Escitalopram for recurrent isolated sleep paralysis.
Jonathan P Hintze, Dominic Gault
Journal of Sleep Research December 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13027 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractRecurrent isolated sleep paralysis, which can be very disturbing and provoke anxiety, is usually treated with cognitive and behavioural therapies, but some patients may benefit from medication. With limited evidence available, there are no standardized pharmacologic recommendations. This report describes the first two cases where escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, successfully treated recurrent isolated sleep paralysis. Escitalopram generally improves subjective sleep quality, making it an appealing treatment option.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | Patients with recurrent isolated sleep paralysis |
| Intervention | Escitalopram |
| Keywords | Antidepressant Hallucinations Hypnagogic Hypnopompic |
| Key finding | Escitalopram successfully treated recurrent isolated sleep paralysis in two cases. |
Abstract
Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis can be very disturbing and provoke anxiety. The majority of patients can be treated conservatively with cognitive and behavioural therapies. However, some patients may benefit from a pharmacologic intervention. With only scant available evidence, there are currently no standardized pharmacologic treatment recommendations for recurrent isolated sleep paralysis. We report the first two cases of escitalopram used to successfully treat recurrent isolated sleep paralysis. Escitalopram, the most selective of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, generally improves subjective sleep quality, making it an appealing treatment option.