A group of psychiatrists from the United States published a report on the treatment of a young man with depression, which led to a surge in episodes of sleep paralysis. The patient was prescribed sertraline. This popular antidepressant helped, but hallucinations appeared. Upon waking up, the man could not move, and it was as if his body was “locked.” The man also experienced fear, shortness of breath, and the feeling that some kind of shadow was present in the room.
The authors note that they were lucky: the patient was young, had no mental illnesses, and did not take any other substances. Therefore, it was easy to find a link between sertraline and sleep paralysis. When the medicine was replaced, the episodes stopped. Doctors believe that it is important to indicate sleep paralysis among the possible side effects when prescribing antidepressants.
Have you had a similar experience due to taking medications?
The article was published in November 2023 in Cureus.
Drugs and plants may have side effects and should only be used in consultation with a doctor. This article does not call for independent experiments.
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