It is claimed that narcolepsy/cataplexy patients exhibit no withdrawal syndrome (if withdrawal is from a therapeutic dose), but patients with this condition truly have a strong motivation to maintain the correct schedule of their medications. In fact, withdrawal from GHB, once addicted, can be severe. Even the FDA literature on GHB acknowledges its addiction potential and withdrawal syndrome (please read the FDA data below). If you are taking it or considering taking Xyrem for whatever purpose and your doctor, for example, tells you that GHB is non-addictive, you may want to get a second opinion because the medical facts indicate otherwise. Unfortunately, some of the doctors prescribing GHB for off label uses have minimal, or no, knowledge of this drug in general, other than what they have been told by a drug representative. NOTE: Off label use means that doctors can prescribe the drug for conditions and diseases other than what the drug has been researched for and approved for, even without any research or evidence to back up that it is effective or safe for that other purpose. The FDA has not deemed it efficacious for those conditions yet, but because of the off label use policy and the reference in their materials, doctors can and might prescribe it without being fully informed. While Orphan Medical can only “advertise” Xyrem for the combination of narcolepsy and cataplexy, their literature also suggests that Xyrem may be a possible treatment for daytime sleepiness and fibromyalgia, referencing that it is being researched for those conditions. But, since the FDA declined to exempt Xyrem from “off label use”-though this was recommended by their own advisory committee-doctors can and may prescribe it for just sleep disorders or other conditions. If you have only narcolepsy or other sleep disorder-and do not have cataplexy-then Xyrem wasn’t approved for that purpose. What works for one may not work for another.). This is not a recommendation of Prozac over Xyrem. (Comparison: an ongoing study says that Prozac reduces incidence of cataplexy by 92 percent with ongoing efficacy but Prozac, as with most drugs, also has risks and concerns. It is claimed that Xyrem reduces the incidence by 70 percent. If you have the debilitating COMBINATION of narcolepsy and cataplexy, it is possible that the “official” GHB (tradename Xyrem) might help that condition, by reducing the incidence of cataplexy.
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