Yohimbine is a medicine which is extracted from the bark of the African Yohimbe tree. The drug has been shown to successfully treat Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in lab rats. Trials in human patients are just about to begin so watch this space — in the not to distant future you may be able to ditch your CPAP machine and take a naturally derived remedy instead!
Yohimbine helps treat rats with sleep apnoea
Recently the US National Institutes of Health funded a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) into the use of Yohimbine to treat sleep apnoea. They tested the drug in laboratory rats that were artificially made to have apnoeas during sleep.
The drug appears to work on nerves in an area of the brain that controls the tongue muscles. It causes the muscles to remain taut, preventing the tongue from moving to the back of the throat and obstructing the airways. Amazingly Yohimbine fully treated the rats’ sleep apnoea and it is hoped it will do the same in humans.
From lab rats to human patients
Although Yohimbine has been successful in treating rodents with sleep apnoea, this doesn’t guarantee it will work in humans. Retailers of Yohimbine currently label it as a ‘natural health supplement’, claiming that it can increase your libido and help burn fat if you are a body builder. Needless to say, it has yet to undergo proper scientific scrutiny.
And until it is trialled in humans it is impossible to know if it poses any health risks. Nobody really knows for example, the safe dosage, how long it should be used for and whether there are any side effects. For these reasons, the researchers at MIT warn against people using it.
In fact there already seems to be safety concerns — people with high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety and those who have had a stroke should steer clear of the Yohimbine for now. As all of these conditions are associated with sleep apnoea, it especially important people with the condition do not take Yohimbine prior to human testing.
Yohimbine could be lead to a less invasive treatment for sleep apnoea
The MIT research group plan to work with pharmaceutical companies to begin testing the drug in humans in the very near future. There are currently no drugs on the market to treat sleep apnoea — the mainstay of treatment is CPAP which is not always tolerated. If these trials are successful, Yohimbine would represent a welcome breakthrough for many patients.
Have you tried using Yohimbine for non sleep apnoea related reasons? Did it have a noticeable impact on your sleep? If so please let us know in the comments section below.
