Deppression Question

[MikeyB]

I know this is a sleep apnea community, but I have been depressed and Dr put me on Paxil today is there any think I should know about it? my dosage is week 1, 10mg week 2, 20mg, week 3, 30mg, and week 4, 40mg, then possible going upto 60mg at end of month.

[M.D.Hosehead]

Mikey,
1. Check wikipedia for "paroxetine" to read unbiased information.
2. Paxil may interfere with your sleep. If that happens, notify your Dr; it should be possible to improve that.

[kentoboo]

MikeyB- My DR. put me on Paxil for anxiety, I could not tolerate it, (caused stomach problems) but I am on 75mg of Effexor XR and have been for about 4 years. It has been a tremendous help but there are side effects to any depression/anxiety medication. I have not tried going off this medication but many people say it is very hard to do. I am sixty years old so the negative side effects (very low libido) are not that bothersome to me. You might have to try different medications to find the one right for you but they can certainly help.

[SnoozyQ]

Absolutely research details. Even search "Paxil and Sleep Apnea" to see if there is documented info about any effects on apnea.
Be sure to write down any changes that you notice, even the small ones. It may be useful info to have later, if problems arise.

[scrapper]

If needed, and prescribed appropriately, these kinds of meds can improve quality of life significantly for many individuals.......having said that, I am first a proponent of trying nonmed alternatives first liek.

Every med has a drawback unfortunately.........and one of them in the antidepressant field is that they increase ahi--sometimes making it impossible to achieve the normal sought after levels of < 5.

[bradb]

As a psych student and chronic depression sufferer, I have to jump in and say that Wikipedia is certainly not unbiased, and it is unverified and hardly ever considered a scholarly source. I would be cautious of what you read on there, as well as responses to an informal poll like this. Obviously, people are going to be more apt to respond with a negative experience than a positive one, which can skew things. I've been on several SSRIs (similar antidepressants to Paxil) and they have improved my quality of life. All I have negative to say is that I worry I'm not as 'creative' as a graphic designer or artist during the times when I am on an SSRI, but I say that with the preface that it's more important that I'm living, meaning alive and not curled up into a "the-world-is-coming-in-on-me" fetal position in bed unable to stop my brain from thinking bad thoughts. So, minor tradeoff there. 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. Anyway, food for thought. That's not a strong dose so you can definiely try it and see how it's working. I'd try telling my doctor in 6 months if I didn't feel different, and go for a dosage increase before giving up--that way I'd be able to say I really gave it the good ol' college try. Best of luck!

[Mary Z]

I have to agee with bradb. The newer antidepressants are not associated with a worsening of sleep apnea. Perhaps the older, more sedating ones would have that effect as may a sedative like Xanax. In my careful reading of all the prescribing information and with talks with my sleep doc and psychiatrist we have been unable to link any of my psych meds with worsening of sleep apnea. They keep me functioning so I can deal with, and care about using my BPAP. I would not discourage anyone seeking help from depression by making blanket statements that antidepressants increase AHI.
Mary Z.

[jbn3boys]

I don't have any experience with Paxil specifically, but I have had years of experience with antidepressants in general. (I use the term antidepressants to include anti-anxiety medications, too.) My biggest advise would be to 1) take it consistently to achieve the best results, and to 2) take it in the morning, to minimize the effects on sleep. Just know that it is NOT uncommon to have to try several different medications to find the one that works for you. It's a little like finding the right cpap mask--some get lucky and the first one they try works fine. Others have to do a lot of experimenting to find one that works. And, like cpap masks, if one works for me, it may or may not work for you. Having your first antidepressant not work is NOT a sign of failure.

And, I would NEVER trust Wikipedia to be unbiased. I love Wikipedia for things that are easily verifiable, such as when a person was born, or what movies an actor starred in. I do NOT trust their information on medications. Try a trusted MEDICAL website, such as MedLine Plus, or eMedicine for true information.

[rosiefrosie]

Mikey, you should do a search on Paxil and read about it from several different sources. If you are depressed it may be a good choice for you. You'll need to give the medication about 6 weeks to build up to a therapeutic level. All medications have their side effects and everyone reacts differently. You can also ask the pharmacist about the medication. I know my pharmacist will sit down and discuss any medication questions I should have. The more you know about the medication the better off you are about choosing whether you want to take the medication or not. Good Luck!

rosie

[M.D.Hosehead]

jbn3boys and bradb,

Have you actually looked at the Wikipedia entry for paroxetine? Following your posts, I read it carefully.

Every claim is backed up by a reference to literature that you can check yourself (90+ footnotes). And the one section that deals with controversial matter is clearly identified. I don't know where you could possibly go to find a more thorough, carefully written, balanced review. If you can find one, I'd like to see it.

I have no connection to Wikipedia or to paroxetine. I took the trouble to read the article and reply here in case you are open to changing your opinions when facts turn out to be other than what you assumed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paroxetine

[jbn3boys]

I just don't trust Wikipedia in general. I did not look at this particular article. But I have found evidence of other articles being biased or flat out incorrect. It is commonly known that Wikipedia is not a credible site for research. Many schools/colleges will not allow it's use in writing papers. I'm glad you are finding valuable information there. But for me, I would much rather go to a medical site to find medical information.

[scrapper]

we have been unable to link any of my psych meds with worsening of sleep apnea. They keep me functioning so I can deal with, and care about using my BPAP. I would not discourage anyone seeking help from depression by making blanket statements that antidepressants increase AHI.
Mary Z.

It's not just "a blanket statement"....I happen to work in the field and have extensive experience....I've also personally checked with several individuals by pm, who have found similar experiences. This information has been discussed with pharmacy/sleep professionals for a study. That being said, I would not ever discourage anyone from seeking professional help for depression or osa--just be aware that the two may interact and what is normal for one person--eg less than 5 ahi/hour, may not be normal for another person with a comorbidity or medication.

[jbn3boys]

... I would not ever discourage anyone from seeking professional help for depression or osa--just be aware that the two may interact and what is normal for one person--eg less than 5 ahi/hour, may not be normal for another person with a comorbidity or medication.

That could be said of just about any two medical issues.

[jnk]

I don't have any experience with Paxil specifically, but I have had years of experience with antidepressants in general. (I use the term antidepressants to include anti-anxiety medications, too.) My biggest advise would be to 1) take it consistently to achieve the best results, and to 2) take it in the morning, to minimize the effects on sleep. Just know that it is NOT uncommon to have to try several different medications to find the one that works for you. It's a little like finding the right cpap mask--some get lucky and the first one they try works fine. Others have to do a lot of experimenting to find one that works. And, like cpap masks, if one works for me, it may or may not work for you. Having your first antidepressant not work is NOT a sign of failure.

And, I would NEVER trust Wikipedia to be unbiased. I love Wikipedia for things that are easily verifiable, such as when a person was born, or what movies an actor starred in. I do NOT trust their information on medications. Try a trusted MEDICAL website, such as MedLine Plus, or eMedicine for true information.

Nice post!

[jnk]

jbn3boys and bradb,

Have you actually looked at the Wikipedia entry for paroxetine? Following your posts, I read it carefully.

Every claim is backed up by a reference to literature that you can check yourself (90+ footnotes). And the one section that deals with controversial matter is clearly identified. I don't know where you could possibly go to find a more thorough, carefully written, balanced review. If you can find one, I'd like to see it.

I have no connection to Wikipedia or to paroxetine. I took the trouble to read the article and reply here in case you are open to changing your opinions when facts turn out to be other than what you assumed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paroxetine

I won't enter the Wikepedia debate, as such. But I will say that it can be a good research tool for quickly getting to links to the reliable information from reputable sources--it's just a matter of sifting the wheat from the chaff in the references cited.

On the other hand, the text of the Wikipedia entry itself is not generally considered useful as far as being something to use as a source for a research paper, since the text at the site can change from day to day, even moment to moment, as I understand it. In other words, the entry may contain perfectly useful mainstream information today but much less useful, less verified, information tomorrow, when others might stumble onto this thread.

Oh, wait, I think maybe I DID just enter the Wikipedia debate, didn't I? Sorry.

And what does "unbiased" mean?