Antidepressants having permanent REM-supressing effects?

A few years back, I had a very good chance of getting accidental SP episodes when I'd simply lie down and relax - on my side, stomach, you name it. A few weeks into this, I ended up going on prozac for a few months, just for "mood issues" which was totally unrelated to the SP. Well, the frequency of my SP episodes declined sharply a few days into it. I knew this had to do with the fact that many antidepressants can prohibit REM, or suppress it.

I've been off the medication for over two years, but I haven't had one accidental SP session since I started taking it. I'm not sure if it could've affected my intentional inductions, because I started purposefully entering SP (WILDing) after I went off it. But I'm pretty sure it has. If I hadn't taken it, could I possibly be more capable of entering SP on command? I've had a decent number of WILDs but I have a feeling that with the amount I relax, and keep my awareness, there should be more.

So that bring me to my main question - for anyone who has experience or knowledge in the matter, is there a possibility that the medication has permanently affected my REM?

I don't think so.

It's true that certain antidepressants suppress your REM cycle, but when you stop taking them I believe you experience a rebound effect..

Interesting. I've never really experienced anything like a rebound effect, but maybe it's because I came off it slowly, over the course of two weeks.

I wouldn't rule it out. We discover more side effects of antidepressants all the time. They really muck things up, but I guess that is the point.

It might just be that you are getting older. I don't get spontaneous sleep paralysis the way I used to, either.

getting older?, she's only 17 !

17 is older than 16 :P Good point, though. You should be peaking right now, Puffin!

I wouldn't worry about it, Puffin. My brother has been on antidepressants for almost two decades and he's still excellent at both DILD and WILD (he's a natural, the jerk!). The medication he takes is an SSRI, which probably the most common type of antidepressant.

As to your absence of SP -- this is actually very normal as you age. Young people tend to get SP a lot more than adults. So it's not unusual for you to stop having SP frequently as you get into your late teens and twenties. When I was a teen, I had SP all the time. Now it almost never happens on its own. :(