The medicine may cause nightmares
If you have recurring disturbing dreams and there is no clear link to what is happening in your waking life, it may be time to check your medicine cabinet. Many people do not realize that common medications can have a negative effect on their dreams.
Certain antidepressants, beta-blockers to treat high blood pressure, statins to treat cholesterol abnormalities, psychostimulants for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dopamine agonists for Parkinson’s disease, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are among the medications that have been used. linked To cause or worsen traumatic dreams.
Unusual dreams and nightmares are also side effects of other prescription medications and even some over-the-counter medications such as sedating antihistamines.
“There are a lot of medications that can cause nightmares or bad dreams,” says Dr. Kleti Kushida, division chair and medical director of sleep medicine at Stanford University. “Even melatonin and medications used to treat short-term insomnia such as Ambien, Sonata, and Lunesta can be associated with more bad dreams, but we don’t know the mechanisms.” Kushida adds that newer GLP-1 drugs (such as Ozempic and Mounjaro) used to treat type 2 diabetes or promote weight loss have also been linked to bad dream content.
Why do some medications affect dreams?
When medications are associated with an increase in bad dreams or nightmares, the cause is not always clear. In the case of some medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, the medications may change the levels of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, in the brain, which may affect dreams and nightmares. “SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating sleep, so more serotonin floats around. [in the brain]Kushida says.
research It found that while older tricyclic antidepressants “induce more positive dream feelings,” use of SSRIs and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) is associated with more intense dreams and the possibility of more frequent nightmares. Withdrawal from tricyclic antidepressants may also lead to nightmares, while withdrawal from SSRIs and SSRIs appears to lead to intensified dreams.
In contrast, “dopamine agonists are thought to affect nightmares directly through their activity on dopamine receptors,” explains Dr. Swetha Gogineni, a sleep specialist and pulmonologist at UCLA.
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Other medications may have a more direct effect on sleep architecture, that is, the structure of the different sleep stages during the night. For example, medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease (such as Aricept) can trigger REM sleep behavior disorder, which can cause intense, often bad, dreams and may prompt people to act out their dreams, Kushida says.
Meanwhile, beta blocker medications tend to reduce REM sleep, which is the time when most dreams occur, however research It has been found to be associated with an increase in nightmares. Use some Fluoroquinolone antibioticsMedications such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin have also been linked to an increased risk of nightmares.
Sometimes, it’s not entirely clear what triggers bad dreams. For example, an underlying sleep disorder such as sleep apnea can affect someone’s dreams when they are taking a medication that affects dreaming such as an antidepressant. “A lot of people with depression have bad dreams,” says Dr. Barry Krakoff, a sleep medicine specialist in Savannah, Georgia, who runs a sleep health coaching service. “Many people with depression need a sleep study because they have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.” Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in itself linked With increasing nightmares. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been shown to reduce bad dreams.
How to deal with nightmarish side effects
When people experience dream-related side effects due to medications, their responses can vary greatly. Some people simply notice that their dreams have become more powerful and ignore them. “Others have reported sleep fragmentation, heart palpitations, and a sense of panic upon waking up,” Gogineni says. “Some individuals may develop insomnia due to concerns about sleep and nightmares. For some, nightmares can continue to affect their ability to work or in different social settings.”
So what should you do if you suspect a drug is wreaking havoc on your dreams? The first step is to discuss your symptoms and concerns with your primary care doctor. “Nightmares can greatly impact a person’s sleep and overall quality of life,” Gogineni says. “It is important that [your] Your doctor knows if this is happening.
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It is important not to stop taking medication without first speaking with your doctor, as this may have negative effects on the health condition being treated. “Suddenly stopping these medications can sometimes make nightmares worse,” Gogineni says.
Depending on the medical condition and medication, several solutions may help. “Your doctor may suggest changing the dose or time of day that the medication is taken,” Kushida says.
In some cases, your doctor may suggest trying a different medication in the same class or a different type of medication entirely to treat your health condition, Gogineni says.
It’s important to have a conversation, starting with your primary doctor and, if that’s not helpful enough, with a sleep specialist. The quality of your rest, including your dreams, can affect your health day and night, so it’s helpful to take steps to sleep soundly.