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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Benzo's & nightmares

maxalfie

maxalfie

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
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7,082
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Down town
I have been taking blackmarket diazepam every few days for about the last year.
The last few months I've been having terrifying nightmares that are so scary that I'm relieved when I wake up and realise that it was a dream even though it felt so real at the time.
The nightmares usually involve me being chased be people and getting stabbed repeatedly or chopped up with an axe and these dreams are truly terrifying.
Is this a normal thing to happen with benzo use and has anybody else had these same types of dreams when using benzos?
 
This has never happened to me personally, as when I used to take benzos before going to bed they would just knock me out and I wouldn't remember a single dream or nightmare, if I even had any.
Are you sure these nightmares are actually the result of the benzos though? Have you tried sleeping without the benzos recently?

It might be entirely unrelated really...is anything particularly stressful happening in your life atm?
 
Same as you Pagey,the night I take my pill I will sleep fine without any knowledge of any dreams.
But I usually take a pill then none for two or 3 days and its usually around the 2nd day of not having a pill that the nightmares start.
I haven't really got anything stressful going on in my life, in fact I'm probably more relaxed than ever.
I'm just about 6 months clean of heroin and the only other drug I take apart from diazepam is 40ml methadone daily.
 
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Mmh...dyou experience any WDs (more stress, restlesness, depression...) during those two or three days? I'm thinking you might be mildly physically & psychologically addicted to benzos so the WDs are manifesting themselves on your days off. When I got off benzos I would definitely have nightmares constantly (and that's when I could actually get to sleep).
It would also explain why this has only been manifesting itself in the last few months - since you don't use every day, it would have taken a while for addiction to set in.
 
First time I was prescribed Alprazolam is the first time I went straight into a lucid dream during sleep. It was a fucking great dream too.

Benzos always give me very vivid dreams and on occasion they become lucid (where I realize I'm dreaming, control the dream etc.). Never had any nightmares on them that I can remember.... but I know it's common to have vivid dreams.
 
I did think it could be a sign of withdrawals starting as the nightmares only happen when I haven't had a pill for a couple of days.
I don't think I notice any signs of withdrawal though in the daytime on the non using days but I'm gonna make a point of seeing if my mood is any different during those days.
 
Alprazolam doesn't give me any weird dreams. Just knocks me out. But then again I don't take them daily nor have I been prescribed them for very long (a few weeks). Maybe it changes with long term use. IDK. If I have weird dreams on anything, its after having taken zolpidem and keeping myself awake on it then going to bed late.
 
maxalfie said:
I did think it could be a sign of withdrawals starting as the nightmares only happen when I haven't had a pill for a couple of days.
I don't think I notice any signs of withdrawal though in the daytime on the non using days but I'm gonna make a point of seeing if my mood is any different during those days.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think paying particular attention to shifts in your mood during those days would be smart. If it turns out these nightmares are part of WDs it would probably be a good idea to try using a bit less/more sparsely :)
 
maxalfie said:
But I usually take a pill then none for two or 3 days and its usually around the 2nd day of not having a pill that the nightmares start.
Click to expand...

It's from not taking the benzo. Diazepam reduces REM sleep and then when you stop taking it your REM sleep increases to "catch up", which can cause more intense dreams or stronger memories of dreams. If you are starting to get mildly physically dependent that can exacerbate this problem as well.
 
I think you are right SwimmingD about the REM theory. I done some research last night on my problem and your theory popped up quite often, so I think that is the reason for my nightmares.
It's always good to know why things are happening in your body and mind.
Thanks for all the help people.
 
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