Untreated sleep apnea and antidepressants

[OutaSync]

I agree with Rooster. If I had to do it over again, I would not take the antidepressants. I was on CPAP for nearly a year before I decided to wean off of the antidepressants. It was physically difficult to do so. From the sound of your symptoms, it is the deprivation of oxygen to your system that is making you so tired. It might take awhile to recover. It took a long time for you to get into that condition.

In the meantime, try to sleep only on your side. Prevent rolling onto your back by putting a ball inside your T-shirt, or wear a backpack. You may have less apneas while on your side.

Make sure they give you a data reporting CPAP machine so that you can monitor your progress.

Best wishes,
Bev

[jnk]

Q. Is sleep apnea linked to depression?

A. "There's a very strong link between the two. Many of my patients are taking antidepressant medications. People with sleep apnea often complain of fatigue, lack of energy and poor sleep, all of which are hallmarks of depression. However, sleep researchers don't know if the depression is due to sleep deprivation, or if it's a specific manifestation of the sleep apnea itself. When the apnea is effectively treated, the depression often gets better."--Dr. Nancy A. Collop, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University and a former president of the American Board of Sleep Medicine.


http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/he ... ea-qa.html

[blowfish]

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[Marietjie]

Hi Oxy - me again - When I started with cpap therapy I experienced so many (bad) emotions! I was VERY VERY SAD and DISAPPOINTED when I realised that I must sleep with cpap for the REST OF MY LIFE ! ! ! It took me 2 YEARS to get over this 'negative emotion'. (Now, DON'T you wait 2 years) You know, I'll tell you why it is so difficult to accept this 'new thing' that we must get used to..........It is because NO OTHER family member or friends before us was on cpap therapy, we are the FIRST ONES, in other words, we've nobody as role model that could help and teach us how to live with cpap. So, let's lift our heads and set a good example for generations to come. We are the best ! ! ! Good day - Marietjie

[oxygenium65]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences! I think i'll wait my cpap and take no "drugs" before.
I'm going to talk with my doc too.
I'm not alone anymore.. Big Thanks!!

[Guest]

I believe that I have had sleep apnea for more than 10 years, but have only recently been treated for it. As far as mood, I remember feeling irritable for much of that time although I thought at the time that it was just menopause. Now that I have been treated, I rarely feel irritable.

I would be wary of using antidepresents until you get your sleep apnea under control. Many of the antidepresents are taken at bedtime and put you into a deep sleep. The problem here is that this deep sleep they induce may make you have more severe apnea episodes from which you will not awake so readily---because you are drugged. My physician said for me to avoid alcohol because of my sleep apnea. I think that it would be wise to avoid any drugs that lowered your level of consciousness until the apnea problem is solved. After all, the apnea can cause stroke, damage the heart, etc. inaddition to the bad effects that it has on the mind. Once the apnea is gone, then add in the antidepresent therapy. (Since your depression is not so bad that you are suicidal.)

[blowfish]

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[DreamDiver]

Same was what others have said - buy the machine now. Don't wait a month. Make sure the machine is fully data capable and buy the software to read your nightly results. Watch your mask leaks. Try to find a mask that fits you well. Read the 'Our Wisdom' section under the yellow light bulb at the top of the forum.

Welcome.

[oxygenium65]

Do what the Dr. told you to do or get another opinion or don't bother to go to the Dr. if you aren'y going to follow their directions...

That antidepressants recipe wasn't from sleep doctor, but General Practitioner. Here In my country It's quite long waiting list to sleep doctor/nurse. Im going to do exactly what sleep nurse/doctor tells me to do.
Like i told, in 40 days i get cpap. Then i have appointment at least with sleep nurse.
I think we have presumably little different health services here in Finland. I must try harder to get appointment earlier, and with "real" sleep doc i think.

[blowfish]

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[oxygenium65]

mth712, i can see your point of view too, and i'm not disagree... quite a paradox..
I'm not "fully functional" and i am "missing work" i definitely NOT having "suicidal thoughts".
Topmost feeling and emotion is exhaustion, dead tired and maybe some anger because i haven't energy enough for my kids and wife.
I have played guitar 30 years... hobby and semi-pro. My lifetime passion... Damn! I haven't even touched my guitars in last 6 months!

[blowfish]

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[plr66]

i somehow accepted that i'm hazy, lazy , slow, dead tired,
cynical, frustrated, anxious, sometimes very short tempered, can't concentrate, bad memory.. etc.

Wow. Kinda brings a tear to my eye as I see myself in that statement over at least the past 3-4 yrs. Blamed it on being in my 50's, blamed it on my jobs, on major changes in my life, and on a medical problem or two which have been unexplained. The list goes on. Usually blamed myself that I just hadn't done this or that to appropriately correct the things which might be causing such major personality changes in myself. Have always coped well, stayed active & in pretty decent shape physically, and been able to kinda roll with difficult employments. Till these past few years.

The memory loss has been so incredible that I was finally driven to the doctor and somewhat tearfully so, when I finally decided that I must have early Alzheimers--and was absolutely convinced that my remaining years were numbered in a single digit, particularly with my concomitant increasing tiredness, exhaustion, and inability to ever be satisfied by any amount of sleep.

Skipping all the stuff between that appt. in early August and today, I can now look back and see so clearly how it all fit into the OSA scenario. Even the 2 medical conditions which were so bizarre and excruciatingly painful and insanity-inducing (I thinkI escaped that part ) now also seem related to OSA as I read a number of posts today (the stress hormone thing).

I am completely committed to this therapy, and am so grateful for this forum. I count myself among the fortunate to have stumbled into a diagnosis, totally by accident.

[blowfish]

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[oxygenium65]

Thanks mth712. PM reply too.