CPAP and sleeping pills

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
kfujioka

CPAP and sleeping pills

Post by kfujioka » Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:48 pm

I am new to sleep apnea. I am taking sleeping pills but want to get off them. I heard they make apnea worse. Is this true?

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tortoisegirl
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Re: CPAP and sleeping pills

Post by tortoisegirl » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:26 pm

It depends on the person, the type of sleeping pill, and the type of apnea. Any medication change is best discussed with your doctor. Also, depending on the medication, it may be possible to taper down from it to minimize the rebound insomnia effect.

In general, I have read that Ambien is the most studied when it comes to sleep apnea and is thought to have little effect for most folks (they often use it for sleep studies). Others can have a large effect on obstructive apneas. Some can actually help some folks with central apnea.

There are always exceptions to the rules though, and if you can learn to sleep without them, you'd likely be better off long term, just on the basis of less meds, less risk. It depends how much the untreated insomnia would affect you. Some folks use them long term, and as long as you needed them and your doctor supports it and your CPAP pressure is titrated to adequately treat your apnea, then I don't see too many negatives.

The main issue I'd see was if you started them after your CPAP titration and you and/or your doctor weren't following your data to verify the effect. Have you been on the sleeping pills since before CPAP, or were they started to help you adapt to CPAP?

I was on Ambien for insomnia before CPAP, but decided to get off of it since I manage ok without it. I was sure glad to have it when starting CPAP though. It appears to have been suppressing some central apneas for me though oddly enough (2/hour on average). Now I just take it as needed. Best wishes.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: CPAP and sleeping pills

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:29 pm

Actually, all sleep aids are different. Some can be used--in moderation and preferably temporarily.
It is best to ask your physician for a recommendation for one that does not depress your central nervous system.
Be aware that even herbal remedies may have side effects, and some "safe" meds can be habituating.
Individual responses will vary, as they do to any drug.

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kfujioka

Re: CPAP and sleeping pills

Post by kfujioka » Wed Aug 20, 2014 12:46 am

Thank you all for your help. I take seroquel. It was prescribed before I was diagnosed. I used it at the sleep study.

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49er
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Re: CPAP and sleeping pills

Post by 49er » Wed Aug 20, 2014 4:32 am

kfujioka wrote:Thank you all for your help. I take seroquel. It was prescribed before I was diagnosed. I used it at the sleep study.
Seroquel definitely needs to be tapered very slowly since it is an antipsychotic unless you haven't been taking it for very long. And even if you haven't, you should still be cautious with the taper.

See this thread for tapering tips.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/ind ... uetiapine/