and Department of Translational Medicine (PM, GA), Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro," Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marzullo
authors.forename: Mirta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegatti
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guzzaloni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fanari
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Uccelli
authors.forename: Maria Antonella
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aimaretti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liuzzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D012651:Self Medication / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine