THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS TAKEN BY PATIENTS PR ESENTING WITH RESPIRATORY-DISEASE ON THE ORGANIZATION OF SLEEP AND THE RESPIRATORY CHARACTERISTICS

The influence of medications and the usual taken by patients with resp iratory disease on the characteristics of sleep and nocturnal respirat ion is complex, due to the fact of the inter-dependence which exists b etween these two physiological domains. Numerous medications have been evaluated for the treatment of nocturnal respiratory anomalies observ ed in patients suffering from chronic airflow obstruction or from a sl eep apnoea or hypopnoea syndrome. For the greater part, the efficacy o f these drugs remains limited and in the case of nocturnal sleep apnoe a no pharmacological approach has an efficacy comparable either to mec hanical or surgical treatments. It is thus important in these patients to appreciate the limits of medications prescribed for a specific pur pose and the deleterious effect which may occur with certain medicatio ns employed for a symptomatic goal.