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Case Reports
. 2021 Dec 31;14(12):e246469.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-246469.

Proton pump inhibitors associated with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder

Ruwanthi Jayasekara  1 , Ian Smith  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Proton pump inhibitors associated with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder

Ruwanthi Jayasekara et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

We present the case of a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (REMBD) based on typical symptoms and confirmed with an inpatient polysomnogram. She was prescribed clonazepam and later temazepam but continued to have intrusive symptoms. She subsequently recalled that the onset of dream enactment coincided with starting high-dose omeprazole for acid reflux. With this insight, she stopped the omeprazole. Within days, the dream enactment and nocturnal movements subsided. She stopped taking the temazepam and was symptom free for a few months. However, she was started on lansoprazole for recurrent dyspepsia. Once again she experienced violent movements in sleep. This is the first time an association between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and REMBD has been reported. PPIs have many effects on the central nervous system and should be considered as a possible provoking factor in people presenting with REMBD.

Keywords: sleep disorders (respiratory medicine); unwanted effects / adverse reactions.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Two 30 s epochs from the polysomnogram done at the initial diagnosis of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. REM, rapid eye movement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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