Treatments for Sleep Apnea

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

The goal of treatment for sleep apnea is to decrease the frequency or completely eliminate episodes of breathing interruption.

Treatment may involve the following:

Lifestyle changes
Surgery
Other treatments

A number of drugs have been investigated for use in treating sleep apnea. Modafinil (Provigil) has been used to reduce sleepiness in people with daytime sleepiness. Omeprazole (Prilosec) is another medication that has been used to reduce the number of apnea attacks.

References:

American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/snoring.cfm . Accessed September 17, 2008.

Cecil R, Goldman L, Benett JC. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2000.

NINDS sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep_apnea/sleep_apnea.htm . Updated June 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.

Obstructive sleep apnea. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated September 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.

What is sleep apnea? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.n... . Updated February 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.

Last reviewed October 2012 by Rimas Lukas, MD
Last Updated: 10/11/2012

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