Bad/unsettling dreams while on different meds.

Precious Lady, Yes, some meds can cause bad dreams. Zyrtec (anithistamine) and Meclizine for vertigo does that too me. Look up the med and see if excessive dreaming or nightmares as a side effect. Praying for you as this is not good sleep when you do that. Blessings & Hugs....

Oh I am a dreamer from way way back as was my mother and my dad had nightmares he would cry out... so am used to them, am also on medications and never really thought about whether or not making them worse... but what I think I have too is something I read about "vivid dream recall." My spouse says he doesn't dream but I also read that is impossible, just doesn't remember them, he is lucky as aren't some of these dreams/bad ones affecting part of our waking day... mine do. Also used to dream I was swimming and I cannot swim, or speaking a foreign language,,,, wierd!

.... just remembering too, although our dreams seem to last a long time while dreaming, a friend of mine had a long dream about being in the French Revolution and the dream went on and on and woke him up when in the dream he was being executed by guillotine on neck; but what had happened was a book from a rack at the head of his bed had fallen and hit him on the neck... so he felt that in those few seconds his body felt the book hit his neck he dreamed about being in the Revolutions etc... and he firmly believed taht while we think our dreams go on and on, in fact just happen in seconds... never thought to check this out til commenting here. I do have health problems and do dream of seeing doctors, getting treatment etc., kind of upsetting isn't it.

Valerie, Is it hard for you to relax? It is for me. Take a hot shower or bath in Epsom Salt, use an essential oil candle (If you do not have cats), Celestial Seasoning Caffeine Free Sleepy Time Tea or Peach Tea...I pray to the Lord before I go to sleep & read my Bible, I do not wind up my mind with T.V. news, telephone, checkbook., computer, etc., I also use 5 mg Melatonin by Natrol gummies. I also take Magnesium 200 mg that help with relaxing, your BP & heart during the day. Check with your doctor before you do any of these to make sure they do not interfere with other meds, ok? Praying for the Lord to take this away from you so you can sleep better.

Yes - for 10 years now I have suffered horrendous dreams nightly.
I have attended Sleep Clinic, psychology and psychiatrists to get to the bottom of this and recently I stumbled across the fact that the dreaming coincided with the time I started taking pregabalin 450 mg daily. I recently tried reducing with terrible side effects which made me feel awful. So here I am addicted at now 400mg it seems and dreading the thought that I will never be free of the dreams which make my life unbearable at times

Nightmares are definitely a side effect of some medicines. I have them too. Last night my husband woke me up because I was screaming. I dreamt I was being pursued by a serial killer. Where did that come from?!!

Thanks for responding - every single time I sleep - you just start to think you are the only one out there suffering this problem at times x

I recently stopped Seroquel for sleep, most nights I sleep 4 to 5 hours. I seldom dream.

When on Seroquel it was 8 to 10 and yeah nightmares were part of the deal.

I can take Seroquel and have nightmares and be more depressed or not take it and not get as much sleep,

Cutting my coffee consumption in half, not eating sugar (wherever possible) and exercising seems to help.

Consider a book “Brain Energy” by a Dr. Palmer. The book has really helped me,

I hope your nightmares go away, I’ve had them and it can be debilitating.

Good luck,

Thank you so much for your suggestion regarding the book I will certainly follow that up!

Dear Mispear: I have had upsetting nightmares/dreams on my mental health meds every single night for 10 years and even when I nap during the day. When I awake my suicidal ideation is through the roof. No physician has suggested anything that works to alleviate this symptom, but I can usually snap out of it if I take a ritalin, block my negative thoughts related to the dream, and get involved in some activity. It also helps tremendously if I eat some sugary carbohydrate and a coffee. After 15 minutes or so my memory of the dream has disappeared, and I am back to "normal"--as normal as I ever am! I wish you good fortune in dealing with these troublesome dreams.