Doctor feels SSRI's drugs are effective in untreated patient

Sammy_J · Post by **Sammy_J** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:53 pm

Get a load of this. My GP wants to treat my anxiety rather than my OSA. He feels that feels SSRI's (anti-depressant) drugs are effective in untreated patients with OSA. My sleep doc doesn't feel I have any SDB except for OSA.

kavanaugh1950 · Post by **kavanaugh1950** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:01 pm

SAMMY, GET A NEW DOCTOR. SSRI'S ARE EFFECTIVE FOR DEPRESSION AND CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD AND INCREASE ENERGY BUT THEY SURE AREN'T GOING TO ADDRESS YOUR OSA. PAT

Sammy_J · Post by **Sammy_J** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:17 pm

I know, I am not having any luck. I am so ticked right now...that's enough to make anyone get depressed and anxious.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:14 am

FYI: SDB & OSA are the same thing. Sleep Disordered Breathing is a Flow Limitation, Hypopnea, Apnea, Central Apnea, Mixed Apnea the gambit or any breathing during sleep that is not normal.

If your doctors do not know they are the same it is time to get a new doctor. Did you GP have you answer a series of questions like on a time card then insert it in the little scoring machine? It is not too hard to fail that test.

roster · Post by **roster** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:58 am

Sammy_J wrote:I know, I am not having any luck. I am so ticked right now...that's enough to make anyone get depressed and anxious.

Don't let yourself get depressed because there are idiots getting through medical school. We, humans, are a fallen race (I've pulled many a boner myself).

There are also many good doctors out there. Run as fast as you can to try out a different GP if you need one.

Once I was diagnosed with osa, I no longer needed the GPs, the psychiatrist, and the mental health counselor who were prescribing beta blockers, sedatives and SSRIs to treat me. What a waste of six years with those guys!

twitch · Post by **twitch** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:42 am

That is absolutely ridiculous!!!

I've been on SSRIs of some type for about 6 years now and was only diagnosed with sleep apnea a few months back. It certainly didn't help and may have made things worse since SSRIs reduce the amount of REM sleep you get. Although the SSRI may help with some of the symptoms caused by OSA, it will not help the OSA itself.

Good luck!

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:48 am

wow,

Just wow.

My Fiance` is on Provigil to help her be awake and stay awake but that is purely because of her thyroid issue.

Granted I could see the benefits of being on a medication like this AND being treated with CPAP as the training process has been very hard on me. However prescribing just meds and NOT CPAP is 100% insanity.

That's like... ohh I can't even think of a good analogy right now, it's just idiotic.

sybert1ger · Post by **sybert1ger** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:19 am

Before I was diagnosed with OSA, my GP wanted to do the same thing. I actually tried it for a few months but nothing was really working so he recommended me to a Neuropsychologist. It was the NeuroPsych who thought there was a good chance it was OSA.

Now I don't fault my GP for thinking it was anxiety and depression because I probably have symptoms of both. But he did discount OSA even when I brought it up.