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Escitalopram for recurrent isolated sleep paralysis.

Jonathan P Hintze¹, Dominic Gault¹

¹Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, University of South Carolina, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC, USA.

Journal of Sleep Research

|March 1, 2020

Summary

Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis is a distressing condition. Escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, shows promise in treating this sleep disorder when conservative methods fail.

Keywords:

antidepressant hallucinations hypnagogic hypnopompic

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Area of Science:

Neurology
Sleep Medicine
Psychiatry

Background:

Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP) is a disruptive condition causing significant anxiety.
While cognitive and behavioral therapies are common, some patients require pharmacologic intervention.
Current pharmacologic treatment guidelines for RISP are lacking due to limited evidence.

Observation:

This report details two cases of patients experiencing recurrent isolated sleep paralysis.
Both patients were treated with escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Findings:

Escitalopram successfully resolved symptoms of recurrent isolated sleep paralysis in both reported cases.
The SSRI's mechanism may involve improving subjective sleep quality, a key factor in managing RISP.

Implications:

Escitalopram presents a potential pharmacologic option for managing refractory recurrent isolated sleep paralysis.
Further research is warranted to establish standardized treatment protocols and confirm escitalopram's efficacy in larger patient cohorts.