Can medications alter the results of a PSG and MSLT?
Many medications (e.g., hypnotics, sedatives, and stimulants) can significantly alter the results of these procedures. In particular, both periods of medication initiation and acute withdrawal are often associated with major alterations of sleep characteristics, and the resultant patterns may mimic other sleep disorders, including narcolepsy or sleep-disordered breathing.
When it is not possible to discontinue medications that affect sleep, such medications should be continued at constant and stable levels for at least 2 weeks prior to testing.
Patients should never be told simply to refrain from taking a medication on the night of a study or several nights before the examination as this approach may affect the outcome of study results.
