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A member asked:
Will medications that treat anxiety help my sleep apnea?
8 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
None: There are no fda approved medicines for the treatment of sleep apnea. If you have apnea, the first line treatment is cpap. It is a serious medical problem that should be treated...
Answered 5/8/2016
6.3k views
No.: Depends on the class. Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam, clonazepam) relax the upper airway and can make obstructive sleep apnea worse. Previously, studies were done to see if ssris might be helpful in osa by decreasing rem sleep. However, these were not conclusive and we do not use these specifically to treat osa.
Answered 8/26/2013
5.9k views
No: In fact, if it is a benzodiazepine medication it can actually make it worse. Also, if it is a medication that causes weight gain it can worsen it. Ssri medications can also fragment your sleep, but will not worsen your apnea per se. Alcohol definitely worsens sleep apnea.
Answered 12/30/2016
4.9k views
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