SSRI's Can Make it Worse..

[AlaskanJaeger]

So I’d been on sertraline (Zoloft) for 4 years. I was on it when I started CPAP. No one ever said anything about it. But I’ve been frustrated because after almost 2 years on CPAP I still wasn’t really free of the tiredness and brain fog. It wasn’t until a life event triggered my Dr to up my prescription that I noticed an immediate uptick in AHI and I figured it out. I went in to talk to my Dr and she looked it up and sure enough, some SSRIs can make sleep apnea worse. They changed me to a different medication and I went from 3-4 events per hour to less than 2 and most nights it’s less than 1. It’s been a month and I feel substantially better and more rested. 

Neither my Psych Dr or MD was aware of the issue with SSRIs until they looked it up. So if you’re on medication and still frustrated with how you feel on CPAP, it’s worth looking into.

[tiredpanda]

Thank you for posting this! I am currently taking an SSRI and have heard from my sleep doctor and seen studies showing that they can negatively affect sleep apnea (and periodic limb movement, which I also deal with). Do you mind if I ask if you switched to a different SSRI or another medication entirely? Thanks!

[AlaskanJaeger]

I switched to Trazodone. It's sedating so I take it before bed. But studies have shown it can actually improve sleep apnea

[tiredpanda]

Thanks! That's helpful.