EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF NARCOLEPSY WITH CODEINE IN A PATIENT RECEIVINGHEMODIALYSIS

A 64-year-old man with narcolepsy could not take stimulant drugs due t o coronary heart disease. In the past he noted improvement in alertnes s when taking codeine for pain, but this was eventually discontinued. After he developed end-stage renal disease, and because the use of sti mulants in this setting may be difficult, treatment with codeine was a gain initiated. This resulted in dramatic improvement in alertness and substantial reduction of cataplexy. Because it is simple to use and f amiliar to most physicians, codeine may be the drug of choice for narc oleptic patients who are undergoing hemodialysis.