Venlafaxine's Impact on Apnea Hypopnea Index in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

This study is about exploring the effects of Venlafaxine, a medication typically used to treat depression and anxiety, on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The study's main goal is to see if Venlafaxine can improve the Apnea Hypopnea Index, a measure of sleep apnea severity. The study focuses on adults with OSA, as they may benefit from improved arousal threshold and upper airway muscle tone, which are potentially influenced by increased serotonin levels from Venlafaxine. The potential outcomes of this study could lead to new treatment options for individuals with OSA, addressing an important unmet need in sleep medicine. In this study, participants will undergo an overnight sleep study called polysomnography and receive either Venlafaxine or a placebo, in a random order. The Venlafaxine dose will be administered 2 hours before sleep. After about 7 days, participants will receive the alternate treatment (placebo or Venlafaxine). The study will evaluate changes in the Apnea Hypopnea Index and the lowest oxygen level during sleep after a single dose of Venlafaxine, comparing these results to the placebo group. The study aims to determine whether Venlafaxine can lead to improvements in these measures, potentially offering a new treatment approach for OSA.