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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Steve on April 19, 2000, at 23:56:06
I've been dxed for depression for some time, but my docs didn't quite know what to make of it, because I was atypical, sleeping up to 12 hrs a day, but at the same time the meds that usually work in atypical depression like parnate made me even worse to the point of being psychotically depressed.
I started to take 1.5 mgs of melatonin a week ago, and have found my mood to improve substantially, and my need for sleep to have decreased by 4 hours. It's too early to draw conclusions, but has anyone heard of sleep disorders being mistaken for depression?
Posted by Mark H. on April 20, 2000, at 0:42:15
In reply to Sleep disorder mistaken for depression?, posted by Steve on April 19, 2000, at 23:56:06
No, in my limited experience, it's usually the other way around. You might try some of the public forums at sleepnet.com to see if you fit the profiles for any of the treatable sleep disorders, though. Although the forums there are much less active than here, others may be able to help you with their experiences.
For instance, if you're overweight and a heavy snorer, you could have obstructive sleep apnea that is robbing you of your rest (and otherwise destroying your body and possibly creating depression). Unfortunately, the popularity of this disease at this time reflects the availability and sales of breathing machines, which are basically highly profitable reverse vacuum cleaners with a few techie controls to force more air into your lungs as you sleep. Many people can't tolerate them, but those who can, and who need them, find the extra air gives them the first good night's sleep they've had in years -- but talk to people who have used them for more than a year, if you can find any. There are also rumors that these machines can cause the body to develop central sleep apnea (brain-based, rather than airway-based), which means their use could prove to be self-perpetuating for some individuals (how nice for the manufacturers of BiPAPs and CPAPs).
I keep hoping that my long-term depression and hypersomnia turn out to be a treatable sleep disorder, but for my part I think it's just wishful thinking.
Don't know what the melatonin effect means, but hopefully someone else will.
Good luck and best wishes,
Mark H.
Posted by AndrewB on April 20, 2000, at 9:53:45
In reply to Sleep disorder mistaken for depression?, posted by Steve on April 19, 2000, at 23:56:06
I can't answer your question as to whether you have been misdiagnosed and indeed have a sleep disorder. Your symptoms resemble, at least in part, seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is very interesting, the melatonin helping with your depression. Melatonin has been found to be effective in treating wintertime depression (SAD) and reducing the hypersomnia that goes along with it. For an excellent article on this subject that includes the dosing instructions for melatonin in these cases, go to www.oregonlive.com/todaysnews/9803/st03314.html. It is possible some other melatonin deficient depressions would be helped by melatonin supplementation. It is interesting that you mentioned that parnate induced a psychotic depression because melatonin levels are indeed low in the psychotically depressed. But in general melatonin levels are not low in depressives and melatonin supplementation does not help with depression. In fact, too much melatonin can bring on depression.
AndrewB
Posted by Steve on April 20, 2000, at 23:05:59
In reply to Re: Sleep disorder mistaken for depression?, posted by Mark H. on April 20, 2000, at 0:42:15
Mark,
Despite my extremely adverse reaction to it, I would say that parnate is worth a try for those depressives who sleep far too much and don't have energy.
I was getting by on 5 hrs of sleep a night but I became way too agitated.
Posted by Noa on April 22, 2000, at 13:31:20
In reply to Re: Sleep disorder mistaken for depression?, posted by Steve on April 20, 2000, at 23:05:59
Try this address for lots of info on sleep disorders:http://www.sleepnet.com/wwwboard/forum9.html
Posted by Lee on April 28, 2000, at 14:04:42
In reply to Re: Sleep disorder mistaken for depression?, posted by AndrewB on April 20, 2000, at 9:53:45
> I can't answer your question as to whether you have been misdiagnosed and indeed have a sleep disorder. Your symptoms resemble, at least in part, seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is very interesting, the melatonin helping with your depression. Melatonin has been found to be effective in treating wintertime depression (SAD) and reducing the hypersomnia that goes along with it. For an excellent article on this subject that includes the dosing instructions for melatonin in these cases, go to www.oregonlive.com/todaysnews/9803/st03314.html. It is possible some other melatonin deficient depressions would be helped by melatonin supplementation. It is interesting that you mentioned that parnate induced a psychotic depression because melatonin levels are indeed low in the psychotically depressed. But in general melatonin levels are not low in depressives and melatonin supplementation does not help with depression. In fact, too much melatonin can bring on depression.
>
> AndrewB
Which symptoms of psychotic depression did it effect? Positive?Would try it. Have unremmiting ositive symptom.Please write back.
Posted by AndrewB on April 29, 2000, at 0:46:53
In reply to Re: Sleep disorder mistaken for depression?, posted by Lee on April 28, 2000, at 14:04:42
> Which symptoms of psychotic depression did it effect? Positive?Would try it. Have unremmiting ositive symptom.Please write back.Lee,
Sorry but the info just noted that those with psychotic depression have low melatonin levels. There is no mention of melatonin helping with such depression. I have read nothing to indicate that melatonin would help with pxychotic depression . Then again though, who would have thought micro doses of melatonin would help with seasonal affective disorder.
AndrewB
This is the end of the thread.
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