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Drug-Induced Yawning

A Review of the French Pharmacovigilance Database

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Abstract

Objective: To review the reports with ‘yawning’ as an adverse drug reaction (ADR) reported into the French Pharmacovigilance Database.

Methods: All the observations with ‘yawning’ reported in the French Pharmacovigilance Database until December 2004 were reviewed. We recorded drug(s) involved, characteristics of patients (age, sex and underlying disease) and of ADR (seriousness, delay in occurrence, evolution, imputability).

Results: Twenty-eight reports were recorded between 1985 and December 2004. The sex ratio of the patients included in these reports was 1.5 and the mean age was 46.2 (2–78) years. Thirty-eight drugs were involved, mainly serotoninergic agents (serotonin reuptake inhibitors [12]), dopaminergic agents (levodopa [3], dopamine agonists [3], monoamine oxidase B inhibitor [1]), opioids (morphine [1], methadone [1], buprenorphine [1], dextromethorphan [1]), benzodiazepines (4) and sodium channel inhibitors (lidocaine [2], flecainide [1]). Four ADRs were rated ‘serious’ (leading to hospitalisation). Patient outcome was usually favourable after drug withdrawal.

Conclusion: Despite its necessary methodological drawbacks (mainly underreporting), this study reveals that several drugs may induce yawning in humans. Our work also indicates that stimulation of central dopamine or serotonin receptors elicits yawning in humans. This study underlines the role of several drugs in yawning and shows that this ADR is not systematically listed in the summary product characteristic even when it can be explained by the pharmacodynamic properties of the drugs.

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Table I

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Acknowledgements

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, Unité de Pharmacoépidémiologie, EA 3696, IFR INSERM 126, Université Paul Sabatier, Faculté de Médecine, 37 allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse, 31000, France

    Agnès Sommet, Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre & Jean-Louis Montastruc

  2. Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre Midi-Pyrénées de Pharmacovigilance, de Pharmacoépidémiologie et d’Informations sur le Médicament, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Hôpitaux de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    Agnès Sommet, Maryline Desplas, Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre & Jean-Louis Montastruc

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  1. Agnès Sommet
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  2. Maryline Desplas
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  3. Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre
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  4. Jean-Louis Montastruc
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Correspondence to Agnès Sommet.

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Sommet, A., Desplas, M., Lapeyre-Mestre, M. et al. Drug-Induced Yawning. Drug-Safety 30, 327–331 (2007). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-200730040-00005

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