Hello All I am a Newbie. On usual cocktail of meds (aspirin, amlopidine, bisoprolol,ramipril,ticagrelor, atorvastatin, lanzaprole) after HA and stents this year. Do these drugs cause bad/weird dreams? Anyone else experienced this?
Thank you.
Bad/Weird Dreams: Hello All I am a... - British Heart Fou...
Bad/Weird Dreams
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stargazerhelen
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Hi,I'm not sure?? Im om similar meds and have never had bad dreams. Perhaps ask.your gp?
I’m on these meds plus a few others I have to say I have the weirdest dreams ever , weird wonderful odd crazy sometimes a bit scarey but all on all , yeah it’s blooming marvellous, only wish I could replay them 😂
in reply to
Ditto lol... 😀😃
Yes, I have had demons in the night pretty regularly. I have reduced the initial medication I was on over time to now just Aspirin, Omeprazole and Atorvastatin (80mg). I am pretty sure by a process of elimination that it is the Atorvastatin, and have switched to taking it in the morning rather than at bedtime, which has helped a lot. You are supposed to take it before bed as your liver makes most of the cholesterol at night time apparently, but the dreams were getting too much. What dose are you on?
stargazerhelen in reply to
80 mg not happy about that as my cholesterol was well within the recommended levels when HA ocurred ☹️ but told it is a preventative measure. The terrible muscle cramps are not good either.
in reply to stargazerhelen
You have not given your age but I think they tend to put younger (<70) people on an "aggressive" dose in an attempt to stabilise the plaques, according to my GP. He said right from the start it is fairly common for that dose to give side effects and that it is often reduced. As to the likekyhood of the plaques being calcified and made less likely to rupture who knows? I am not aware of any studies that have proved this conclusively but maybe someone else might have.
Statins aren’t just for cholesterol. They reduce inflammation and plaque build up.
plaque is a build up of cholesterol which in turn causes inflammation....💙❤💙
I’d be very interested to see the studies which show high cholesterol causes inflammation.
ok,well,statins are for cholesterol.plaque in arteries is a build up of cholesterol so there's your answer....my artery was slightly inflamed due to excessive plaque build up......so there you have your evidence.
Perfect. I’m certain that Cholesterol was undeniably the only possible causation of your inflammation
you made a statement and I amended the info you thought you had that's all.no need for such comments tbh.ends here.i wish you a good health..Deb..
Fair enough.
My Answer to that is a big YES!! Not on exactly the same as you but do take Aspirin, Simvastatin, Lansoprazole and Bisoprolol. Some of them are really scary too and I wake up in a Cold Sweat!! Some of them are really funny though so I don't mind those at all!!😀😃
purpleswimmer in reply to
Hi same here. Most are actually very confused but vivid. I have people popping in fir a visit that I have not seen or been in touch with for years. A number of people no longer with us and some very much related to an event from that day. Xx
We need a thread of the most crazy ‘ funny ‘ dreams 😂😂
in reply to
Yeah why not ha ha 😀😃!!
SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to
I think I might be at risk of being sectioned if I described some of the dreams I used to have 💤
in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd
😂😂😂😂😂
in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd
Me too 😱
Chittychatty in reply to
definitely. My most recent are that I'm madly in love with my old boss (which I wasnt) and that he is drop dead gorgeous (which he was)😂😂
in reply to Chittychatty
Hahah !! You must have wanted a very hot shower when you woke up 😂😂
When I first started on all these meds, yes, and not just weird dreams but so vivid and downright scary. It got so bad that for a while I started sleeping with the bedroom door ajar and a table lamp switched on outside on the landing. They passed after a few months, I suspect these dreams are a combination of the meds and you're mind in some sort of overdrive after a heart attack.
Many thanks to all who responded. Much appreciated.
Yup. It’s a known side affect of strong statins - I’m on Atorvastatin (among many others. My GP warned me: he has taken it himself and the dreams were so bad that he had to stop taking it😁.
I think ‘intense’, rather than bad, would be appropriate. Very vivid, and I can often remember quite a lot of detail.
The only problematic thing is that the mood seems to stick for a bit after I wake up. I can be angry or annoyed for no reason for quite a while (coffee solves it😁).
And last night… I finished qualifying as a female doctor (I’m male) and then produced a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in a church hall, but added the finale from Godspell: which is quite a good idea actually.
All fully remembered in great detail😁😁😁
I agree. They can be vivid and unlike most dreams are easily recalled in detail
Yes they do but they don’t last - will eventually stop - so enjoy the weird dreams whilst you can 
in reply to PeterpPiper
3+ years and still get them, just not as vivid as immediately post op.
Welcome to the group. While the exact cause of the side effects should be a discussion between you and your doctor several here in the group have mentioned this.
For me I had this and it seemed the bisoprolol was the culprit as they went away when the dose was dropped but in addition a heart attack and stents are stressful and the brain sometimes needs to do a bit of overtime to get used to what happened!
I wouldn't no I don't remember my dreams, so jealous of you all, could do with some whacky and wonderful 🤣
I haven't had these effects - but I have heard that the cocktail of drugs used by the anaesthetist before surgery could be responsible. Some say the effects of these can last up to 18 months. So it may be nothing to do with the drugs you are taking now, and it will wear off anyway, so you may find that the reduction coincides with reducing any of your medications, but be totally unrelated.
I'm on Bisoprolol and Entresto. I have the most bizarre dreams, just like a movie sometimes
Yep, i have disaster movie style dreams. I wake up exhausted and standing on top of the Empire State Building 😀. Seriously though, i can confirm that the usual post HA drug cocktail does have the same effect on me.
I had weird and bizarre dreams since taking propranolol.
What is your dose?
4 x 10mg throughout the day. Of which, 10mg before bed.
Yes my husband now has weird dreams which are very real and sometimes dangerous for me! I got whacked in the night because he was dreaming of swimming in a lake and an otter came after him so he punched it on the nose! Initially he didn’t have the dreams. I reckon it was about a year after being on the meds, and they haven’t changed in that time.
I am on a similar cocktail of drugs and I also frequently have weird and vivid dreams. It’s 18 months since my HA.
My husband was put on Bisoprolol after heart surgery last year - after 4 months of extremely horrendous dreams / nightmare they put him onto an alternative med, now sleeping like he use too
I’m glad to hear it’s not just me as mine are very weird and I can wake up very anxious and remember some quite vividly
Yep same weard dreams ??
I was told to maybe expect these "dreams" after the op, especially the first few weeks and maybe months after as the drugs used during being knocked out and held under for OH surgery can have this effect, 2 and a 1/2 yrs on and they're not so bad but still get the odd one but my GP put it more likely to be down the after effects of a major life changing heart event (open heart surgery).
Hi i’m on bisoprolol 1.25 at night and ramipril 2.5 morning and night. I’ve been having vivid and anxiety type dreams ever since switching to taking meds before bed. Been going on for years now. Sometimes wake up feeling anxious but goes fairly quickly. Have always felt it was tolerable but if it got worse or became more like nightmares id have to try something different i think. Pretty sure it’s the meds. Sounds like bisoprolol is a common thread.
I know someone who is quite certain that Atorvastatin gives him bad dreams. I’m ok with 80mg.
I suffered from crazy (not necessarily bad dreams) on these meds. Also I’ve started talking in my sleep, sleep walking and even sexsomnia (yes it’s a real thing and I’m honestly fully asleep).
After my bypass 5 years ago I found myself having some crazy dreams. Having never really dreamt before I loved the experience. I still have the occasional one but as I'm now on fewer meds I guess that's to be expected. I do miss them though.
I have had troubling dreams following a stroke five years ago. Worsened after OHS last year.I classify them as dreams or nightmares or night terrors.Getting proper, regular sleep helps.
Tip: do not think about the dreams and do not discuss them.
Night terrors plague me for a whole day.
Best wishes colin
Last nights weird dream , dolmio sauce for pasta , in the middle of a factory /store there was thousands of different kinds some with cockroaches some with a block of cheese in the middle , I had to taste every single one , but without it heated and still in the jars , and pick the best ones , I was in the middle of a dystopian episode and was dressed as Laura Croft at the time as well ,, yes I can still see it all 😂😂😂😂 btw the one with the American cheese rolled up in the Center was the best ! 😂😂
100% yes, some are scary, violent, horrific, real night terrors. 3 months on and the are less regular now but I am still getting them at least a couple of times each week.
Absolutely!! 100% agree. Some are weird - don’t mind those - but some send me on an emotional roller coaster. Often involve my parents and only sibling ( who are now dead) and are so vivid that I’m waking I decide to ring them then have to remind myself they are no longer here - very upsetting. The whacky dreams are a bit of light relief though. Similar mix of meds to others who have posted but Bisoprolol, tricalagor and Atorvastatin were stopped months ago so I can’t blame those ones. Still on mix of aspirin, amlodopine, clopidogrel, Ramipril, Ivabradine, isosorbmononitrate, landoprazole and Ranolaxine Do who knows ??🤪
Hi.I am on Atorvastatin, Ramipril and Bisoporol and have weird dreams.
Last night I was due to play top class football but before I could play I had to prove that I could dive from a building into a swimming pool?. I had to climb up stairs inside a very high building to get to the diving position. When I finally reached the top and looked down at the swimming pool below it was the size of a postage stamp and closely surrounded by other buildings.
I decided not to jump and miss out on the football.
Atorvastatin
I've not had a night without dreaming or years! I've recently bought a mouth guard to protect my top teeth because I have ridges on the backs from prewsumably grinding them whilst I'm dreaming!
Yes I have also had weird dreams so real you actually feel like you’re there!
Yep… 80mg of Atorvastatin and the bad dreams were yet another side effect, I could have lived with taking it if it wasn’t for the muscle cramps, joint pains, brain fog, etc etc. The extreme dreams were also triggers for my PTSD… as if a HA wasn’t bad enough to have to deal with.
Hi stargazerhelen, I am not on all the medicine you are on because I did not have a HA but HF. With bisoprolol, I did have unusual dreams that I normally would not have. Changed out bisoprolol with eplerenone. No more unusual dreams. Each person's body handles medication differently. What might work for someone else, might not work for you. Keep a watch on your medications. Write down any reactions so you can tell your gp. There are medicines you might not can tolerate. Have a wonderful day!
Yes, very vivid strange dreams, and can usually remember them in the morning.
I dream vividly and regularly and am on the same medication plus have had stents. I wake from solid sleep every morning, my mind full of all sorts of nonsense!
Hi stargazerhelenLike many on here, I had weird dreams due to the meds. Chasing an octopus round the bed and straining to stop the bookcase from falling on to the bed. I can confirm that we have neither octopus nor bookcase in the bedroom.
I researched and found that Bisoprolol can be a cause
Bisoprolol can cause bad dreams/nightmares. I had some awful dreams when I first started taking them. So bad I woke up screaming. I changed to taking them in the morning so had no further nightmares. You might like to try that. Good Luck.
Hi, I’ve had weird and sometimes frightening dreams since HA 2 years ago, sometimes dream in a foreign language, pretty rubbish at spoken word but word perfect in a dream. Worst ones that seem like hallucinations when awake were on Ivabradine, black bars on walls and hallway full of black snakes. Even after stopping Ivabradine some where in my subconscious I can’t walk across the hall without my slippers on in the middle of the night in case I tread on a snake and I’m not the least afraid of snakes in real life.Men in white coats may be coming for me soon!
I beat you all. I sometimes wake up to a face staring at me. Last time, I swear I was fully awake when a face showed up.
in reply to Kali_heart
😳😳😳😳
Hi. I'm new on here, but I can definitely relate to this! I've never had such random dreams in my life than I've had since starting my meds in 2007 (I'm on Ranolazine, Simvastatin, Isosorbide Mononitrate, Aspirin, Lansoprazole, and the one just started after my new diagnosis, Diltiazem). I'll take my peculiar but laughable ones over my horrible ones, though, because they are quite funny 😂
Sometimes, I think weird dreams are my specialist subject.😃
In ICU at the time, on heart meds (no idea which ones) and codeine.
The recurring dream which I had for weeks, was of a carriage, being driven around the hospital corridors looking for me. The clippity clop of the horses hooves was real....could have been hallucinating as well, especially when the bed was swallowing me up, and I kept on asking the nurses if they were dead as well. I put it down to the codeine so had an alternative painkiller next time around.
More recently, been taking Bisoprolol and Entresto with no iffy dreams.
WOW. I am overwhelmed by the response to my query. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and comments which are much appreciated.. It is so reasuring to know that I am not the only person suffering such effects and that it is the meds causing it. I am so pleased I found this site. Your comments have been so helpful and re-assuring. Many thanks again to all who responded xx.
Hi. Yes I have extremely vivid dreams. I am lucky as not many could be classed as bad/nightmares but very 'real' at times and almost nightly. Xx
Hi, I am on several meds including lower dose ramipril and bisopralol and have to take the highest dose of atorvastatin to prevent cholesterol plaque build up due to my genetic disorder as after my triple CABG I was told that even though they have sorted the problem the genetic cause is not gone and it’s the only way to help prevent it building again. I occasionally have some funny dreams and periods where I feel quite anxious and low. After research it appears any of these 3 meds seem to show some people can have this type of response. Hope this helps but if you are in any doubt I think it might be worth having a chat with your cardiologist or gp who may be able to explain things a little better.
I like to think that our minds are very powerful and in dream states we enter alternate realities, some nice, some not
stargazerhelen in reply to
Thank you . Interesting theory - you could well be right
Hi Stargazerhelen and all who have so far spoken about their 'experiences' with dreams on this thread. I am on a cocktail of Ramipril 2.5, Lansoprazole 30, Atorvastatin 80, Bisoprolol 1.25 and Aspirin 75mg. I had my HA nearly 3 years ago, I have had what I can only describe as awful nightmares since going on these drugs. I wake up in awful sweats and have been unable to get a good nights sleep which is something very alien to me. I am currently experiencing awful cramps in my legs at night and am being examined for a constant feeling of having a wire brush rubbed up and down my shins and cold and hot water poured over my lower legs. I have tried to speak to several GP's about the drugs and possible effects but am finding it difficult to get my point across. I am pleased to find a site where others are experiencing the same dreams syndrome, although I would appreciate having some whacky ones (and maybe the odd sexy ones) as others have. My best wishes go out to you all 
Yes Helen I do. They are very vivid and I wake up with an acceleration of my heart and pains in my arms. I am glad that I am not the only one. I am also on the same medication as you. Get well soon 😊
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