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  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Night Terrors after Quitting Methamphetamine

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky

Frumious Bandersnatch
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I don't normally dream very much and certainly don't experience nightmares. But several times after quitting meth after long periods of use (e.g. 4-6 months of use) I've had the worst night terrors. I can't really remember the specifics but it's like I'm trapped just below the surface of sleep and semi-conscious but feel totally locked into some terrible situation (like being pursued or oppressed by something evil). When morning finally comes I'm totally exhausted and bathed in sweat. The following day I feel totally dizzy and discombobulated.

When quitting meth I almost always take 50 mg seroquel each night to try and normalise my sleep. Maybe the seroquel causes the terrors? I'm also taking Abilify in the morning.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences, how long it lasted and did anything help alleviate it?
 
Atelier3 said:
I don't normally dream very much and certainly don't experience nightmares. But several times after quitting meth after long periods of use (e.g. 4-6 months of use) I've had the worst night terrors. I can't really remember the specifics but it's like I'm trapped just below the surface of sleep and semi-conscious but feel totally locked into some terrible situation (like being pursued or oppressed by something evil). When morning finally comes I'm totally exhausted and bathed in sweat. The following day I feel totally dizzy and discombobulated.

When quitting meth I almost always take 50 mg seroquel each night to try and normalise my sleep. Maybe the seroquel causes the terrors? I'm also taking Abilify in the morning.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences, how long it lasted and did anything help alleviate it?
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I use to get them all the time but being on the everyday I only get them when i mix alcohol or not mixing once in a while.
 
Atelier3 said:
I don't normally dream very much and certainly don't experience nightmares. But several times after quitting meth after long periods of use (e.g. 4-6 months of use) I've had the worst night terrors. I can't really remember the specifics but it's like I'm trapped just below the surface of sleep and semi-conscious but feel totally locked into some terrible situation (like being pursued or oppressed by something evil). When morning finally comes I'm totally exhausted and bathed in sweat. The following day I feel totally dizzy and discombobulated.

When quitting meth I almost always take 50 mg seroquel each night to try and normalise my sleep. Maybe the seroquel causes the terrors? I'm also taking Abilify in the morning.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences, how long it lasted and did anything help alleviate it?
Click to expand...
I've had similiar experiences.. Time will heal it. If I recall correctly you can avoid those sleep terrors by not sleeping on your back. Maybe try to not do so much caffeine before going to sleep?
 
Serequel, hell, antipsychotics in general, just bad news. Antipsychotics are poison.

Have you tried Latuda? Depakote? Do you drink at all?
 
I haven't necessarily had repeated night terrors, but I've found every time getting clean after extended drug use (meth included), I dream waaay more and more in depth than when I'm using. Lots of weird using dreams and strange metaphors, the occasional nightmare. I also take APs when I get clean.

I think dreaming intensely when getting clean is a pretty common occurrence. I'm sure it has something to do with all of the work your brain is doing during the time you're sleeping. It's essentially catching up on all the sleep you've missed and trying to repair all the damage you've done to regain homeostasis, so with all of the neurotransmitters firing off you are bound to have some irregularities.

I'm sure it will get better with time. It always has for me, it usually settles down after a couple months. For reference, I dream very seldomly normally, but typically the only time I remember my dreams are nightmares.
 
Atelier3 said:
Maybe the seroquel causes the terrors?
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Seroquel gives me very vivid, bizarre dreams, sometimes they're pretty fucked up and disturbing but if they wake me up I'm generally so groggy I just end up falling asleep again / not caring.

Are you saying you get them during binges or during periods of sobriety? Any meds that are messing with brain chemistry are probably going to affect your dreams.

When I stopped taking seroquel for a few days my dreams went back to normal.
 
I would reconsider using seroquel as a sleeping pill, specially if you aren't even using it to comedown from meth (and you're already taking another antipsychotic).
It might knock you out but it also inhibits REM sleep (night terrors don't occur during rem sleep afaik).
Some doctors like to prescribe it as such but seroquel is actually contraindicated for insomnia, precisely because its side effects massively outweigh any potential benefit (there's barely any evidence for its effectiveness).
 
Bella Figura said:
Seroquel gives me very vivid, bizarre dreams, sometimes they're pretty fucked up and disturbing but if they wake me up I'm generally so groggy I just end up falling asleep again / not caring.

Are you saying you get them during binges or during periods of sobriety? Any meds that are messing with brain chemistry are probably going to affect your dreams.

When I stopped taking seroquel for a few days my dreams went back to normal.
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During first few weeks of sobriety. I recently read antihistamines can cause nightmares / vivid dreams and Seroquel works as an antihistamine at low doses so maybe it’s that.
 
Im going to second a few people in regards to the seroquel. One of the most commonly reported sides is nightmares and sleep paralysis.

I’m not sure if you’re prescribed it or just take it. If prescribed then speak to your Dr about trying another med. If not then I’d try just not using it. Might take a while to get back into a sleep pattern but I’d imagine you wouldn’t have the nightmare issues. I’d definitely recommend melatonin if you’ve issues falling asleep. Good sleep hygiene too will help. There’s nothing worse than sleep paralysis, I have it a lot and it’s horrid.

Hopefully it doesn’t last long for you and you get it sorted.
 
I use Marihuana in order to not dream, and I've been using it very effectively for a long time. I almost do not dream at all anymore, thank God.

If you haven't had adverse effects from Marihuana it might be the way to go. I just smoke before I go to bed, usually 0 dreams, and if I get anything at all it's fleeting images.
 
Could be a result from being low on serotonin too.
I've experienced sleep paralysis twice and it was during periods of drug abuse, dreams become very intense and vivid too. Low serotonin levels side effects also include feeling very tired and fuzzy, especially in the morning. But I'm guessing you have experienced this before and it's not this.
 
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