Deppression Question

[jnk]

. . . I do like to take an anti-depressant vacation every 9-12 months or so, though it's been a bit longer since I have done so recently. . . .

As guided by a doc, not totally on one's own.

[avi123]

I take 10 mg of Paxil but it is not for depression. Besides, it delays REM sleep which is not good. Tell your Doc to give you Xanax instead.

[scrapper]

WHO COULD YOU BE STUCK WITH A CPAP AND NOT BE DEPRESSED?

I, for one, am thrilled that such a complex problem such as osa can be cured with air. It's given me my life back.

[MikeyB]

I am not depressed with cpap, it has been other issues in my life, I thought the move back to Ohio from Tennessee would solve the problem when it had actually exaserbated it.

[jbn3boys]

I am not depressed with cpap, it has been other issues in my life, I thought the move back to Ohio from Tennessee would solve the problem when it had actually exaserbated it.

It doesn't matter what the cause...depression sucks. My best advice is to follow your doctor's advice. There are many differing opinions about depression. I often find that people who have not personally experienced medically diagnosed depression are the ones that want to tell you to "just get over it", or "if you do (fill in the blank) you would be better". Don't listen to them. Listen to your doctor, or find a different one if you don't trust yours. Sometimes it helps to find a psychiatrist to help, if your regular doctor isn't doing enough. Also, a good therapist/counselor can be invaluable. Just hang in there. And know that you are not alone!

[Bpilot]

i am a new CPAP user but old hat at depression/anxiety.

Regarding depression, learn as much as you can about it and how to counter it. Don't let it run your life; go out with friends whether you feel like it or not, but do pick friends/family to hang with that bring you up not run you down. Remember HALT...try not to get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. Eat healthy (not much fast food), sleep well, and exercise(sweat for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week). Become more authoritative (in control) and less passive...this takes practice. I imagine this all will require reworking your lifestyle, so start now at making a step by step plan to improve the above areas. Dont expect everyone to like your changes, sometimes people like you the way you were for a reason. A member here posted this good link...search here for 'can CPAP cause depression'

Regarding Paxil, its not the cleanest drug out there. Zoloft and Lexapro are similar but usually better tolerated. However, they are not as good at working with an aggravated/anxious depression or OCD comorbid with depression. I have been on Paxil for 7 years and tolerate it well. There were a few brain zaps initially but they went away. Everyone is different and it takes about 4-5 weeks before you get close to a full effect and sometimes even a few months past that. That said, if you are feeling much worse 10-14 days into it then tell your doc asap and switch...there's too many other things out there to use and everyone is different. I was on 60 mg for 5 years and 40mg for the last two. 60mg is a high dose and i would watch it if you are experiencing side effects at 40 cause they just get much worse at 60. I have been depression free for the last 6 years with Paxil but my doc had to add buspar and tofranil (a tricyclic) to help me fully recover. You can hope the drug 'cures' you itself (it may or may not) or you can meet it halfway by gaining knowledge and making changes to your life and lifestyle that help now and for the rest of your life.
bp

[Jersey Girl]

Dear Mikey,

I was on paxil for 10 years or so. I was on 10 mg and then 20 mg and then 30 mg. Paxil can be slightly sedating. It does a GREAT job to help with anxiety/panic attacks. However, there is a saying out there among users - PAXIL packs on the pounds! And it does for most of us. I decided to come off of it for that reason. I eventually switched to Prestique. If I were you, I would do the 10 mg and then 20 and then 30. I would then evaluate how I was feeling before I went up to 40 or above. I did NOT find that it worsened my apneas, although every individual is different. I have found that illness in general - sinus infection, stomach virus, any time I run a fever - illness worsens my sleep apnea, although I always seem to get anxious and blame it on some medication or other, I found that no, it was just my illness at the time.

I found Paxil to be very helpful with Anxiety and slightly with depression. I believe that every individual responds differently to these drugs. Zoloft made me feel drunk without the happy - my hands shook, I couldn't concentrate. With Paxil I received SIGNIFICANT help for my anxiety and I was able to focus and function in life. With Pristique I am able to do well without feeling as sedated and I am able to slowly lose some weight.

Again, I would build up to 30 mg and see how I felt before increasing the dosage more. Let me know how it goes.

Warmly,

Jersey Girl

[M.D.Hosehead]

J.G., how long have you taken Prestiq and did it help the weight gain problem?

[Jersey Girl]

Dear M.D. Hosehead,

I have been on Prestique for about a year and a half. You should know that I am also a Type II diabetic and take Glyboride (a weight gainer, and Humulin N insulin at bedtime - another weight gainer). That said, getting off of the paxil, getting treated for the pain caused by a knee in need of replacement (which helped me to get back the to gym), helped me lose 22 pounds so far. Weight loss is VERY slow for me but it was impossible while I was on paxil. Changing to Prestique was just a first step in creating an environment for possible weight loss. My blood sugar numbers were very, very high due to a knee that has no cartalidge left (had a torn mesniscus repaired 5 years ago and then arthritus set in). The pain in both arthritic knees has been interolerable. I see a pain doctor and an endo and my primary and between all of us, I have been able to make some progress in my weight loss journey. Of course, I see a sleep doctor as well and he made sure that I have excellent equipment and thanks to this forum, I am compliant - average AHI is usually about 1.9.

I have found, though that my AHI goes up significantly when I am sick, but does not change significantly from my medications. If I get a stomach virus or sinus infection, my AHI goes up as high as 4.9 or 5.5. Neither Prestique or Paxil caused any significant changes in my AHI.

I also take a list of all of my medications to a Psych. who specializes in pharmacology. He safely weaned me off of paxil - had me take 10 mg of paxil and 50 mg of prestique every day for a week and then told me I could throw away my paxil. I was nervous about it and he gave me his beeper number. I never needed to use it. He was right. I came off of paxil seamlessly. I honestly do not think that I could have lost even one pound if I was still on the paxil.

Best regards,

Jersey Girl

[brazospearl]

Mikey, as somebody who has dealt with depression for years, I feel your pain! Will Paxil have an impact on your sleep? Probably. But untreated depression impacts your sleep as well, so that might be a trade you need to make. As mentioned earlier, there are also a number of non-pharmaceutical treatments that can really help. A few keys for me are monitoring my diet closely (it seems low-level food sensitivities mess up my mood) and spending time outside every day. Sunshine REALLY helps, and taking a walk in the sun is particularly uplifting. Spending time face-to-face with people you enjoy is excellent, as well. Moderate exercise is great, lots of intense exercise has not been helpful. Also, remember effective treatment of depression, like effective cpap therapy, is definitely not a continuous forward action; setbacks are inevitable, and do not mean that you're not in a forward trend. It's important to practice patience. Good luck, and let me know if I can help.

[2ndGenCPAPgal]

Over the years I have been through no less than 5 antidepressants. The only one I was not able to tolerate for even a week was Paxil. Stomach issues were always the side effect that hit me, and w/ Paxil they were unbearable. When I was discussing going on a new med w/ my doctor recently, she didn't seem surprised by my difficulties w/ Paxil in particular.

Prior to the one I started recently, CPAP had done more for my depression than any of them. A couple months ago I started (coincidentally) Effexor XR 75mg and I am thrilled to finally see real results.

As others have said though, antidepressants are as dependent on you the individual as CPAP masks so YMMV.