TABLE 3

Medications to treat cataplexy in narcolepsy

Medication	Dose	Side effects
Sodium oxybate^a	3 g/night in divided doses, once before bedtime and then 2.5-4 hours later, titrated up to 4.5-9 g in divided doses	Nausea, mood swings, enuresis, headache, weight loss, sedation, sleepwalking, worsening of obstructive sleep apnea; High salt content can worsen preexisting hypertension, heart failure, and renal impairment Schedule III, ie, moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence; see www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml
Venlafaxine	Short-acting: 37.5–75 mg twice daily; may transition to long-acting formulation once on stable dose	Nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, headache, insomnia, sexual dysfunction
Fluoxetine	20–60 mg once daily	Nausea, headache, dry mouth, diarrhea, sexual dysfunction
Sertraline	50–150 mg once daily	Nausea, headache, dry mouth, diarrhea, sexual dysfunction
Protriptyline	5–10 mg twice daily	Dry mouth, constipation, light-headedness, urinary retention