Opioids Vivid/Lucid Dreaming

[Rybee]

Hi Peeps,

I regularly have incredibly vivid and lucid dreams, say 5 nights per week. Although the dreams can sometimes be enjoyable if they're lucid (it can be quite fun!) most of the time they're quite distressing and tend to focus on my mum who has passed away. Whenever I have an episode of these dreams I sweat profusely in my sleep, I have to wash my bedsheets daily, and wake up several times in the night absolutely drenched.

I currently take 375 Venlafaxine for depression & anxiety, as a side effect it gives me high blood pressure so I take beta blockers to help lower it. Although Venlafaxine has been linked, although lightly to sleep disturbances, Beta blockers are well known to cause vivid dreams so I think this is likely to be the cause. I've switched from Propranolol to Atenolol since Atenolol does not cross the blood/brain barrier.

Although I know it's very bad to stop taking BB's suddenly due to the rebound in high blood pressure that follows, I couldn't tolerate it any longer so I skipped them for 48 hours yet still suffered vivid/lucid dreaming for both nights, despite it only having a half life of approx 6 hours?

I'm now wondering if the regular use of Opioids, in my case 60mgOramorph/420mgDHC/420mgCodeinePhosphate could be the cause my vivid/lucid dreaming? Or if it's not the cause, could it be exacerbating it?

I only get the sweating when I have the dreams. Some nights when I don't experience the dreams I don't sweat at all, there's a 100% link between the dreams and sweating.

What are your thoughts on this? I'm due to visit my GP later this week to have a catchup about it and wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this? I know the obvious thing to do is cut out opioids for a fortnight or so and see what happens but right now I just can't do that. I've only really admitted that to myself this week so I guess the realisation of that has upset me a bit so I do appreciate your concerns but please don't lecture me - I know it's a problem and in time I need to kick it in.


As always any help is really appreciated,

Thanks to the lovely peeps on BL in advanced

 

[Corazon]

Do a google search on: Venlafaxine "night sweats"

It's most probable that is the medication which is to blame.

Good luck. I think you already know that it's time to make a plan about opiate habit, and i'm not gonna lecture you about it.

 

[xtcisaok]

I used heroin on a daily bases when I lived back east for about 5 years. When I would take a really high dose I would have really lucid dreams like what you are describing. I believe this is part of being in the poppy fields. It all probably plays a roll but having these dreams on opiates is normal. Like I said it would happen to me on a high dose when I would fall out into a really deep nod, or maybe I was sleeping. I couldn't tell you. I also would start "shooting salad" Or start speaking about very random things. "fishsticks paper clips pretty eyes turtles." it would make no sense and I wouldn't have control of it.

 

[kvsouth]

I had the exact same issue from Effexor, except my dreams I was acting out and actually hurting my husband during sleep/awake states. I lost the ability to remember what was a dream and what really happened. It was sooo strange. My psychiatrist started me on prozasin at night (a BP med known to prevent nightmares for PTSD war veterans) and it worked from the first night! Ask about that!

 

[tnvol44]

I also have vivid,lifelike dreams on opioids,have them most every night.It's both a blessing and a curse sometimes!

 

[BeachBum4u]

I'm on about 80 mg Opana ER daily, so I suppose that would qualify for enough opiates to comment on dreaming etc. The funny thing is that I do have them and sometimes they're incredibly detailed and intense (mostly positive). I never really have what one would call nightmares. My dreams are pretty enjoyable all in all but the problem is there's no rhyme or reason as to when they'll happen. Like I said, I take a pretty consistent amount of pain meds, so there's no high spikes and low dips in usage. That may be the problem. However, I do wish I could figure it out (if it's even something that can be figured out??) so I could actually enjoy them. Anyway, interesting post!