Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0917801 (insomnia)
 10,606 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Among the newer antihypertensive agents are the beta-blocking drugs, such as propranolol. These agents are useful as second-step drugs to be used if diuretic therapy alone is not effective. In mild to moderately severe hypertension, propranolol, in does of up to 480 mg/day in combination with a thiazide diuretic, has been found to be effective in over 80% of patients on long-term therapy. This degree of response is essentially similar to that noted with a combination of reserpine and a diuretic agent. Although some observers believe that propranolol produces many fewer side effects than the other step 2 drugs (reserpine and alpha-methyldopa), there are some patients who do experience restlessness, insomnia, and depression. Clonidine may be substituted for another step 2 drug, is of moderate potency, but may not be tolerated by a large number of patients because of the severe dry mouth and drowsiness that it produces. Prazosin appears to be a suitable substitute for hydralazine as an effective vasodialator if thiazides plus propranolol or thiazides plus reserpine or alpha-methyldopa are not effective. In some instances, it many be an acceptable second-step drug because of its alpha-adrenoreceptor-blocking properties. The angiotensin II competitive inhibitors or converting enzyme inhibitors may in the future have some place in the management of hypertension.
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PMID:Propranolol and newer antihypertensive drugs in the management of hypertension. 42 60

Subjective reports of sleep disturbance indicate that 70-91% of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Nightmares are reported by 19-71% of patients, depending on the severity of their PTSD and their exposure to physical aggression. Objective measures of sleep disturbance are inconsistent, with some studies that used these measures indicating poor sleep and others finding no differences compared with non-PTSD controls. Future research in this area may benefit from examining measures of instability in the microstructure of sleep. Additionally, recent findings suggest that sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and sleep movement disorders are more common in patients with PTSD than in the general population and that these disorders may contribute to the brief awakenings, insomnia and daytime fatigue in patients with PTSD. Overall, sleep problems have an impact on the development and symptom severity of PTSD and on the quality of life and functioning of patients. In terms of treatments, SSRIs are commonly used to treat PTSD, and evidence suggests that they have a small but significant positive effect on sleep disruption. Studies of serotonin-potentiating non-SSRIs suggest that nefazodone and trazodone lead to significant reductions in insomnia and nightmares, whereas cyproheptadine may exacerbate sleep problems in patients with PTSD. Prazosin, a centrally acting alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, has led to large reductions in nightmares and insomnia in small studies of patients with PTSD. Augmentation of SSRIs with olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, may be effective for treatment-resistant nightmares and insomnia, although adverse effects can be significant. Additional medications, including zolpidem, buspirone, gabapentin and mirtazapine, have been found to improve sleep in patients with PTSD. Large randomised, placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm the above findings. In contrast, evidence suggests that benzodiazepines, TCAs and MAOIs are not useful for the treatment of PTSD-related sleep disorders, and their adverse effect profiles make further studies unlikely. Cognitive behavioural interventions for sleep disruption in patients with PTSD include strategies targeting insomnia and imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) for nightmares. One large randomised controlled trial of group IRT demonstrated significant reductions in nightmares and insomnia. Similarly, uncontrolled studies combining IRT and insomnia strategies have demonstrated good outcomes. Uncontrolled studies of continuous positive airway pressure for SDB in patients with PTSD show that this treatment led to significant decreases in nightmares, insomnia and PTSD symptoms. Controlled studies are needed to confirm these promising findings.
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PMID:Sleep disturbances in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: epidemiology, impact and approaches to management. 1680 Jul 16

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered the first-line pharmacological treatment for PTSD. However, even when treated with this class of drugs, response rates rarely exceed 60% and less than 20-30% of the patients achieve full remission. The aim of this study was to address this limitation by systematically reviewing the options left for the treatment of PTSD when patients do not respond satisfactorily to or tolerate SSRIs. A systematic review covering all original articles, letters and brief reports published in any language until October 2008 was conducted through searches in the ISI/Web of Science, PubMed and PILOTS databases. The search terms included the pharmacological class of each agent or its generic name plus "PTSD" or "stress disorder" in the title, in the abstract or as a keyword. Sixty-three articles were selected, covering the following categories: antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, adrenergic-inhibiting agents, opioid antagonists, benzodiazepines and other agents. None of the identified agents reached the level A of scientific evidence, 5 reached level B, 7 level C and 13 level D. The non-antidepressant agent with the strongest scientific evidence supporting its use in PTSD is risperidone, which can be envisaged as an effective add-on therapy when patients did not fully benefit from previous treatment with SSRIs. Prazosin, an adrenergic-inhibiting agent, is a promising alternative for cases of PTSD where nightmares and insomnia are prominent symptoms. So far, there is no consistent empirical support for using benzodiazepines in the prevention or in the treatment of PTSD, although these drugs could alleviate some associated non-specific symptoms, such as insomnia or anxiety. Further controlled clinical trials and meta-analysis are needed to guide clinicians in their search of effective pharmacological alternatives to antidepressants in PTSD.
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PMID:Pharmacologic alternatives to antidepressants in posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. 1914 7

Prazosin is increasingly being used off-label to treat nightmares in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. The literature about the psychiatric adverse effects of prazosin is very limited. We present a case in which low-dose prazosin was associated with nightmares and sleep disturbances in an elderly patient without previously diagnosed mental illness or coexisting environmental risk factors for nightmares. Insomnia and hallucinations are listed as some of the rare side effects of prazosin by the manufacturer. Prazosin could be associated with rare psychiatric adverse effects and sleep disturbances. Particular attention is required in identifying these adverse effects, which can be difficult to distinguish from other drug-related side effects in the elderly particularly because they are often using multiple medications.
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PMID:Sleep Disturbances and Nightmares in a Patient Treated with Prazosin. 2671 5

After exposure to traumatic stress, women are at greater risk than men for developing symptoms of some psychiatric disorders, including insomnia and nightmares. Sleep disturbance is one of the most refractory symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Women were included in a few studies that examined efficacy of psychological or pharmacologic interventions for trauma-related sleep disturbances. Studies demonstrated preliminary evidence for efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, imagery rehearsal therapy, and combinations of these techniques in treating insomnia and nightmares in trauma-exposed women. Prazosin as an adjunct to ongoing treatment is a potentially efficacious strategy for treating trauma-related nightmares in women.
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PMID:Impact of Traumatic Stress on Sleep and Management Options in Women. 3009 56