OSA and Depression

[seekingwellness2016]

Hello,

Was anyone else diagnosed with and treated for Major Depression prior to discovering that they had sleep apnea? Did these symptoms resolve after CPAP treatment?

Thank you.

[Wulfman...]

Hello,

Was anyone else diagnosed with and treated for Major Depression prior to discovering that they had sleep apnea? Did these symptoms resolve after CPAP treatment?

Thank you.

Here's a link to a forum search I just did. As you will see, there's been lots of discussion about it.
And, there is a connection and CPAP therapy HAS resolved it for many people. Also, many people were diagnosed and being treated for depression until a lightbulb came on for some doctor and they referred the person to a sleep study.

viewtopic/t113475/search.php?keywords=depression


Den

.

[Bill44133]

Hello,

Was anyone else diagnosed with and treated for Major Depression prior to discovering that they had sleep apnea? Did these symptoms resolve after CPAP treatment?

Thank you.

I was not being treat for depression, but I was definitely in major depression. A few months in. It got lots better.

I wish you well...

[seekingwellness2016]

Thank you... and thank you Den for the referenced discussions. Just hoping I guess to hear that everything is going to be ok, and that the future may still make up for everything that has passed.

[Holden4th]

My mood and outlook certainly changed for the better after I got my therapy correct.

[kteague]

Thank you... and thank you Den for the referenced discussions. Just hoping I guess to hear that everything is going to be ok, and that the future may still make up for everything that has passed.

You have every reason to be hopeful. Healthy sleep does a body (and mind) good. I hope you'll come back over time and report your experience for the benefit of others.

[dwood003]

Hello,

Was anyone else diagnosed with and treated for Major Depression prior to discovering that they had sleep apnea? Did these symptoms resolve after CPAP treatment?

Thank you.

YES! I was on 300mg of Elavil (which should only have been prescribed at that level if I had been hospitalized) for many years until I discovered on the internet that prolong use of Elavil could damage the heart. I never felt any improvement and the doctor just kept raising it. I asked him how he could prescribe so high a dose, he replied "I know you can handle it." Later I showed him a copy of the study, I think John Hopkins, which he was not aware of. I spent a year weaning myself off of it and terminated my relationship with the doctor. With or without the meds made no difference.
I moved to a different state and had a new family doctor and mention I had a sleep problem and was always tired, he sent me for a sleep study, it was OSA which I had never heard of. I had a problem from my early teens, I've been on cpap for 9 yrs and I'm 100% compliant.
I went for a hernia operation, day surgery, they gave me a EKG and the house doctor said I see you've had a heart attack, I said no way, he said way. I got a second opinion on the EKG and I know I've never had a heart attach, it was damage from the Elavil.

[OhHelpMe]

Hello,

Was anyone else diagnosed with and treated for Major Depression prior to discovering that they had sleep apnea? Did these symptoms resolve after CPAP treatment?

Thank you.

Oh yes, I was in big trouble. My wife encouraged me to switch doctors. I drove over to the suburbs and told the new doc that I had not seen a doctor in many years and there were no records to transfer to him. I was afraid if he knew I had been diagnosed as depressed, it would just be more of the same.

He questioned me for about 20 minutes, and I was careful to never mention "depression". Then he sent me for a sleep study. It took a few months with CPAP to get better. I think my "depression" was misdiagnosed sleep apnea.

Life is beautiful again.

[seekingwellness2016]

Thank you all for the feedback and for sharing your experiences. I am glad you are feeling better and it is indeed encouraging to hear.

[D.H.]

It's not yet to the point where anybody who comes in reporting depression is sent for a sleep test.

However, that might become the case at some point.

[D.H.]

Mental health experts have long said that when one is depressed, it interferes with sleep. Clearly the connection has been known for a long time.

More recently, it is becoming understood that this is a two-way street. Sleep disturbance or deprivation can cause depression!

[DaisySmith]

I've been on CPAP therapy for about 8 months now and I dont think I've felt depressed for more than a day since then. I feel annoyed that I have this thing strapped to my face etc. but not truly depressed. Prior to that I was most definitely feeling depressed on a regular basis.

[Hello, World?]

Same here. I was on Prozac for about a year before coming to the conclusion that there must be some underlying issue, since I did feel somewhat happier, but I still felt the constant exhaustion and brain fog. So glad that I finally got diagnosed. I just started treatment 2 weeks ago, so I still haven't seen a huge difference yet, though I do feel more alert and aware. I'm glad to see that it's helped for others.

[conasauga]

My modest experience is that OSA is enough to exacerbate depression if not cause it. I have so much trouble tolerating the cpap machine that I went several months just not using it. Result was severe sleepiness during day. That is also something to be depressed about. I think anti-depressants are helpful but not curative. I am struggling to be more compliant with Cpap treatment and feel if I can get there that depression will be reduced. As my Doctor told me me, "you have plenty to be depressed about." OSA is only one of the ailments I suddenly find myself dealing with. Having a forum certainly helps. Accepting lower set of possibilities is hard but certainly something many, many people have to face.

[Julie]

While sympathetic, I don't think your doctor's doing you any favors with what he said, and all I see that as doing is encouraging you to feel sorry for yourself (not saying of course that you do that, but I'm sure you know what I mean). Don't accept lower 'possibilities'! No reason to, and once you get your Cpap trip on a better track - we can really help - you'll appreciate having gotten a diagnosis and a way to deal with it. What machine do you have, what mask, and what pressure settings? Do you mind sharing your other diagnoses? They could be impacting things, but others here have had similar (maybe the same) challenges and have also been helped to feel better. Try to stay with this thread so we can follow your story, and don't be discouraged, things can usually be at least tweaked a little to make you feel better.