EFFECTIVENESS OF YOHIMBINE IN TREATING NARCOLEPSY

Yohimbine was used in four men and four women ranging in ape from 21 t o 64 years with nocturnal polysomnography and multiple sleep latency t est-verified narcolepsy. All achieved a stimulant response in doses ra nging from 2.7 to 16.2 mg/day. The effective dose was defined as the a mount of medication required to maintain subjective wakefulness for 8 consecutive working hours. The average effective dose was approximatel y 8 mg/day. While one subject became immediately tolerant, others main tained a response for several weeks. The first subject continued to ha ve good control of sleepiness for 17 months. Mild and transient side e ffects were insomnia, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flushing, and tremor. Alpha -2 adrenergic receptor abnormalities are suspected in narcolepsy, whic h could explain the improvement in sleepiness for these patients.