Sodium oxybate and Depression: What Users Say

• Sha...
• November 3, 2017

For Narcolepsy "My daughter was diagnosed with narcolepsy when she was 12. Severe and accompanied by cataplexy, hallucinations in REM within 90 seconds, all facets of sleep disorders seemed concentrated in her young body. She never got to drive a car. Narcolepsy dictated her quality of life. On methylphenidate, which increases heart rate, for 27 years, she convinced her doctor to help her get into a sodium oxybate program. Sodium oxy dosage increased per instructions over time, had delusional, withdrawn effects, and slowed speech. Four months after starting sod oxy, she was found dead in her apartment from a massive heart attack. Accumulated effects from years of stimulants? A sudden jolt from sodium oxybate? Congenital defect? She did not abuse meds. CAUTION."

• 80s...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 20, 2018

For Narcolepsy "This medication might have ended up being effective for me if I could have tolerated it long enough to get to an effective dose, but I quit taking it because of the side effects. My blood pressure increased from 110/65 to prehypertension, up to 138/90. It also caused mild tachycardia (rapid heart rate). My normal resting heart rate is between 64 and 68. On Xyrem, it was in the 80s and 90s the entire time. I also had anxiety in the morning hours, including a couple of panic attacks. I quit taking it when I became severely depressed."

• Sev...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 18, 2022

For Narcolepsy "Worst drug ever. Some nights I wouldn't even sleep, I would be high and euphoric while I had to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to work in the hospital. Severe withdrawal as soon as it wears off, leading to panic attacks and not to mention severe depression. Felt like I never woke up refreshed, I was in a mental fog all day until it was time to take it again, and I built tolerance fast. Worst part, the side effects never mentioned were anxiety and depression until I called the hotline over and over. Even my doctor never heard of that happening. My eyes had discharged, my pupils were huge, and I even pointed it out to my doctor. Felt like I was in a daze for a whole year."

• Chr...
• December 2, 2019

For Narcolepsy "It was frightening. I had a psychotic episode. Never had an experience like that in my life. Made me so depressed. I cried and cried. I asked another doctor if she’d ever prescribed it. She said once, and her patient had a psychotic episode."

• Ree...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 29, 2020

For Cataplexy "Xyrem helped with the cataplexy symptoms and helped with my day-to-day. However, the first dose did not always work, and that left me in a very disorienting state. I also suffer from depression, and the Xyrem intensified this. I overdosed twice because of this. I had zero self-control when taking this medicine. The first overdose was on purpose. The second, I’m not sure, I blacked out. This medicine really helps, since being taken off, I realized how much it was helping. However, mentally, it is better for me to be off it."

• Joj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2019

For Narcolepsy "I had a bad reaction to Xyrem. Nausea, panic attacks, delusional thoughts, feeling like a bad hangover every day, depressed. I ended up in the emergency room, and I stopped taking this medication."