Clarithromycin-induced hypersomnia in children

Abstract

Two cases of hypersomnia in children caused by therapeutic doses of oral clarithromycin are presented. Clarithromycin-induced hypersomnia in children has not been reported before. A 4-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy received clarithromycin as monotherapy. The girl fell into a deep sleep after every dose of the antibiotic. The boy reported daytime sleepiness and prolongation of night-time sleep during the antibiotic therapy. In both cases the hypersomnia receded after cessation of clarithromycin therapy. The onset of hypersomnia after clarithromycin intake, its remission once the drug was stopped, and the absence of other possible causative factors favored the diagnosis of clarithromycin-induced hypersomnia, further supported by the scores on Naranjo's Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale in both cases. Clinicians evaluating children receiving clarithromycin and exhibiting suddenly changed behavior should keep in mind that the antibiotic can produce uncommon adverse reactions.