Half of people prescribed CPAP masks for sleep apnea stop using them within a year. The mask works, but it's hard to live with — the straps, the noise, the feeling of being tethered to a machine every night. Now a European clinical trial suggests there might be another path: a pill that could reduce the breathing interruptions that define the condition without requiring a mask at all.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg tested sulthiame, a drug already approved for childhood epilepsy, on patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Those given higher doses experienced up to a 47% reduction in breathing pauses and showed measurably better oxygen levels than those on placebo. The side effects were mostly mild and temporary.
How it works
Sleep apnea happens when the upper airway collapses during sleep, triggering repeated breathing interruptions that jolt you awake (often without you realizing it). Over time, this oxygen deprivation strains the heart and increases risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It's common enough that many people live with it untreated, simply because they can't tolerate the standard CPAP machine.
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Start Your News DetoxSulthiame appears to work by stabilizing the body's breathing regulation and boosting respiratory drive — essentially making the airway less likely to collapse in the first place. It's a fundamentally different approach than CPAP, which uses air pressure to physically hold the airway open.
"We have been working on this treatment strategy for a long time, and the results show that sleep apnea can indeed be influenced pharmacologically," says Jan Hedner, senior professor of pulmonary medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy. "It feels like a breakthrough."
The caveat is important: this is an early-stage trial. Larger, longer studies are needed to confirm the effect holds up over months and years, and to establish safety in broader patient groups. But for the millions of people who've abandoned their masks in frustration, the possibility of a medication-based alternative is genuinely significant. The next phase of research will tell us whether sulthiame becomes a real option or remains a promising lead.
