Progressive Sleep Apneas Respond to Medroxyprogesterone Acetate

In a study published on March 27, 1980, 4 out of 9 obese adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome showed improvement after being treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate at doses of 60-120mg/day. These patients experienced a reduction in daytime sleepiness and pedal oedema, a decrease in the number of obstructive apnoeas during sleep, and some also lost weight over a period of weeks. However, the treatment did not alleviate daytime hypersomnolence in the remaining 5 patients, who had a significantly lower resting arterial oxygen tension before treatment. When the treatment was discontinued, symptoms returned in the responders. Side effects included alopecia in one patient, which resolved after stopping the drug, and decreased libido in another who continued therapy. After 6-8 months of follow-up, 3 patients remained well on this treatment.