Dreams

[babebatista]

This is a bit of a weird question. Does anyone find that they are having really weird or strange dreams? I'm currently taking Dihydrocodeine slow release, pregablin and amitriptyline. I'm on high doses of all of them. I drop off during the day every day for an hour most of the time and then because of the doses of amitriptyline manage to sleep through the night unless it's too painful and then no amount of medicine seems to work. What I've found is that when I'm asleep I'm having some really weird and strange dreams. Last night I dreamt about being stung by bees and I couldn't escape. At other times I've just been in different scenarios sort of things, stuck in traffic, stuck in a lift ect. Stuck many times really. Is it my medication or does anyone else have these sort of dreams? Thank you xx

[Lruk]

Hi there,

I too have very strange dreams and find that if I waken a little as soon as I shut my eyes I am straight back at the same point in the dream. I have put it down to the amitriptyline which is the only medication we both take. It has settled a bit now and I find I am remebering/aware of what I dream less often than I was at the beginning. I hope it eases off for you soon too. Linda

[babebatista in reply to Lruk]

Hi Lruk, Thanks for responding to me. I do remember the dreams most of the time, sometimes I don't. The bee on really scared me as I am petrified of them. Thank you I do hope it eases, I may go back to my doctor if it carries on. The things we go through with the illness. People just don't realise how hard it is unless your experiencing it themselves. Gentle hugs to you xxxx

[give-up in reply to Lruk]

Hi Lruk. I have just started Amy.... and find that the nightmares I had with Escalopram and Sertraline continue with Amy... I tried the aforementioned two at 10mg for about 3 months and then ceased due to nightmares. Whilst Amy... is a different class, after a week I am starting to think I should cease these also. Ordinarily it would be too early, but with my experience to date, I know that if/when I cease Amy.... the dreams could continue for a few months more, and I feel awful when I wake up. Would be grateful if you found the dreams to be temporary or not. Thank you.

[Lruk in reply to give-up]

Hi there, I found the dreams to be temporary but I felt I was getting something akin to a sleep hangover. I subsequently changed onto nortriptyline which have been much kinder and a lot of the previous side effects have gone. I hope that helps.

[give-up in reply to Lruk]

Thank you. Yes, I also have sleep hangovers every darned day. Will research the other you mentioned, but Amy... is used for migraines which are new to me. Amy... is not licensed for migraines but apparently works even as per NICE/government guidelines; it was prescribed by my GP. Thanks again.

[Lruk in reply to give-up]

No problem, I think nortriptyline is very similar but a bit kinder.

[crissy]

I do as well but im on co codamol and morphine x

[babebatista in reply to crissy]

Hi Crissy, Thanks for responding to me. I've never been on co codamol or morphine. The only time I had cocodamol was when I was in hospital recently and it made me sick Gentle hugs to you crissy xxxx

[Gal_NikNak]

Oh gosh...yes always very vivid.... sometimes very unsettling

[babebatista in reply to Gal_NikNak]

Hi Gal, Thank you for replying to me. Thank you for helping me see I'm not alone. I am absolutely afraid of bees so that was upsetting but I've had other bad dreams too. It's awful some nights. Gentle hugs to you. Love your name xxx

[Gal_NikNak]

My worst dream is abit confusing but basically I dream I'm dreaming... I try to wake myself up and I can feel myself moving (thrashing) trying wake myself up...but if cannot wake up...it feels like I'm suffocating.... it's awful

[ouchiemama in reply to Gal_NikNak]

I get this too, have done for years! I think its called sleep paralysis....all I know is its so horrible/scary!!

[anbuma]

I fell asleep at 4.30 until 10pm -probably cos I got so little sleep last night.had the weirdest dream --in so many different places and different people and scenarios -some about people I used to know but in some strange places.some of it is probably due to eating before bed-don't know if its meds -switched from amitriptyline to imipramine years ago

[babebatista in reply to anbuma]

HI Anbuma, Thank you for replying to me. I normally take my nighttime meds an hour before going to bed and normally have them with some supper. Perhaps I'll have to try them without having supper and see if that changes anything. Although the amitriptyline does help me sleep most of the time, I just wish I knew why I'm having these weird and very strange dreams. I might enquire about the imipramine with my gp. Gentle hugs to you hun xxx

[Lucyhobbit]

amitriptyline used to give me nightmares when I tried it as a teenager. Seem to be able to take it fine now I'm an adult, which is a little bizarre but if it helps me sleep I'm not complaining!

[babebatista in reply to Lucyhobbit]

Hi Lucyhobbit, Thank you for replying to me. I've been on the amitriptyline for a couple of years now and I suppose I'd think it was that if I've only been taking it recently. It does help me sleep though so don't want to seem that I'm complaining but these dreams can be unsettling sometimes. Gentle hugs to you xxx

[Saskia]

I have weird dreams/ nightmares. too. Never thought about it being side effects of medication. I have always had nightmares since being a little girl but since I have had Fibro. I seem to have much worse nightmares and I sleep really badly. I had to take early retirement through illl health nearly 10 years ago and I still have nightmares about work and about the bullies there. I wish they would stop!!!! Gentle, comforting hugs. Saskia XX

[babebatista in reply to Saskia]

Hi Saskia, Thank you for replying to me. I do hope that in time your nightmares stop. I had a horrifying experience when I was 10 years old and that always comes back to me in a dream state, but there are times where I feel that I am awake but I'm asleep. I'm sorry to hear that you've been experiencing bad ones and I do wish they would stop for you. I think we all need a superhero in our dreams! Gentle hugs to you Saskia, xxxx

[Saskia in reply to babebatista]

Bless you, babebatista, for your kind words. Your experience when you were 10 sounds horrible and it must be awful to relive it in dream state. I think our subconscious is supposed to sort out all the confusion of our life but sometimes I wake up more confused!! I don't take pregablin or amitriptyline any more as they didn't suit me but it sounds like the amitriptyline suits you, as you do sleep through the night unless your pain is too bad. I don't really know what the answer is to why we have these weird and vivid dreams but I do know they are exhausting. Be gentle with yourself and take care. Gentle hugs Saskia XX

[babebatista in reply to Saskia]

Hi Saskia, Thank you. If you ever want to chat please do feel free to message me. I'll be here xx

[Saskia in reply to babebatista]

Thank you babebatista, I may do that one day. We can compare weird dreams!!! Hope you have a reasonable night tonight. Sweet dreams, rather than weird ones or nightmares. Don't get stuck anywhere!!!! Hugs Saskia XX

[Gramma]

I also have very vivid dreams and I'm on non of the above medications, I take Gabapentin, Citalopram, Tramadol and Paracetamol (plus more for other conditions).

On a couple of occasions I have actually woken up and genuinely thought my dream was a reality, bit of a let down when I realised I actually wasn't married to Johnny Depp!! X.

[babebatista in reply to Gramma]

Hi Gramma, Thank you for replying to me. I've tried Tramadol in the past but I found out that it didn't agree with me and I ended up in hospital, so I can't take that. I too have woken up and thought that my dream was true, but thankfully ir hasn't. But I get you about Johnny Depp, that would be a great dream. Gentle hugs xxx

[pip_r]

Hi,

I have discussed the weird stuff that happens during the night with my GP. He has said that some of the things I experience (vivid dreams, seeing things (hypnopompic hallucinations), and feeling like you've woken up, but you're still dreaming, etc) could be due to having such disturbed sleep. I certainly have the sleep disorder associated with FM and so don't go into deep sleep and am in REM sleep a lot (which is where you can have the vivid dreams).

I'm pretty sure my medication doesn't affect me, though I know it can cause problems for some. All in all, while these things are horrible to experience (I daren't go to the toilet after one particular nightmare last week), hopefully for most of us there's nothing serious to worry about.

Weirdly, having decided I was not going to panic about some of the stuff that was happening - hallucinations and the feeling you've woken up, but actually haven't - I haven't had it nearly as much. I was a researcher prior to giving up work due to FM and so can't help but approach/think about things scientifically, which I think may have taken some of the fear away. Maybe that's why certain things stopped. I haven't had an hallucination for months, which is great!

Of course, I feel really bad for those of you who have horrific nightmares and am thankful mine are, for the most part, fairly ok. My dreams are usually more weird than horrifying. I think that says more about me than anything

Hope you all sleep well tonight

Pip xx

[babebatista in reply to pip_r]

Hi Pip, Thank you for replying to me. I'm sorry to hear you've been suffering with hallucinstions. I've never had one myself. Gentle hugs to you hun xxx

[Hidden]

Hi Babebabista

I've had this all my life and they are always in colour and I remember about 97% of them too.

Like Pip mine are more weird than horrifying, though I used to dream that there was something hiding in the attic as a child which scared me and I once had a nightmare that I was in bed woke up and looked to see big black spiders everywhere and they starting dropping off the ceiling onto my bed and me. I ran screaming to my parents room terrified not knowing if it was real. It was so vivid that I can still remember it very clearly and it was about 35 years ago My mothers response was to tell me that I'd had a nightmare they gave me a cuddle tucked me back into bed and said which side were you lying on, flip sides if you have a bad dream on one side then you'll have a good dream if you lie on the other. Guess what!? ............ I had exactly the same type of dream only it was snakes my rotten luck started early

I love talking about dreams I've also dreamt that I had to fight a swordfish in order to get across to the other side of the river in order to get somewhere important..... that one was like the water babies movie heheheh! I was in my 20's then so probably at a crossroads in reality

xxxzebxxx

[babebatista in reply to Hidden]

Hi Zeb73, Thank you for replying to me. It's not easy is it living like this with all our conditions. I never thought of asking the question before as I thought it can't possibly be anything else than just me, but I'm glad that I asked now. Gentle hugs hun xxx

[Shazzzy]

Hi babebatista, like Saskia i have haf nightmares since childhood, always terrifying , sometimes repeated, sometimes new ones, always scream and shout in my sleep also dream im awake or trying to wake myself up when asleep, a bit like being in a coma but being aware of everything,scary.

[babebatista in reply to Shazzzy]

Hi shazzy, Thank you for replying to me. I hope that things get easier for you hun. I've not had nightmares before but this thing when I was 10 which I've had counselling before always comes back to haunt me. I've always thought that I'd get over it in time. Just goes to show you. Glad I'm not alone with this dream thing, Something else that's new with this illness. Gentle hugs Shazzy xxx

[fibro]

Of the meds you take I have the same but gabapentin instead of the pregablin .I don't know if the doses are the same but I have found an increased dose of gabapentin reacted with Diazepam.

I didn't know there was a slow release Dihydrocodeine. I have been taking the max of DHCD for 10 yrs now without any problems. what dose Amitrip are you on as those are known to cause quite a lot of side effects that some aren't able to tolerate. I used to suffer awful dreams, i guess you could call them nightmares, the awful thing was, many would come true. Since I was diagnosed with extremely severe Obstructive Sleep Apnoea two years ago and have finally got used to the idea that using a CPAP machine is for life and not just for christmas, I must now sleep better as I don't remember anything! I can't remember the last dream I had.

I'm certainly not wishing OSA on anyone as stopping breathing 62 times an hour, whilst I slept I wouldn't wish on anyone! But first off get your meds checked and secondly it may be worth a referral to a sleep clinic as they record how you sleep. One of the symptoms of OSA is excessive tiredness and nodding off to sleep all the time, its not just fibro that causes that. having both isn't pleasant! xx

[babebatista in reply to fibro]

Hi Fibro, Thank you for replying to me. I take 3 x 50mg of Amitriptyline, it works some nights and then others it doesn't. My gp says that I'm on the max of Dihydro for ages now. I think in the early stages of being tested and poked and prodded someone mentioned sleep apnoea, but would I notice or not if i stopped breathing during the night? As I say the nights that I do sleep i have the dreams and then there are the nights that I'm just literally wishing my body to relax just to go to sleep! Gentle hugs to you hun xxx

[fibro]

you are more than welcome. sometimes one persons experience can help another.

you may find its the amitrip causing it. i take mine around 5.30 pm and find that works better for me. i can't remember if it was on one of the Facebook fibro groups, someone said take it 12 hours before you want to wake up and it may have better effect. it does work for me. but i think its the CPAP machine is making me dead to the world over night!! I used to be a really light sleeper.

It does worry me though that DHCD can make you breath more shallow which means you don't get enough oxygen in your lungs as you sleep.

not a nice question, but do you snore, sometimes these bad dreams are associated with not being able to breath or similar reasons of terror and the snoring is to wake tour body into ntrerathing again. if you ever wake up with a choking feeling, it could all be part of that. i hated having dreams as so many would come true, but the scary ones never happen any more.

Snoring is usually the first reason anyone would investigate OSA but nothing to stop you asking your GP for a referral to a sleep clinic just to find out.

if you drive you certainly should get checked

take care xxx

[missjones]

Hello, Ive only had fibro for about 16month. I only take one tablet amitriptyline at night and if i forget to take it i have horrid nightmares xx

[Shazzzy]

Hi babebatista, forgot to say certain drugs make the dreaming worse, more realistic, amitryptyline was one of them. Some things in life you never get over, they can always return to haunt you, usually when you least expect it, my doctor is going to try a different therapy to help with this, will let you know if it works.

[nikk1975]

hi babebatista, I have the most horrific dreams they terrify me and the trouble is i remember every single one when i awake and weeks later. In one dream i actually died there was a giant cog spinning towards me there was nowhere to go so i got splatted sorry to be so descriptive but i was just showing how bad they are. They now affect the sleep i get as im scared to go to sleep and im sure there is nothing i can do about the nightmares either ?, i will just have to try and cope with it like all the other things we have to deal with and suffer xxxxx

[Hidden]

Yes, when I started taking Tramadol. I explained it in a comment in another post. It was frightening and I couldn't breathe, I think part of mind started to tell me to wake up. Took a while but I did gasping for breath. And Ive always seen "people" on waking up sometimes. And those dreams where you cant move, one time, I don't know why but I was lay by the side of the road (not a gutter thank you😉) and couldn't move as a car came at me. But for me its not the Amytriptaline I take.