What if a single pill could help your whole household sleep better? If you’re one of the many millions of Americans who snores — or suffer from sharing a space with a partner, parent or roommate who does — a new drug entering clinical trials in the United States could be a slumber saver.
A 2018 study based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that a once-a-night tablet which combines two non-sleep related drugs, effectively reduced snoring frequency for 20 research volunteers by 74% — from an average of 28.5 breathing interruptions per hour to just 7.5. Two years later, the remarkably simple — but potentially revolutionary — therapy is being put to the test in a clinical trial sponsored by Apnimed, a company formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts to market findings from that 2018 study.
Researchers warn that the new treatment may not be without side effects, both physical and mental, and some quite serious. Oxybutynin, for example, more commonly causes abdominal discomfort and constipation, and atomoxetine has been associated with mood swings and suicidal thoughts, according to MedlinePlus.gov.
Link:NY Post
Photo- Getty