Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists

Abstract Background Nocturnal eating behavior in patients with sleep‐related eating disorder (SRED) is difficult to control and can become chronic, causing weight gain and psychological distress. Here, we report a case of SRED comorbid with major depressive disorder successfully treated by switching...

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Main Authors: Kentaro Matsui, Ayano Kimura, Kentaro Nagao, Takuya Yoshiike, Kenichi Kuriyama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-09-01
Series:PCN Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.123
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author Kentaro Matsui
Ayano Kimura
Kentaro Nagao
Takuya Yoshiike
Kenichi Kuriyama
author_facet Kentaro Matsui
Ayano Kimura
Kentaro Nagao
Takuya Yoshiike
Kenichi Kuriyama
author_sort Kentaro Matsui
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Nocturnal eating behavior in patients with sleep‐related eating disorder (SRED) is difficult to control and can become chronic, causing weight gain and psychological distress. Here, we report a case of SRED comorbid with major depressive disorder successfully treated by switching from brotizolam to suvorexant, that is, from a benzodiazepine to an orexin receptor antagonist. Case Presentation A 25‐year‐old woman complained of night snacking with partial/complete amnesia and sleepwalking for 1 year. She had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder at age 20 and was on paroxetine and brotizolam for depression and insomnia. At 24 years of age, she experienced her second depressive episode, then her amnestic nocturnal eating became prominent. Even after improvement in depressive symptoms, she experienced uncontrollable nocturnal eating episodes every 2 days, resulting in weight gain of over 10 kg. After a partial amnestic eating episode following an awakening from stage N2 sleep was confirmed through video polysomnography, she was diagnosed with SRED. Considering her strong desire to resolve involuntary eating, we instructed her to discontinue brotizolam and start suvorexant. Subsequently, her nocturnal eating completely disappeared. She experienced rebound insomnia, which improved within 1 month. She was then continued on 10 mg of suvorexant and has not experienced nocturnal eating for 2 years. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of discontinuing benzodiazepines in the treatment of SRED, but also suggests the potential benefit of orexin receptor antagonists in the treatment of SRED. The efficacy of orexin receptor antagonists in idiopathic SRED should be tested in future studies.
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spelling doaj.art-ab9b2ce2555d451299dd60d7ff7270052023-09-26T08:14:29ZengWileyPCN Reports2769-25582023-09-0123n/an/a10.1002/pcn5.123Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonistsKentaro Matsui0Ayano Kimura1Kentaro Nagao2Takuya Yoshiike3Kenichi Kuriyama4Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Center Hospital National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Kodaira Tokyo JapanDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center Hospital National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Kodaira Tokyo JapanDepartment of Sleep–Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Kodaira Tokyo JapanDepartment of Sleep–Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Kodaira Tokyo JapanDepartment of Sleep–Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Kodaira Tokyo JapanAbstract Background Nocturnal eating behavior in patients with sleep‐related eating disorder (SRED) is difficult to control and can become chronic, causing weight gain and psychological distress. Here, we report a case of SRED comorbid with major depressive disorder successfully treated by switching from brotizolam to suvorexant, that is, from a benzodiazepine to an orexin receptor antagonist. Case Presentation A 25‐year‐old woman complained of night snacking with partial/complete amnesia and sleepwalking for 1 year. She had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder at age 20 and was on paroxetine and brotizolam for depression and insomnia. At 24 years of age, she experienced her second depressive episode, then her amnestic nocturnal eating became prominent. Even after improvement in depressive symptoms, she experienced uncontrollable nocturnal eating episodes every 2 days, resulting in weight gain of over 10 kg. After a partial amnestic eating episode following an awakening from stage N2 sleep was confirmed through video polysomnography, she was diagnosed with SRED. Considering her strong desire to resolve involuntary eating, we instructed her to discontinue brotizolam and start suvorexant. Subsequently, her nocturnal eating completely disappeared. She experienced rebound insomnia, which improved within 1 month. She was then continued on 10 mg of suvorexant and has not experienced nocturnal eating for 2 years. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of discontinuing benzodiazepines in the treatment of SRED, but also suggests the potential benefit of orexin receptor antagonists in the treatment of SRED. The efficacy of orexin receptor antagonists in idiopathic SRED should be tested in future studies.https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.123benzodiazepinenight eating syndromeorexin receptor antagonistsleep‐related eating disordersuvorexant
spellingShingle Kentaro Matsui
Ayano Kimura
Kentaro Nagao
Takuya Yoshiike
Kenichi Kuriyama
Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
PCN Reports
benzodiazepine
night eating syndrome
orexin receptor antagonist
sleep‐related eating disorder
suvorexant
title Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
title_full Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
title_fullStr Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
title_full_unstemmed Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
title_short Treatment of sleep‐related eating disorder with suvorexant: A case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
title_sort treatment of sleep related eating disorder with suvorexant a case report on the potential benefits of replacing benzodiazepines with orexin receptor antagonists
topic benzodiazepine
night eating syndrome
orexin receptor antagonist
sleep‐related eating disorder
suvorexant
url https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.123
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