Severe central sleep apnoea associated with nalmefene: a case report

Nalmefene, an opioid antagonist, has recently been approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence. We describe here the first case of a 52-year-old woman who developed a severe central sleep apnoea (CSA) 5 months after initiation of nalmefene. Scoring of ventilation during sleep recording revealed an apnoea-hypopnoea index of 67/h with 98.7% of central events and an apnoea index of 65/h. Nalmefene was withdrawn and a new polysomnography was performed which concluded that CSA has disappeared. Pathophysiology is still unclear but could involve the κ-opioid receptors. Physicians should be aware that CSA might affect patients treated with nalmefene. Further investigations are required to determine the pathophysiology, frequency, and treatment of CSA associated with nalmefene and other therapy for alcohol disorders.

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