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Drug-Induced Nightmares
Have you ever awakened in the middle of a nightmare? On the one hand it can be an enormous relief to realize that you are dreaming rather than actually be attacked by monsters or falling down a well. On the other hand, it can be very hard to fall asleep again after a really bad dream.
A surprising number of medications can cause nightmares. This is not the kind of side effect that is frequently mentioned when a physician writes a prescription. Nor is your pharmacist likely to mention this kind of drug-induced adverse effect. That’s because nightmares are not generally considered that serious. We would disagree.
For some people regular nightmares can be extremely disturbing. Not only are they very scary but they can also disrupt sleep and make it very hard to get the rest you need for good health.
A wide variety of medications can precipitate drug-induced nightmares. They include:
• Amphetamine, prescribed for ADD or narcolepsy
• Beta Blockers such as atenolol, bisoprolol, labetalol and propranolol prescribed for high blood pressure or heart problems.
• Chantix (varenicline) to stop smoking
• Levodopa for Parkinsons’s disease.
We have also heard from visitors to this site that certain kinds of antibiotics such as clindamycin and quinolone antibiotics (Cipro and Levaquin) can cause nasty dreams.
Interestingly, some people also note that when they are switched from a brand name antidepressant to a generic (Wellbutrin to bupropion, for example) they have experienced nightmares.
Here are some stories to ponder. NEVER stop taking your medicine abruptly without medical supervision. In the case of beta blockers that could bring on a heart attack.
If you have experienced drug-induced nightmares, we would appreciate your comments added to this list.
REPORTS OF DRUG-INDUCED NIGHTMARES:
I first took Chantix about 3 years ago. The drug itself was great for the purpose taken, I was able to stop smoking. However, the side effects that I experienced that I attributed to taking the medication were unbearable. I had horrible nightmares, felt very agitated and a had constant uneasy feeling. It also caused me to have horrible stomach issues. Every time I would eat a meal, I would have sudden and painful diarrhea.
I also started taking Chantix despite the warnings of side effects. Not only have I had the insomnia, nightmares, and nausea, but I am becoming severely depressed and irritable thanks to Chantix. And it hasn’t made me not want to smoke, either.
I started Chantix after many unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking over the last year or so. I took the first pill from the starter kit the evening of the day my physician prescribed it. Wow, that night I had the most vivid, colorful, interactive dreams I could ever remember. When I got up the next morning I commented to my partner that this drug was great and quitting smoking will be fun and the dreams would be a great reward. But something was a little bit off. When I took my morning shower I couldn’t remember which washcloth was mine and what to do next after I washed my hair. The whole day was a little off.
By night three the dreams had turned into nightmares from which I awoke angry and agitated. I found it hard to function, kind of disconnect from my normal conscious self. I rationalized it away as getting used to the drug, which is something my physician warned me about. I awoke the morning of the 4th day after another dream/nightmare. My partner was snoring which agitated me to the point where I thought a bullet would certainly solve this problem. The shock of such a thought, which is so far removed from the way I normally feel, scared me and I was only 4 days into the regime.
I got many Kenalog (a corticosteroid) injections for bursitis. It helped the pain but increased my appetite and made me have nightmares. I am not a fan of steroids and will avoid them if possible.
Pam
My husband and I were very healthy marathon-running 35 year olds. 2 months previous to this we had both just qualified for the cheapest life insurance for the healthiest groups. My husband and I were prescribed Cipro (for him) and Levaquin (for me) for a stomach bug they couldn’t diagnose. My MD said to me when I questioned whether or not I had to take it “well if its a virus, nothing bad will happen.”
Within half an hour after talking it we both had severe anxiety, insomnia, nightmares and diarrhea. Six months later the symptoms are starting to subside although my husband still has tingling and weird nightmares and I have it occasionally.
We have seen 9 doctors and they either outright deny or have not admitted that the Cipro or Levaquin could have anything to do with it. We finally saw an infectious disease doctor at a major hospital who said he had had 3 other patients who felt they had the same long lasting effects from either Cipro or Levaquin, but he couldn’t find any evidence to support it.
We finally just decided we just had to help ourselves to get better and we started to eat a lot of live sauerkraut (which seems to have helped get our digestion somewhat back) and eat very healthfully (lots of greens and brown rice) and get a lot of rest. Seems to be the only thing that has helped. I will not take a fluoroquinalone antibiotics again.
J&G
I took Levaquin for a prostate infection. About 2 weeks after I started taking it I began to suffer from extreme anxiety and horrific nightmares. I thought I was loosing my mind. It never occurred to me that the medication could have been the culprit; my Doctor even said that it wasn’t the Levaquin. So I decided to search the internet for myself and found that I was not alone. My time in hell lasted for 6 months but there was an end to this and I did come out.
Bill P.
I’ve taken brand name Wellbutrin several times during the past years for seasonal depression. This time around I was given the generic Teva brand for Wellbutrin XL. I had to stop taking it after one month due to severe insomnia, worsening depression, mood swings, constipation, & nightmares.
I took a ‘drug holiday for a week then went back on the brand name Wellbutrin. After about 3 weeks I was back to normal and living life again.
JD
I was put on atenolol as needed for shaking during social events. No problems then, as I only used one pill about once a week, if that. Then my blood pressure went through the roof from severe anxiety. I was put on atenolol daily and all hell broke loose. Made my anxiety worse, and caused horrible nightmares and insomnia.
S.
ADD YOUR OWN DRUG-INDUCED NIGHTMARE STORIES BELOW:
Shirley
I’m on day 3 of Levaquin 750 and Prednisone 20 mg in an effort to be treated for pneumonia and sepsis at home. The nightmares the last two nights have been so vivid and scary. It’s 3:30 a.m., and I’m too frightened to go back to sleep. Keep you posted.
Nicole
Toady is 7th May 2022,
I started to take clindamycin 4th May 2022 after having wisdom tooth surgery under general anesthesia. The first day was ok. Second day I noticed that when I awoke from my sleep I was in a state of confusion. I wrote it off as if I had gotten up too fast but I started to have a strange taste in my mouth.
So lets talk about yesterday: I really noticed this taste in my mouth. Then I realized that when I wake from taking this prescription, especially if I fall asleep just after taking it, I would feel confused and as if I can’t move my legs. The kicker was when I slept in the night after 8:40 p.m., something that I do not normally do is dream.
Oh, my I had a nightmare, and when I tell you a nightmare…come with me so you understand exactly how I was feeling. In this dream it started off somewhat normal. My mother was there, and there were 3 different scenes to it. She was situated on something similar to a highway, but the twist is that the road was actually a cruise with a van ship on it, and it was like a carnival, music and dancing. We all were having fun listening to the good rhythms.
Moving on, I told mother that I need to go get my things from the house, so I did, but what awaited me there would change the trajectory of my dreams. There were people hanging out, and the house was like an open garage sale. They had even started a food stall on on side, and the house was upstairs and downstairs. I was shocked but I just said pleasantries and walked on in. Then a guy that I do not know came up to me and started chatting. I was nice and engaged him in conversation to seem as if I cared, because I knew little to no one really at the home.
On walking thru the house tho, I noticed that I could not find anything belonging to me so I started to ask this guy, “Where are my thins?” I got really agitated and, he said, “Oh sorry, I think someone threw your clothes out.” I was furious now, and I continued to listen to him closer now. I said, “Who would do something like that?” He then went on to explain who he was and how he knew of me. From my understanding, he was the brother of the lady who took my things. I was shocked. He said he knew me, and his sister is upset that I am here. With that I said, “OK. I will just leave.” Then he said, “I don’t think you can.” Bear in mind that we ending up chatting on some high beams. I turned to leave and saw a gang of people coming my way, and I was shocked. The guy who was talking to me disappeared but not before he whispered something to me…i think it was that I must live.
In that same instance I saw people in the road pulling humans apart and screaming and carrying on. I was trying hard to figure out what was going on. It seems that I was the next victim. I tried to get down and away but that was a no no, so I decided to get to higher ground, and I ended up by a window up on high. So the dream ended with me and mom safe, but it definitely was traumatic to be honest.
Brodie
I started clindamycin yesterday. Spent most of the night not being able to sleep, and when I finally did had the most awful nightmare and woke up crying. I’ve had some whacked dreams in my life, but nothing like this. I think it’s safe to add this med to the list of nightmare- inducing medications.
Is anyone else curious about how it does that? Just find it kind of interesting. And curious about why it can’t be excellent dreams instead of bad ones lol.
Rebecca
Kentucky
I was given clindamycin tonight around 9:30pm at out hospital. They gave me a shot of it in each hip due to infection in tooth. Got home and to sleep a few hours later. Just woke up from a nightmare a few mins ago so googled to see if this antibiotic could be the cause and this page came up. Will never take this antibiotic ever again. Woke up in a bad sweat and panic.
katara
Pennsylvania
I went to the ER on monday because my jaw had swelled up REALLY bad after my 3 month old son had slammed into me. It turned out that when he did he opened up a HUGE infection. I have problems taking any kind of penicillin medications so what I am left with is the clindamycin. I was getting it through IV for 5 days and had no issues with it whatsoever. Than when I went home things got interesting. I started having MASSIVE nightmares. Honestly, they are super-scary like scenes from horror movies. Called my doc and told them what was going on, and they have NEVER heard of it happening. But other commenters here make it very clear that it does happen.
Shannon
Lexington,sc
My son was prescribed Cipro for a bacterial infection. After one day (2 pills) I threw them away! He had the worst night terrors that night, moving around his home throwing things! I ran in and he was screaming and I thought foaming at the mouth until I realized it was stuffing from his pillow! He bit right through his pillow! He thought he had shot me and also thought something was in his room.
He was covered in sweat and it took me forever to calm him down. This was totally out of character, he is an easy going and peace loving 15 year old who is always smiling. This was 11 days ago and I have had to sleep in his room all but one night since. His dreams are terrifying and violent and he always screams that he is a terrible person. Plus on top of the dreams, it has caused his skin to sting off and on and irritated his liver, Do no take this!!!!
Jennifer
Livonia
I have been on labetalol for little under a year. I am also on supplemental hormones due to peri-menopause. In the lase month, I have had the weirdest and craziest nightmares. I call them “Buffy the Vampire” nightmares – demons morphing into people I know, forgetting where I left my kids, my house flooding, people’s faces melting, you name it – I’ve had it. I have learned to Google side effects of medications because no matter what I take now, since I hit 40, I have the “rare” or “weird” side effects. Keep in mind the “rare” side effects are rare because people don’t usually report them to the FDA – and doctors sure don’t – they just treat the symptoms with more medication. Plus, doctors don’t usually look at the side effects of the medications they prescribe. My doctor is always “surprised” when I have problems on one medication or another…. I have had to insist on changing medications – Labetalol is my 5th BP med in 4 years…..All for the “rare” side effects. Coincidence? Doubtful
Jen
Florida
I have been taking Wellbutrin for several years. Over the past 6 months, my dreams have become like a horror film. I scream, punch, kick, and scare my husband to death. He tries to wake me and not get punched. They are very gory and graphic. I’ve been taking Prazosin for 6 days, and I have become extremely irritable. I’ve had a horror film nightmare but didn’t punch or scream, which is a step in the right direction. Can Wellbutrin cause horrifying nightmares?
Alicia
Detroit
I am very concerned, I have been taking Losartin 50mg at night for almost 2 years, then about a year ago, my bp was still too high so my Doctor prescribed Norvasc 10mg added to the Losartin dosage at night. Then about 2.5 Months ago my cholesterol levels were very high, good and bad. So my Doctor added Crestor 5mg also at night. Everything was fine for the first 2 Months, now I have been having HORRIBLE night terrors, not just nightmares. I have always been very in tune with my dreams and/or nightmares, most of the time remembering most of what I’ve dreamt most of my life, even as a child. I have never experienced anything like these SO REAL NIGHTMARES. I wake so upset, crying, almost screaming and shaking, it is unreal! So, last night I did not take them at night, instead I took them this morning. No nightmares last night?
I know the cholesterol meds can be less effective if taken in the morning but until I can speak with my PCP tomorrow, this is my plan.
Emmy
Belleville
On Atenolol and Adalat was added. It’s been over 3 years of nightmares every night. Either I lay awake exhausted or I fall into nightmares. My family can wake me up up to 5 times a week because I am vocalizing horrible things. I feel this is doing as much damage as my hypertension would if unmedicated. I wake with dilated pupils on many occasions. I tried Prazosin twice with no change. My mornings are write offs. I have to keep at my doc, he doesn’t get how bad this is.
Krystle
New York City
I have never really had a nightmare before until the last four days of me taking the medication cipro. I was prescribed cipro for a bladder infection and thought nothing of it, I would wake up shaking every night with terrible nightmares usually of me witnessing someone’s death. And it is nearly impossible to fall back to sleep. I can’t just stop my meds but I’m so scared to continue taking them.
Marc
Houston, TX
Two weeks ago I started Orencia for rheumatoid arthritis. Almost immediately, I noticed some pretty vivid dreams. These dreams have become progressively more intense. They involve frustrations and inability to complete simple to complex tasks. Each night they are more intense and frightening. I am not seeing this as a side effect on any other site, yet I am convinced this is a side effect for me.
Lisa
Saginaw,MI
I hadn’t dreamed in years. The day I started taking a beta blocker, lopressor, the dreams have not stopped. They are very intense, vivid, disturbing. I feel like I don’t get a good sleep. The dreams wake me up frequently. Wondering if the benefits of the medicine outweigh the side effects of the non stop dreams…
Lisa B
Gene
Texas
Carvidelol Blood Pressure med has caused vivqid nightmares again after stopping it for six months the dreams went away, but, when I went back on it , ihey returned, vivid, and, in spades, after one week. Now i know I must stop
Robert
Bristol, Tn
If a drug is giving you nightmares, does the affect get hard wired in the brain? That is, if you stop taking the drug will the nightmares go away? Is there any lasting damage?
Gregor
The very worst (or best, should your dreams be sweet or interesting) in my experience are antihistamines. I try not to take cold medicine two nights in a row, but the flu was another matter. By day three of five or six, I was half-awake for long stretches seeing dim images, mostly of everyday matters, some farther out there but never frightening. I knew at the time that this was not real. It lacked the breakneck speed and antic content of hypopompic imagery, which I thoroughly enjoyed as a kid but which happens to me seldom now.
kirk
south carolina
Have been on Kepra for 1 year after life-altering dbl seizures 3 yrs ago. Have experienced dual personalities and that RAGE you get with that epilepsy meds. Was switched to Trileptal, Zoloft, and Parozin. For 5 hours each day I am okay. Forget about the rest of the day. If I fall asleep, anywhere, I have several dreams at a time: stupid dreams, I mean. Some are violent, some sickening. The first dream state has me doing whatever, and I wake up as if I am still dreaming the dream. Pretty sick, huh? how bout falling off a ship, nobody knows it has happened, and you slowly drown. Life’s horrors are like a tape player. These drugs are not what I want. I don’t like being told not to stop taking them or I will die.
Lisa
TN
I have taken only 3 doses (1 1/2 days) of the 7 day prescription of Cipro. Last night I spent most of the night awake and what time I did sleep was filled with vivid bad dreams. I know it is the Cipro causing the dreams and I can’t take another night like that. This is the second time I have been prescribed Cipro and the first time I was not bothered with dreams. I have taken Levaquin many times over the years without problem.
Rebecca
Texas
I have been on clindamycine hcl for about a month. Began having mild hallucinations. Last night I stayed up late, took the Meds and had 3 vivid, gory, violent dreams in a row. I take it fir MRSA so I don’t feel I have a choice.
Sarah
I have been on Buproprian XL (Wellbutrin) for about 6 days now. I’ve been paying close attention to the side effects and, well, early early this morning, I woke up twice sweating like crazy (mainly on my legs) and I’ve been having very vivid dreams. Not necessarily nightmares but intense and definitely reducing the quality of sleep I get.
Just last night, I went to a place I had been before in a dream, which is why I found the mention of reoccurring dreams and PTSD so interesting. I was on a very low does of Celexa for depression but it made me gain a lot of weight and after a very brutal attack while away at school, my depression worsened, so I gave it a switch to Wellbutrin. I really enjoy my sleep, so I hope this side effect goes away!
Richard
Ohio
OMG, I’ve been diagnosed with A.D.D., PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression. The doctor put me on Wellbutrin xl 300 mg 3 weeks ago and Mirtazapine 15 mg last week. I just had the most vividly realistic dream that I have ever had in my life! So real that I woke up balling because in my dream my best friend was murdered. It’s 4 am and I had to call him to make sure it wasn’t real. When he answered to my relief (mad because I woke him up) I really couldn’t compose myself to explain why I was calling at this hour. It took me a minute or two to control the crying and the anxiety to explain myself. When we hung up, I cried uncontrollable for another five minutes or so because of the realism. I don’t think I can handle this! I hate pills! I won’t even take aspirin because of my disliking for pills and they got me on this crap! I don’t ever want to have a dream like this again! I’m calling the doctor as soon as he get to work.
Kathryn
NJ
June 26,2016
I have been taking Cipro for 5 day for a urinary tract infection. I have 2 days left.
I just experienced a terrifying nightmare that was so real I woke thinking it really happened ? I woke at least 4 times during the night in a panic sweating and dizzy . Each time I fell back to sleep I returned to the dream ?
After reading all the comments on this site I’m calling my dr to discuss this. I don’t want to take the remainder of the prescription. I was afraid of the risk of tendon injury but this is horrible too . I haven’t taken any antibiotics in over 10 yrs but I never knew it cause a nightmare . Terrifying !!!!!
Aimee
Iowa
I used to be on Keppra and on occasion I would have bad dreams. Some of them felt like premonitions of up coming events. I was taken off of it because it wasn’t fully helping my seizures.
Liz
Leeds, UK
I just woke up after the first time of taking propranolol 2x 10mg for migraine prevention. Took them at night “as it could cause drowsiness”. Wish I’d have waited until morning. Had the most vivid dream of a huge group of thugs outside my house, trying to get in and threaten me and my partner. Never had any trouble around here so it’s literally come from nowhere. But now it’s 5am and I’m scared to go back to sleep in case it continues.
Kerry
I am currently taking cipro and have been experiencing vivid dreams that aren’t 100% nightmares but are dreams about things that I’ve had negative issues with in my past life. I never thought the two could be connected until I looked it up and found this site. I have been having the exact same dream sequence ever since I started taking this round. (Started on 5/18/16)
SMV
Canada
years ago I started taking Perempanel which made me very tired, it gave me dreams but not any horrors. I had to get used to it because at first it annoyed my stomach.
Then about a year ago Lacosamide helped.
I still dream but nothing is scary.
Alisha
Sierra Vista, Arizona
I just had foot surgery on February 12, 2016 and was prescribed percocet for my pain management. Ever since I started taking it, I’ve been having some very disturbing nightmares where I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare sweating. I’ve even grabbed my mother in the middle of the night screaming and crying for one of my nightmares…. Now I’m afraid to go to sleep because of it..
Karen
Oregon
I just had hip surgery 5 days ago and I am taking hydromorfone 2 mg for pain . It is 1:20 am & I just woke up crying & shaking & sweating from the most bizarre dream I’ve ever had! I think it scared my husband of 38 years , he has never seen me like that. I kept saying in my dream….maybe I’m dreaming but dreams don’t last this long , do they?? It was so freaking Wierd I am now watching tv. I had a similar dream with my last hip surgery…same medication and I went back in time, well that’s what it was like & very realistic…..It’s like you can’t get out of these dreams, maybe it has something to with these support hose as well trying to suck the life out of your brain!! Thanks for letting me rant because I’m not going to sleep for awhile ….
Also wearing nicotine patch.
Marilyn
Anchorage
1/27/16- I took the generic Levaquin yesterday at 8p for the first time, for a sinus infection. I went to bed at 2a, and OMG. I had epic dreams that were vivid and terrifying. In one, I was taking my son on a cruise, and it was a Titanic / Poseidon Adventure combo- extremely real feeling. We got rescued from that and were being taken to stay with some people who lived on a farm. as we walked down the path towards their (dark, scary looking) house, two gigantic dogs came at us with teeth bared, slobbering and snarling. I grabbed my son (who is now 27 but in the dream was a kid, about 8) and put him out of harms way. I felt the sharp edges of the dogs’ teeth actually baring down on my right jugular. They held there, just about to puncture.
I said over and over…”it’s okay… it’s okay…it’s okay puppy. ” Gradually, which ever dog it was released my throat. I woke up then, and the weirdest thing is that I was looking at the mirror over the dresser- and the wood frame was blood red, like red roses. That faded away, but it was very bizarre and I did not really sleep after that. I don’t think. The strange thing is, although I had a hard time getting out of bed, I didn’t feel tired once I was up. I cruised through the work day in fine shape.
I thought about waiting until tomorrow morning at 6a to take my second pill but I don’t want to get off schedule with the antibiotic and don’t want to develop a superbug. So, I just took it- day number 2. If it happens again tonight though, I’m getting a different drug. I’ve had those kind of epic bad dreams taking melatonin too, so don’t touch those anymore. You could write a novel from the dreams, but I really don’t feel like I’m getting rest. What a thing!
Angela
On very very high doses for Clindamycin and Cipro for 3 months for a severe bone infection. After the IV doses in hospital I swear I hallucinated as I never even fell asleep and had the strangest “visions”. Now on the oral doses I have gone from never remembering my dreams to having the most hyper realistic anxiety driven nightmares. I’ve never had a dream look or feel so real. Waking up about 10x a night and falling right back into them. I need to start right this stuff Down!
Tony
Ohio
I just started 300mg of clindamycid 5 days ago and I NEVER look into side effects or have issues with any medication but this drug is causing EXTREMELY vivid dreams / nightmares. Just as you said, I am waking 10x + per night and averaging 45 minutes at a time of sleep before I wake again. I usually do not remember dreams but these are so vivid that I recall all of my dreams since I have been on this drug. This actually caused me to research it now since I am getting little sleep anymore and I am finding we are not alone with the side effects.
Dina
Ridgefield, CT
Was taking Percoset for pain after surgery… OMG! I’ll take Tylenol from now on. I had the worst nightmares I’ve ever had in my life. I’d rather live with the pain then have those nightmares…
Alisha
Arizona
I just started taking percocet on the 12th after my foot surgery and I’m having the same problem. Terrible nightmares…
Len
Carson City, NV
I take Losartan and Atenolol, both of which appear to be associated with abnormal/violent dreams. I also take Atorvastatin and Hydrochlorothiazide.
Over the past year or so I have had probably 6-8 violent dreams. In one, I was being attacked from behind and woke up to the pain of my hand punching the attacker (the wall). In three dreams I violently threw myself out of bed, in one case striking my head on my nightstand and another flinging my shin against the knob on a dresser which is still discolored from a deep bruise. Just the other night I had a vivid dream where I was disoriented and laboring to move my legs which felt wobbly and weighted down. I woke falling forward and banging my head against the wall.
I mentioned this to my doctor (VA) but he didn’t seem to concerned. I’m bringing it up again before I seriously injure myself!
Udofia, E.
Nigeria
I have taken ciprofloaxacin several times in the last 5 years. Just recently, I started having nightmares right after taking first dose. My children had complained of nightmares, very scary nightmares, earlier but I didn’t understand. Now I understand better. The nightmares go a few days after completing the dosage. Is it safe to stay with this drug.
sarah
canada
i cant believe i found clindamycine in this list. i am the type of person always remember his dreams and have quite vivid dreaming not that often. surprisingly as soon as i started taking clindamycine dreams just enhanced like from SD/HD quality of normal to 4K DISPLAY! 120% resolution and details. sometimes it is like living inside a 3D movie of future, aliens, space, etc sometimes very nostalgic locations totally reinvented! with unknown people! i even dont know i am dreaming! i went to butchery and bought meat then the man in the shop became crazy then i woke up! that would be interesting to know which part drug is messing with? any study? hope that this effect is temporary unless i go mad seeing these dreams every day!
Shelby
USA
I’ve been taking Zoloft for GAD for almost three months now. I’ve always been prone to vivid dreams and nightmares, especially when my anxiety gets really bad, but the past month or so I’ve noticed a steady increase in the amount of unsettling dreams I have and in their intensity. I have a vivid dream almost every night, and lately I’ve also started to have them when I take prolonged naps in the daytime, which is new for me. They’re almost always nightmares of some kind and they often have recurring themes–I dream often about school shootings, dinosaurs, and weirdly enough, serial killers like Ted Bundy! It’s starting to get really unsettling for me, so I think I’m going to try taking melatonin with the Zoloft at night, and if that doesn’t help I’ll try taking the Zoloft earlier in the day and see what that does.
Karen
Ontario
I was searching to see if others shared my reaction to Levaquin and I’m so glad I found this page. While I do have extremely vivid dreams on this medication, I will consider myself lucky that I don’t have the night terrors or frightening dreams. In fact I have quite enjoyed the crazy dreams that I have had on this medication, however I do find that during the day I find myself day dreaming and confused. I have also experienced mild dizziness as fatigue. While it was very effective at treating the pneumonia that wasn’t responding to other antibiotics I think I will reserve this medication for any infection that renders me home and in bed. I definitely wouldn’t want to work under the effects of this drug.
Nikkie
Arizona
I was placed on clindamycin on Sunday, (2 days in to medication) for an ear infection. The first day all I could do was throw up and drink water, on day two I began major stomach pains and diarrhea. I just woke up from a lucid dream, which has been happen even when I nap since I started the medication. Right now my whole body is burning especially my back. I am going to stop the medication and take some amoxicillin that I have. I can’t handle being nauseous and vomiting unable to eat tea meal, the utter need to drink water in the middle of the night and this metal taste I have ( I was warned about it but it begins 4-5 hours after I take the pill) I cannot get enough water! Clindamycin is one of the strongest antibiotics out there. It can just about anything but at what cost.
Thanks done with my rant, I need water again :(
Thomas Grimes
Woodway, TX
I had a bad experience last night. I had a bad dream and caused myself to hastily roll out of bed. I struck my head on the nightstand cutting my scalp and extensively bruised my back muscles. I did not lose consciousness, I was able to get to my feet and go to the bathroom to treat the cut. I think I was trying to get away or help someone being attacked and violently rolled off the bed. The dream details escape me, but it seemed so real. I was checked at the ER and thankfully was found to have no head damage or bone fractures. This type incident happened once before about 18 months ago. I noticed after starting on generic Flomax that I dream often and it is the type of dream where I feel I need to escape something. I don’t consider them violent dreams like many that have described taking other drugs. I found no mention of Flomax causing disturbing dreams as a side effect. I was wondering if you have heard of any infrequent but disturbing dreams taking Flomax that I take at bedtime. Perhaps in some cases it is a synergistic effect of take a combination of drugs that causes the side effect. I don’t know why and infrequently these disturbing dreams result in falling out of bed and the infrequency of a bad outcome does not set off an awareness the problem is real.
PC
Dublin, Ohio
I have been on Flomax for 10 days to help pass a kidney stone. About five nights ago the strange dreams began. First they were funny; a blue, talking cat, then the next night, an incredibly large friendly dog. However, three nights ago, they became very strange, violent dreams, such that I don’t even want to say because I didn’t think my mind could even go there. I am no longer going to take the Flomax starting tonight. If that stone is still there I will pass it naturally because I do not like what this medication is doing to my brain.
Amanda
Texas
The implanon, depo, and lexapro have me nightmares ?. Right now I’m on the depo and going crazy due to my dreams
Adam
PA
Trazadone for me gives me nightmares, night terrors and extremely bad dreams. I talked to my psychiatrist at the VA and instead of weaning me off of it, they decided to put me on the maximum dose. It is the only thing they they will give me to help with sleep other than other hard core schizophrenia meds that are ten fold worse because they are so strong that they will not allow me to wake up from my terrors, mares, and wierd dreams. There has to be something out there that they can prescribe me that works and also keeps me from having these bad dreams, if anyone has any thoughts on this,it would be greatly appreciated.
Adam
I am diagnosed with major depressive disorder with anxiety, and PTSD.
John
Houston
Second night of night terrors! I was prescribed levaquin for 14 days for sinusitus three days after sinus surgery. I take seven different medications and had no night terrors until adding levaquin to the menu. It really sucks because augmentin, amoxicillin had no effect on my sinusitus before sinus surgery. The levaquin is clearing up my sinusitus thank God ! I don’t know if I can handle twelve more days of night terrors. They are so vivid and evil I have to suck it up if the leviquin is effective because nothing else works. What a horrible trade off, improved health but not without paying the ferry man each night lol.
Ashley
Ghent
I have just started taking amlodlpine about a week ago for high blood pressure. I started having nightmares about my son mainly different situations or a robbery anything that was violent I would always wake up and then I never wanted to go back to sleep afraid it would happen again. I try to clear my head of all thoughts but its not currently working I’m exhausted living on coffee.
Natalie
Connecticut
I take several meds for depression & anxiety; they caused, what the doctors & therapists call Night Terrors, that are very realistic (not about monsters, but things like your child dying) and you run screaming & crying from your bed. For a while they went away. Then recently my Primary Care put me on Lisinopril and my Psychiatrist increased dosage of Lamictal, weaned me off Cymbalta, and onto Brintellix.
I would really appreciate anyone’s thoughts on which med, or combination of meds might be causing the night terrors?
I also have been having severe stomach pain & nausea. Any ideas?
Ashley
Ny
Hey natalie,
I dont think lamictal or lisinpril would do anything I’ve been on both at the sametime and nothing has happened and I’ve been on those for years but all people are different I would look more into the brintelix. I am not sure what med would be better than brntelix seem I am not familiar with that kind
Lisa
United States
I take Lisinopril for BP & recently was given a scrip for Ciprofloxacin 500 mg 2 times a day to treat a Urinary Tract infection. The portals of hell were opened last night with awful nightmares beyond belief. So I look up other ppls side effects and the side effects listed by the manufacturer…holy cow! This drug can effectively kill someone. I will research other ways to get a grip on my UTI, this drug is not good for anyone. In the dream I was being pursued and taken over by aliens, evil spirits, my husband turned into a troll doll! Who doesn’t hate the troll doll face?? I kept trying to wake up and couldn’t, this drug can make someone psycho! I’m not taking it again! The Lisinopril i’ve been taking for months did not have any effect as far as nightmares, so of course I’ll continue it. Good luck out there!
Bhavana
Redwood City, CA
Hi Lisa,
I hope you’re feeling better. I read your comment doing a search on the connection between Clindamycin (antibiotic) and nightmares, as I had a horrible one that woke me from a deep sleep a few days ago. I cracked up at the thought of your troll face husband, the way you described it, no one likes a troll face, LOL! My nightmare was a woman dragging a shopping cart and screaming at me, trying to steal my purse, and I couldn’t move in he dream. I actually woke up in a startle at 3:30am, called 911, because I thought someone was trying to break into my home. A minute later, I realized it was a hallucination, I stopped the antibiotic immediately. For UTI’s healthcare profession I know recommended D-Mannose, extract of Cranberry, mine was a really UTI, the supplement worked for me! Went back to doc, urine culture showed no UTI! And for BP, Grape Seed Extract has been shown in studies and elderly people I know take it and improve. Any stress can weaken the body, so process emotions, relax, meditate, whatever helps you balance I suggest :-). Best Wishes
SinusSick
I’ve had a terrible sinus infection this week. Clarithromycin wasn’t showing any improvements so I was put on levofloxacin (levaquin) since I’ve had a fever for 5 days. I was told to start it last night right away, so I did. I’ve always been a wild dreamer, but I knew right away this night was something else. Every dream revolved around death and haunted apartments and demons murdering roommates, zombies…. just ridiculous. Asking the pharmacist, “sleep disturbances” is all she said. I guess I understand not explicitly stating that disturbing dreams are side effects, people might have anxiety that leads to the dreams.
But please know if you’ve taken levofloxacin and had disturbing dreams, you are not alone. Thank you for this website. Now I need to rest and hopefully nothing dead crawls into bed with me this time.
Kreg
seattle
A bit of background on me is in order here because it is relevant and may help others that find themselves in an unfortunate situation that is similar. I have a lifelong history of parasomnias. In a nutshell, that means (in my case), I suffered night terrors as a child, but I did not grow out of them like most kids do. That’s how it started.
At age 15 I was given Prozac and started experiencing sleep paralysis with both hypnopompic and hypnogogic hallucinations at different times. Years later I was given Ambien and that made the hallucinations horrifically vivid and more intense.
Years later…diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. Can’t keep the mask on… I just tear it off in my sleep. Especially when next, my “night terrors” -though less frequent -had become more violent.
I was given Nortryptaline for sleep about a year ago. The first night I took it… let’s just say the police were called and I woke up wandering three blocks away from home. Barefoot. Disoriented. Terrified. Unable to unlock my phone and convinced the FBI had locked me out of it so the cops could track me. My girlfriend calls and she is crying. I had woken up out of a dead sleep, started calling her names and accusing her of bizarre things, and eventually got in her face and told her I’d kill her if _______ (I have no memory of it, and she was already calling 911). She had not seen that happen to me before. I went to a neurologist again and he told me to take 1 clonazapam at night and to consider sleeping alone.
I do. both. And while my wonderful lady did not press charges, the city prosecutor did… but threw it out ultimately based on my girlfriend refusing to cooperate and my neurologist writing a note explaining my condition.
Shelby
California
I haven’t had to take any of the medications listed here (though I did have a friend who experienced the Chantix nightmares), but I have dreams every once in awhile about finding a cache of the meds I am on (50mcg Fentanyl patches QiD 48 hours, 350mg Soma 4x daily and 5-325mg Norco also 4x daily) and while they aren’t considered nightmares, it does bother me. The dreams are so vivid that when I wake up I SWEAR it actually happened! The most recent one was just a few hours ago during a nap. I dreamed that my mom gave me a 50mcg Fentanyl patch when she got home from work. Coincidentally I was sleeping to pass the time waiting for my mom to call me to pick her up from work. I’ve read that drug addicts can have dreams about finding their drug of choice in random places, but I’m not a drug addict…. just dependent on my pain meds because of failed back surgery and Fibromyalgia. I’m just glad I don’t have these dreams all the time. Also, I had started on Bupropion recently, but decided not to continue with it, not because of the nightmare side effects, but because I felt they just weren’t working for my depression. I know this is slightly off topic, but I just wanted to share my own experience.
melody
kentucky
I started taking leflunomide (avara) for my ankylosing spondylitis because I was taken off of methotrexate due to elevated liver enzymes and other side effects. Since switching to the new meds I have been waking up almost every night with nightmares. I usually didn’t even remember dreaming at all and now waking up heart pounding, sweating and it takes a few moments to realize it was indeed just a dream. Then I have a hard time falling back to sleep. Don’t know if I’m going to stay on it or not because I really need a good nights sleep due to the fatigue I suffer from already.
tomi
usa
Yes I take bupropion and generic form of Wellbutrin and when I switched to 300 milligrams I now have terrible nightmares every night that are very violent and I feel them physically. Yuck.
tomi
usa
Yes I take bupropion and generic form of Wellbutrin and we will get to 300 milligrams I have terrible nightmares every night that are very violent and I feel them physically. Yuck
Steve
ky
I see a lot of people on here that suffer a lot of the things I have gone through, and I know for a fact that a lot can benefit from cannabis, I know because I have been there…
VES
I’ve always had fairly vivid dreams and nightmares since I was a kid but I recently started taking Venlafaxine (generic for Effexor) for severe depression and anxiety and it has amped up how vivid and realistic my dreams are in a scary way. The terrible part about it is that for the first time in what feels like my whole life I know what its like to not hate myself and want to die every moment of the day but the dreams are unbearable. In the dreams I can feel and taste and smell things as though it’s my real waking life and when I wake up I’m dizzy and disoriented, not certain if I’m awake and where I am. I can barely get more than 3 hours of sleep at a time but I’m going to stick with the medication and hope it subsides because I’ve never had something work so well for my depression and anxiety before. I just wish they would tell you that things like this are a very common side effect before you take it. Just because dreams aren’t as serious as bleeding and death doesn’t mean it’s not life altering.
William
NYC
I have been taking Bupropion (the generic for the anti-depressant Welbutrin) and have been experiencing disturbing dreams in which extreme violence occurs, such as people getting killed. (In one case I was the killer.) I have never experienced anything remotely similar and have no violent tendencies in my waking life. The medicine also has a strong effect on my sleeping pattern in that I cannot get to sleep until just before dawn no matter what time I go to bed. I plan to switch medications as soon as possible.
Joe
Alaska
I had a bit of eczema on my neck and the dermatologist prescribed Fluocinonide gel .05%. It was hard to control how much came out since it was a gel and one time I had more than I needed and just decided to rub it into my skin. I rarely ever have dreams at all and that night I had the worst nightmare ever, very vivid… involving kidnapping and babies and murder! Yikes. Then insomnia the rest of the night. No more steroids for me!
J
I was prescribed propanolol for akathesia. Sometimes when I take it I have very vivid dreams, sometimes I am half awake at the time, that come with an extremely eerie feeling and usually occur just before dawn. I remember watching a movie in one and the faces would become like ghosts and just stare at me. The scary part was I remembered who was acting in it and checked the guide, only to find that the movie I remembered was actually playing during that time.
On the one hand it’s nice not to have much time to wait for the harsh light of day to make me feel more normal, but it also means that by the time I feel well enough to go back to sleep (often I can’t bring myself to enter the room for a while) the birds are chirping.
Eli
Three nights into Cipro. The first night I dreamed the equivalent of an entire mini-series featuring myself and my daughters in a prisoner-of-war camp. It had sweet scenes, poignant scenes, and lots of really tense and terrifying scenes involving chases, hiding, and guns, complex story arcs and sophisticated character development. I had no idea I was so clever! Couldn’t think about much else that day. The second night the dream was an extended movie featuring rectangular crystals moving individually and in groups. Huh? Now it is 3 a.m. on night three and I am hugely comforted by this website after my terrifying dream of large malevolent chicken heads and a landscape of geometric shapes moving in meaningful patterns. I had to be awake for quite awhile to get rid of the sense of pervasive evil.
One side note: during the past two days I have been very witty, making people laugh. I’ve also felt a little disconnected, just a little, sort of like I’m on a low dose of Valium. So the mental effects aren’t limited to sleep, and aren’t all bad. I’m glad it’s just five days.
Mel
Glenwood, IL
I’m reading this at 3:17 am after a long nightmare. I’ve been on cipro for 7 days. A woman was trying to destroy my car. My mother was in the house and I told her not to answer the door. She did anyway to let my 2 dogs out. A huge man tried to grab the dogs. There were drugs outside. A woman was in my house melting. The whole time I’m looking for the number to the local police. I tried to dial 911 but hit 311 or 811 instead.
Mike
I was on Lisinopril for a while and experienced very vivid dreams, which I was acting out in my sleep, hitting walls, kicking, punching, as well as hearing strange sounds when semi-asleep. I suspected the drug may be the cause, and suggested to my physician that I would like to try another BP medication, and opted for Losartam Potassium. Since switching, the frequency of the dreams, the intensity, and the sound have subsided. I have also noticed that drinking caffeine late in the afternoon seems to have a negative impact and seems to bring on dream experiences. Don’t know if it’s the caffeine or a mixture of the caffeine with medication. I also take Fenofibrate for Triglycerides, and Lovastatin for Cholesterol.
Steve
ky
I have high BP taking simvastatin and lisinopril, I found that smoking cannabis helped in keeping my BP down and also got rid of the bad dreams, But as fate would have it I got busted, and can’t smoke anymore, had to go to the ER, because my BP skyrocketed, Now I wake up my lips are swollen I feel like crap and have awful dreams, the government doesn’t care about us that need cannabis…since I live in the most backward state in America, Kentucky I know it will never be legalized here, something has got to give…
Natalie
Think about moving to Colorado or one of the other states that allow medical marihuana. While I haven’t smoked it in forty some years, I agree that it would make u more mellow and as I recall also helps stomach problems. I also don’t recall any bad dreams, though my memory (especially short term) is totally shot due to depression, meds, 2 electric shock treatments, & possibly my advancing age (although I’m only about to turn 63).
I think my state has recently passed a law allowing the medical use of pot. But I have heard from others that there is only 1 doctor in the whole state who will write a script for it, that the doctor charges about $250 for the first visit; which, of course insurance won’t cover, & then you have to buy a license from the state to actually buy the marihuana (& who knows how much the pot will cost).
Unfortunately, I am on a fixed income, have no car, can’t drive, & no one to drive me even to the local Walmart, never mind halfway across the state. However, I hope u r in a much better financial situation, and if u move to a medical marihuana state you will actually be able to get it. Good luck.
H.M.
I started taking Buproprion for anxiety, depression and PTSD. Only 2 days later I started having extreme nightmares in which gun violence and fighting were always involved. I am now scared to go to sleep and even when I return to sleep my previous dreams are continued. A lot of my dreams stem from my military service. I am frightened…
Nicholas S.
I have an auto-immune deficiency which puts me at higher risk to disease, illness, etc.. It seems every 5 years I get an abscess of larger than usual size anywhere on my body. Last week I happened to get a real doozy and was prescribed Bactrum.
The very first night I took my 2 doses I had VIVID dreams. Nightmares that almost felt like they were real. I’ve never had a bacterial infection this bad before so I’ve never really dealt with an antibiotic this strong & well.. let’s just say this better be worth it.
Chris
Brooklyn, NY
Nicholas, I suffer from the dreaded random abscesses too. I suffer from hidradenitis suppurativa. If you haven’t heard of it (not many have), you should look into this and see if that’s what you have. I also have a particularly terrible one right now, and was prescribed Bactrim. And of course, I’m on here at 3am researching the horrendous nightmares I’ve had for the past few nights. Worst antibiotic ever, it better do what it’s supposed to do and do it quick!
S.A.D.
~ I’ve been put on Labetalol, 200 mg./daily, since 2010 because my BP skyrocketed almost overnight, and doctors haven’t found out WHY yet. I’ve even lost weight to lower it, but still no luck, its still high. It has been 199/108 at least once a year, for the last 3 yrs., even though I’m on meds to keep it stabilized. Puzzles doctors. Anyway, I’ve been having weird dreams. Not really night terrors, just WEIRD! I almost dread going to bed. If I could give up my meds, I would! What a nuisance!! ~
Jason G.
Taking bactrim. Have had crazy strange dreams every time I sleep since I began taking bactrim. Not scary fearful dreams, but I believe that is because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, so nothing ever terrifies me whether sleeping or waking. Like if my death is part of the dream, I know I’m going to heaven so that is never a scare for me. I can only wonder what the dreams must be like for those who do not have a relationship with the creator. I feel bad for them more than anything.
LLP
I have had insomnia for years and have tried several different meds to control it. Ambien CR is the only one I will take. Melatonin, Lunestra, and several others gave me the most horrible nightmares. I mean they would make Steven King shudder! Even the generic of Ambien CR did that. Now I am very assertive (verging on aggressive) about my sleep aid when the doc tries to change it or the pharmacist offers the generic. I would rather not wake screaming and crying. The nightmares were so terrible I had a hard time letting go of the images even after my husband would fully wake me and convince me it was all a dream. I would want to call family members in the middle of the night to make sure they were ok and would be preoccupied by the horror of the dreams for days.
Now my pharmacist and my doctor both know not to mess with what is working. It seems strange to me that sleep aids could do that to a person and stranger that someone seeking help for sleep would not be warned about that possible side affect. A night like that does not make for a restful night, a peaceful morning, or a productive day. Thank goodness I found one that works.
HFSMITH
A little history: I had a mini Stroke & a Blood clot to my lung in Oct. 2013, my GP has sent me to have a work up by a Neurologist, he told me I’ve not had any strokes & he thinks I’m having Seizures so I have been put on LAMOTRIGINE 25MG for possible Seizure activity. I was to start taking 2 per day (1 in the morning & 1 at bedtime) once a week I was told to add 1 pill per day which would be ( 1st wk 2 pills a day, 2nd wk 3 pills per day & so forth) up until I was taking 8 pills per day (4 in the am & 4 at night).
Keeping in mind that before starting this medication I went back to my GP & told her what he had said. What he told me & what he told my GP was two different story’s, his reports to her was that I have been having TIA’S for a long period of time & suspects more to come if not controlled. Having said that, I am on blood thinners for the clot’s so my GP will keep me on this med till we can resolve the TIA’S. I started the seizure meds, I was doing fine until the end of the wk while taking 4 per day. I have had bad dreams off & on throughout my young years but they got better as I got older. For the past week I have had the worst experience with night mares or terrors you could imagine. I don’t even know how to describe how awful they were.
For the last two days I have not taken this medication & the terrors continues but with a little change. I would like to know if any one has had this happen to them after taking this medication. Just a little note: I even started having what appears to be some sort of seizure activity, off balance & a few other things going on but only after starting this medication. Can anyone shed any light on this for me. So sorry for the history but I thought having history would shed better light on my problem. Thank you
cat
Years ago I was started on Propanolol 40mg/day, which is now 160mg/day to maintain a regular heart beat. Always had vivid and unpleasant dreams since being on this drug, and occasional really bad night mares … I trained myself how to redirect my dream’s outcome during dreaming … works most of the time.
Michelle E
I’m on Edronax. It is an antidepressant but I’m on it for weight loss. I have been having bizarre scary dreams since starting. I need to walk around house at least 3 times overnight to shake them off. But, they are nowhere near as bad as the nightmares I had whilst on Champix (stop smoking drug). I know a lot of people who report extreme nightmares when giving up marijuana & cigarettes.
S
I have strep and am on my second day of penicillin. I am having very vivid nightmares. Very scary.
Rebecca R.
I have been on Clindamycin for the past week. About 3 days into taking them, I started having very terrifying nightmares that actually made me think I had a mental problem for dreaming things like that. After looking online I discovered it is probably the meds. Glad I’m almost done with these pills!
C.Nguyen
Levothyroxacin 100mcg terrible vivid nightmares… stopped taking it for about 6 months and have worse symptoms all over body rash with severe itching and now I have large circles under my eyes….
jc
The doc says not to be concerned… well, that’s hard to do if you wake up with a weird dream hangover or disturbing dreams; try taking it in the morning, it seems to work OK for me.
Anie
I already thought that what I eat affects my dreams e.g. thai style prawns & chocolate in the same meal.
So it didn’t surprise as much as startle me, at the minute vivid details, after starting a course of antibiotics for an excess of the bacteria which cause stomach ulcers (in Australia many drugs have different names to other countries).
The one last night was bizarre, & moved from scene to scene with such detail in unknown locations.
Some was rather scary, but I liked the kind of (6 ft high) sheep, with small heads, & brown curly hair
like a poodle, & the cattle with long necks like a dromedary. They were like surreal 3D paintings, & funny.
Oh yes, there was one short but panicked section where all the people suddenly ran for cover, there was a sniper. That’s probably because I’d listened to international radio news, that day, about the awful current Ukrainian situation, (Feb 22/2014).
Angela
I am taking the generic for Bactrim (on my 9th day now). I am not having nightmares (or if I am, I am not remembering them once awake), but my sleep pattern has been severely impacted (and not in a good way). I find it more difficult to fall asleep, I wake up several times a night feeling “stressed”, like there is something important that I forgot to take care of and I’m on the verge of a huge problem because of it…….or like I’m very late for something that was super important, and for which there is no second chance ………..
Anyway, I was already 5 days into my meds when I realized that the dreams were connected to them, so since I am in pain with my ear infection, and I can’t get in to see my doctor for another week, I decided to go ahead and stick it out…..the thing is, that the longer I go on the meds, the more intense and frequent the “stress” feeling is……………………
I will be glad to be done tomorrow and hopefully go back to peaceful dreams.
frank p
Yesterday I was given leviqil for pneumonia… well later that night about twelve hours later I started seeing bright colors as I was falling asleep then I woke up several times to nightmares. The first thing I thought was the antibiotic because I haven’t had nightmares since I was a kid. I’m now 44. So when I woke up I’m the morning I researched and was shocked at how many other people this has happened to. Hopefully this doesn’t last long because the antibiotic has made me feel a hundred times better after only one dose. And btw…I don’t know if I felt energized from the medicine or that I slept for almost two days straight before taking it. But I never really feel asleep for long.
RM
I have chronic asthma and allergies usually starting in the Fall thru Spring. In addition to my inhalers, my doctor tried Singulair 10mg every night to help prevent the cycle from starting as the seasons changed. I immediately started having very vivid dreams. Not nightmares but just odd situations where sometimes I would wake up and wish it would continue so I could see how it turned out. Sometimes I had totally different families and life but I knew everybody until I woke. I also always lived in different houses than mine. No one in my real, life is ever in those dreams. I stopped taking it in the Summer but the dreams returned when I took it again this month. My Dr said he never heard of that side effect but I shouldn’t be concerned.
TM
My husband takes Pravastatin 40mg he has been having nightmares at least 3 to 4 times a week it is getting so bad that I can not sleep. I am afraid to sleep with him because he has kicked me, he hit me in the head once so hard I thought someone broke in our home so I just played dead. Went I finally came to my sense I realized it was him having a nightmare. I told him what he did he told me he was fighting a monster.
I know it sounds silly but so true. The sad thing is he getting worst. It is 2:40 am he just had another nightmare and I am afraid that he will hurt me or himself so I will be up watching him all night. We have 2 more weeks before doctors appointment.
kjman
I have had trouble with too many dreams when on the statin, Zocor, as well as on other statins like Lipitor, Lescol, Livalo. You might ask your doctor about switching to Pravacor, which is a hydrophilic statin, or lovastatin. My cousin tried 5 statins, and had too many dreams with all of them, and is now on lovastatin, with no problems sleeping now. Blood pressure meds and anti depressants can cause nightmares, but I don’t know about dreams. I also have too many dreams on minocycline, which is an antibiotic. You may have to experiment.
germaine
for several months I have dreams (not nightmares) all night long. Wake up get up then return to sleep with more dreams. I take many meds. Zorcor, meds for high blood pressure, antidepressant. This affecting my life. help
Em
I’ve been taking amoxicillin for an ear infection for the past 6 days and I’ve been having nightmares every night. I’m not sure if anyone else wrote about this drug, which makes me nervous, but I’ve been having a hard time on it. It’s also been causing severe anxiety and depersonalization.
Leigh
I took Cipro last night before bed. This is the first time I have ever used this. I also take Adderall 10mg once daily and Generic Ambien 5mg each night and have taken both for 2 years. Last night I my husband woke my up from a vivid nightmare that had me sobbing. I’m pretty sure it was the Cipro. I will take it again tonight and see what happens. Wish me luck!
a
iI’m on fenoksymetylpenicillinkalium bc of a tick bite and I have nightmares where I tell myself to wake up, but I can’t and I just know I’m going to die in them so I just wait for it but I never do and it’s awful.
scott
Took celebrex following shoulder surgery in 2009… have me such vivid dreams that I decided the pain was easier to deal with than the exhaustion from worthless sleep.
S.F.
I’ve had dreams while taking Lisinopril, Amantadine, Zyrtec, and Cipro. Long involved dreams that seem to go on for hours – except the Amantadine. That gave me horrible nightmares, but I finished the whole course because I figured having nightmares was better than being hospitalized with the flu.
Greg
I’m on Triamcinolone. it’s a steroid to fight allergic reactions. I just had the best dreams of my life, lucid and strange. I googled drug/dream interaction because of it. They were lucid and like, I looked into a mirror and my face wasn’t contorted BUT, my lips kept contorting due to having lockjaw lol. I couldn’t kiss in my dream very well but I still had game. It was cool
JB
I’ve taken a generic allergy pill for the past two nights and experienced very lucid nightmares. They were completely awful. I didn’t know it was a side effect of antihistamine until now. Anyone else experience this?
hannah
I have been taking co amoxiclav and codeine phosphate for a day and during my first night on them I’ve not been able to have a constant sleep and I have been having little nightmares that started off as dreams. Usually if I get a nightmare I wake up suddenly from it and shake it off and go back to sleep and during the first night on these pills I’ve not been able to get off sleep properly again or I go into a deep sleep and have weird nightmares. Some were about bugs and other creepy things and others started off as a dream where I was with people I had not seen for a long while and then it turned into a dream where bugs and beetles were attacking me. I don’t think I’m going be able cope with this as I’m not getting a decent nights sleep but its nice to know I’m not alone.
CC
Nightmares with Amoxcillin Oral Suspension 125 !! The poor children who cannot tell parents its a nightmare and parents who believe doctors when they persist it is NOT the Amoxcillin. I am an OAP and was horrified so what a child feels I do not know.
Joan Tokyo
I am very glad to find this site. I recently changed hayfever medication to one called “Allelock” or something like that (the name is in Japanese but that’s what it sounds like). Ever since taking it I have started having very vivid and usually nasty dreams. Everyone I mention this too laughs!
I was telling a colleague about the first few bad ones last night and said jokingly “Wait and see what I dream tonight” – and it turned out to be a suicide pact with a friend of mine where we both injected ourselves with large amounts of heroin. Really unpleasant….
kjman
I am currently trying to take Zocor again, in a dose equal to the dose that I tolerated for 10 years without nightmares. I am having nightmares on occasion, an lots of vivid dreams. Last night I had 7 different dreams and woke up 6 times. If I stop the Zocor, it no longer immediately stops the nightmares and dreams. It usually takes me a few days before they cease.
I suspect that in my case, the effects of the Zocor build up over time and it takes time for the body to expel the last of the medicine from the liver, and relieve the side effect of dreaming. I am currently seeing a sleep specialist. They want to run some tests to find out if I have an underlying condition such as sleep apnea, which might be exacerbated when I take the Zocor, and cause the dreams or nightmares.
I would suggest that you seek treatment at least for the acid. I had the same problem, not severe, but when I took Prilosec over the counter, the acid ceased and the dream frequency was reduced. I also suggest that you do all the things that are suggested to help with sleep, especially don’t eat a heavy meal in the evening, and wait several hours before going to bed.
There is one medication, Trazodone, usually prescribed for depression, that can suppress dreams as a side effect. However, it has many side effects, some of which are serious. Due to a pre-existing condition, I can not try this medication. I have also taken Ambien, and I sleep well with it, but if I stop it, I will have insomnia for days afterward.
Have you tried acupuncture for the pain? A good Chinese acupuncturist can relieve many types of pain, often permanently.
MED
I have chronic pain that has been persistent for over the last 4-5 years… I have been seen by a pain clinic and I have usually taken Norco 10/325… Never had any real issues with it. Recently, since having more intense pain. I requested (a couple different occasions) Percocet and they gave me the 7.5/325 size. I take 4 in 24 hours. I now am noticing very severe nightmares every night AND with a nap during the day. It has completely disrupted my sleeping (which I don’t normally get much as it is) and now I am afraid to go back to sleep a lot of the time and/or go to sleep at night regularly.
I just changed this medicine and had to do a handstand to get it, but want my other medicine back so I don’t have this. Any suggestions on help or anything I can eat/drink to help with the nightmares?
Also, I do get some acid from this medicine (and have on the two other occasions I did get it… no nightmares though?)…Any suggestions or help would be appreciated
kjman
I took Zocor for 10 years for high cholesterol. When my cholesterol started to slowly increase, my doctor doubled the dose. I began to have some insomnia. My doctor changed my medication to Crestor, and I then had lots of nightmares, as many as 4 per night. When I stopped taking the Crestor, the nightmares totally ceased. I had a similar experience with Lipitor and Pravacor. The doctor switched me to Lescol and to Livalo, both of which caused insomnia, but no nightmares. I also take Zetia and Lovaza for cholesterol with no side effects, but very ineffective for cholesterol. I am still looking for a cholesterol medication that does not cause nightmares or insomnia.
SC
My nine year old has been on antibiotics for 4 days and has been experiencing horrific nightmares which all seem to be straight out of a sci fi movie (which he’s never watched to my knowledge). He wakes up terrified and can’t go back to sleep. Last night he was convinced he heard the wolves outside the house. Both nights before that he dreamt of aliens terrorizing him and his family. He is on amoxicillin for strep and has taken this before. I don’t recall this happening last time. I wish I could stop dosing him but he needs to get rid of the strep.
Christine S.
I know that this is old, but I have been on Leviquin for about a week. I’m taking the generic form and I have nightmares every other night, last night being the worst. I dreamed that I was on my school campus, and the statues were coming to life, and there were ghosts everywhere. This didn’t bother me, as they were not bad ghosts. BUT I did notice that a shadow person was following me everywhere I went on campus. There were no good feelings coming off this shadow, and it was scaring me. I woke up and I swore that this shadow person was still in my dorm room, staring at me before disappearing. I’m now freaked out and will probably need to sleep with my television on.
Jess
The nightmares went away but unfortunately the kidney infection didn’t. I’ve been on three different antibiotics so far. Called the doctor back today and waiting on a call back to see what to do next. Although, I did have a drowning nightmare last night, I don’t think it was related though since I took my last Levoquin in the morning.
jennifer
I hope you are doing ok after this if you need to talk reply back.
Jess
I just got started on Levoquin 750mg for a kidney infection that didn’t go away after 10 days of Cipro 500mg twice a day. I took the first pill last night before bed and let me tell you, I had the WORST, scariest, vivid nightmares I’ve ever had. I dreamt of my boyfriend dying, and then dreamt I was abducted by a psychopath who thought that I was his dead wife.
Never taking them at night again. Only five more days on these antibiotics, can’t wait to be off them. Let’s just hope this infection goes away so I don’t have to try anything else!!!!
jayjay5396
my story is very short, only just started taking Propanolol since yesterday and last nights sleep was terrible kept wakiing up cos of these bad dreams they scary man n its only the first night am dreading sleeping tonight gonna lower the dose see if that helps hopefully it does cant go through that every night i’ll get no sleep.
G,C
I’m on cipro for a uti and since staring the meds I pee at least 20 times a day and have foot pain and severe nightmares I wouldn’t argue that this medication don’t take care of the problem, but what I will say, the side effects are horrific I’ve become depressed mood swings experienced lightheadedness onset of this drug I have 2 days left to be on this drug but never again will I take it and I see my doctor in 2weeks and I am telling her about the side effects but I have a feeling she will shove them off as nonsense!!
NMM
I am currently trying to force myself to stay awake even though I am exhausted from a long work week. I woke up from a deep sleep about 2.5 hrs ago after having the worst & most vivid nightmare! I woke up wondering if it had all really happened, I was so upset I ended up throwing up & immediately called my ex to stop over because I felt so unsafe & he is a police officer & on duty. He sat with me for about 15 mins until I felt calm enough to lay back down… but here I am hrs later still too nervous to fall back to sleep. Before bed I took my 3rd dose of cipro 500mg for a UTI. I will be calling my Dr 1st thing in the morning to try getting a different medication because I won’t physically or mentally survive a week of this.
Besides the intense nightmares I also experienced the feeling of low blood sugar this afternoon after taking the 2nd dose. I had eaten & took it with a full glass of water, but ended up feeling very shaky with a bad headache. The last side effect I’m experiencing is a stiff painful neck. I can’t seem to roll or crack it enough today with no relief. I definitely don’t want to be prescribed cipro ever again!
LGE
I’d like to add my experience with Xanax and the generic that also made me have nightmares and then sleepless nights. Now in the process with a good Dr to get me off this horrific drug, slow going, but determination and less stress will help along with my Drs. help and lots of prayers. Determination to stop making everyone’s problems mine. That helps a lot. Make yourself #1 in your life. Get as active as you can as your age allows you join an exercise group somewhere that isn’t expensive, change your diet to add more fresh fruits and veggies if you can afford this and go for it. I did and it’s helping me.
One of the main things is to reduce the stress in your life. Also stop reading all this doom and gloom stuff in the newspapers, magazines, and on TV. One more thing, get rid of your cell phone and stop texting. Try it and I’ll bet a bushel of fresh apples it’ll work. I’m a little old lady by the way. Senior Center is a fantastic place to work out and meet wonderful people instead of sitting in front of a TV watching all this “garbage” whoops, excuse the expression. Good Luck to all.
gb
Ive been on sertraline, an anti depressant for 5 years, which caused nightmares. Then I was also put on an anti-psychotic, which I have been on for over a year. This has caused every night nightmares. And now I’m on propanolol for side effects, which again has increased the nightmares. Some of these dreams are so traumatising, and its a relief to hear others experience this too.
A doctor mentioned vivid dreams to me, but they don’t realise how constant they are.
JB
I was put on a 10 day cycle of Biaxin (500mg Clarithromycin twice a day) for a throat infection (I am allergic to penicillin) 4 days into the prescription and I began to have vivid, odd, and disturbing dreams and nightmares. The anti-biotic makes me extremely tired and I can barely function during the day- so sleep is essential but the dreams have freaked me out. I haven’t been on any other medications and I usually don’t ever remember having any dreams. It’s weird and rarely listed as a side effect.
tjpr
I am a rapid-cycling bipolar patient. I have been plagued by nightmares since July. I have had a hare time convincing my psychiatrist on how awful they are. I am on 800mgs. 0f Seroquel and fall asleep easily. It is the staying asleep part that I suffer from. Sometimes I wake up screaming, crying, or sweating. These nightmares are vivid and horrifying. Most of the time I am the aggressor.
After some time, my doctor has prescribed me with a medication that he thinks will eliminate the dreams. I have recently been diagnosed with PTSD. I had a very traumatic incident in June of 2011. While my mental health team thought I was over it, I am not in the least.
I can relate to anyone who suffers from nightmares. I hardly sleep at all. I get a couple of hours of sleep each night. I am awaken by a dream every 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If I lie down in the afternoon, I still suffer from nightmares, I almost had to beg my psychiatrist to help me.
ST
Celebrex, singulair, amytriptiline… There are probably several others, but all of those give me horrible, violent, vivid nightmares! I thought I was the only person till I read this.
tgp
I am taking exforge and am experiencing dreams, almost as rem dreams, I take other medications including plavix and crestor, but I am suspicious of the exforge.
Ashley
I’m going through the same thing now. I’m on Cipro. I just woke up from one about a half hour ago and decided to look into it. I actually am so freaked out I don’t want to go back to sleep.
allie.s
I am taking oxycodone for chronic pain. I have been on it for 3 weeks and have started suffering from the most terrifying nightmares. I am aware after a minute or 2 that I am dreaming but cannot wake up. Then I think that I have and have a moment of relief before realizing that I am still dreaming.
This happens several times before I truly wake up. It’s hard not to drift back to sleep but finally I wake to myself actually pulling my eyelids open in desperation. I have suffered from these occasionally in the past as I have been on various anti depressants and could not pin point which one was causing this but I have been fine for a long time until starting the oxycodone.
Although it has helped so much with the pain, I may have to consider a different pain killer as this is too much to bare. I’m too scared to go back ve sleep. I will try again now as I have just woken and am trying to stay awake but I’m so tired so I will brave it again. Not looking forward to sleep at all!
Tara
I had surgery in the summer for an infection in my body. Post surgery they prescribed me Cipro and another strong antibiotic (myo-something). I had to take these for 8 weeks. I only experienced mild nightmares from time to time, but they were causing wakefullness on a regular basis. I had a second surgery and was prescribed only cipro as a precaution to infection a week prior and a week post surgery.
The nightmares have been horrible, vivid, and recurrent. I’ve woken feeling terrified and haunted by them, only to go eventually go back to sleep to return to them. I still have 4 days treatment to go.
PMCGILL
I have been taking simuvastatin for a few years at night and the nightmares are very bad, there is always somebody grabbing me and I scream out.
eh
I take methylphenidate (ritalin). I used to never dream then I started taken this about a month ago now I have very bad nightmaers. Never thought it would be the medication, now I know it is.
PY
This summer, I took two antibiotics, amoxicillin and clarithromycin, and an acid reducer, omeprazole, to clear up a peptic ulcer caused by H Pylori bacteria and had nightmares/bad dreams nearly every night for almost 3 months. I just discovered that one or all of them were definitely causing the dreams. Two weeks ago the dreams finally stopped. Yesterday I had to go back on the exact same medications again for my stomach and the dreams are back. It occurred to me that the medications may be causing the nightmares, so I Googled it and found lots of stories about antibiotics causing nightmares.
Why don’t the doctors or pharmacists tell us this? I could not figure out why suddenly, I was having all these bad dreams. On my first prescription information papers, (from Shop ‘N Save) there was no mention of nightmares listed as side effects. However, on yesterday’s prescription information forms (from Walgreens), nightmares were mentioned for the clarithromycin. Interesting.
MB
My husband was prescribed atenolol after a heart attack. I now sleep in a different bedroom because of his dreams. I’ve been punched and kicked because of his vivid dreams/nightmares to the point of bruises being left! It isn’t every night but at least 1-2 nights per week. We didn’t know what was causing them until we started investigating the side effects of his medications since it had really started just in the passed year, after his heart attack!
jennifer
I am on wellbutrin, atenanol, lithium, and ambien… I also have to use 2 unisoms with the ambien to sleep. I have the most horrible nightmares when I do not take the ambien! But I have been on wellbutrin for 4 years now, I am scared to stop it because of my attempted suicides. However the lack of sleep I am getting now is almost to much to bear!
I am not sure what to do and I am to scared to mention it to my doctor because I am afraid they will stop my ambien which seems to be my only savior. They will not prescribe anti-anxiety because of former abuse, so I have put myself in a horrible position. Any advice would be greatly accepted, all I want to do now is get better.
LEW
I too found out something that was causing my nightmares and bad dreams. I read the paperwork accompanying the script Alprazolam that’s Generic Zanax and read that the med could cause these nightmares. I asked my Doctor and she said yes it would. Taking med for anxiety and stress. The Dr. said she would help get me off the med slowly. We are going to do that soon. Must get an OK, from surgeon who performed Knee surgery on me last year. Hoping this helps others.
ejj
Just got prescribed an antibiotic and narcotic cough suppressant. Weird dreams or what…From experiences of being choked by a washing line to dreaming that my dead grandad was really just in a home….weird – and I never normally have bad dreams. I stopped all meds immediately
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: Please make sure your doctor is aware that you are not taking the antibiotic. It was presumably prescribed for an infection that may need a different treatment.
JJC
Just lucked up on this site while searching for something, ANYTHING, that could explain what the HELL I experienced while asleep last night. From the moment I shut my eyes in sleep until I reawakened, I had the most vivid and intense dreams. These dreams were not necessarily bad but they were so vivid, it was as if I was living a totally separate life from this one. Naturally, that life did not have the same people I love in it so it was disturbing. I felt alone and persecuted. I could NOT get away from the dreaming. If I woke up to go to the bathroom, I would return to bed to a different albeit just as troubling dream.
I believe I was having an REM rebound episode. I had been taking Oxycodone for several pain for 2-3 days. I stopped the drug yesterday due to not feeling the pain anymore. I would have to guess that the Oxy was suppressing my REM state over the past few days and when allowed to return to the normal state, it simply rebounded. I am EXHAUSTED! I am about to take a nap to see if the dreams will have diminished. Stay tuned…
Sa
I was prescribed singulair and ever since I had very vivid dreams not necessarily bad but very vivid.
lr
To jn – I understand about the horrible dreams. In my case it involved animal cruelty. The worst thing in the world to me! Will not even attempt to repeat the dream! Celebrex seemed to be the culprit. I guess you ought to go ahead and take the course of meds for the problem, but be sure to let your VA people know.
jn
I have chronic sinusitis (to the degree that I’m classified as 60% disabled because of it). This summer, I had another sinusitis flare-up that I couldn’t fix on my own so I went to my Dr. for an antibiotic. I was given Cipro for the two most-recent infections that didn’t go away after a couple of weeks, and so just yesterday I was once again prescribed Cipro. I don’t remember / recall having bad dreams on the previous 2 occasions I took Cipro, but it could’ve happened. I am often plagued with dreams when I have a frontal sinusitis flare-up (and accompanying headaches).
Last night was pretty bad. I dreamed that someone was caught keeping a dead person under their bed, but as the dream progressed, I remembered that I had a dead person under my bed too, and I was quite apprehensive about looking under the bed. Like a dream within a dream, I remembered that her body had been delivered to my home and not knowing what to do with it, I put it under the bed. I decided I needed to contact someone to have her body removed, but didn’t know who, then I awoke and couldn’t sleep for more than an hour. Eventually, I went back to bed, only to awaken from another bad dream: people I used to know were attempting to break into my apartment and rob me. I caught them in the act, and as one guy confronted me with a knife I had no choice but to attack him back. Don’t know if I was successful, as that was when I woke up a second time.
Total sleeping time last night: about 5 hours, and I don’t feel so great today. I’ve read on certain sites on the internet that if I experience any ‘severe’ side-effects I should contact my Dr. (and / or immediately stop taking the medication), and those sites listed “bad dreams / nightmares” as part of the severe side-effects. But I only have a 10-day prescription, and it can be difficult to get an appointment at my local VA clinic, so I think I’m going to try to push through the course of antibiotics. Maybe the dreams will subside, but even if they don’t (until the prescription is taken in full), the benefits of clearing this frontal sinus infection certainly outweigh the distractions of a bad dreams and a little sleep deprivation.
Better that than letting the infection get worse and having an 8th sinus surgery, is my personal opinion. Only if the dreams become worse (could they be much worse?) will I contact my Dr. I’m glad I found this site, not so much to share the dreams and get some weird psychological problems off my chest, but to read the experiences of others and know that this antibiotic is most-likely the cause of these dreams. I only shared my dreams to give others an idea of how bad they can be also, and I hope this helps put someone else at ease about their own nightmares.
Susan M
I quit smoking May 1st 2012, and used 15 mg of nicotine patches for 3 weeks. then 7 mg for 1 week. haven’t had any thing for 5 weeks. I started having vivid dreams almost immediately they started out annoying like I wasn’t getting a very good nights sleep, I made an appt with my Dr, but could not get in for 3 weeks, my appt is day after tomorrow, but the problems have escalated, from annoying to nightmares, waking up with a headache, feeling like I worked all night cramming for an exam, feeling helpless, feel like crying I’m gaining weight because I’m too tired to go out and exercise.
My daughter says I’m mean now, all I want is to get a good nights rest and NOT dream, I need a break, this is a great site knowing I’m not alone, but where are the answers that we need so desperately?? HELP my Dr. had also put me on a vastin a few months ago…I’m taking myself off and will just watch what I put into my mouth.
CherylLC
I just took Clyndamycin for a vaginal infection and I had NUMEROUS VIVID dreams! SO horrible, that I woke up in a panic, and could NOT get back to sleep! I know I should continue taking it (two more nights) but I need my SLEEP! This was HORRID!
Anonymous
I’ve experienced bad/vivid dreams from all of the following over the years: bactrim, cipro, celebrex, melatonin, benadryl, and most recently vitamin D. The vitamin D problem took a few days to figure out as I had to isolate my vitamins one by one. The offender WAS the 1,000 mg vitamin D supplement. For those who’ve had bad dreams from beta blockers, I’ve been taking nadolol for years and I’ve not had a problem with it.
Jessica W
I’m on Cipro for kidney infection, on day 3 of it so far nightmares every time U manage to actually fall asleep…this last one I just woke from about an hour ago being the worst so far woke up in a sweat and my heart racing and I remember every detail of the horrific dream… still have 5 more days left of this Cipro… not looking forward to it, I’m practically afraid to go to sleep now :(
jrf
I have been taking Simvastatin for about three years and take it in the morning even though it is prescribed to take it in the evening. If I take it at night I have horrible nightmares, when I take it in the morning I would call them bad dreams.
My cardiologists nurse said better to take it in the morning then not to take it at all. I have also been on Atenolol which he recently increased from 50mgms to 75mgms and I have noticed more scarey nightmares the last few nights and am thinking I will go back to the 50 again to see if they decrease. Good luck with it as we need the meds but definitely not the horrible dreams.
britney h
my 3 year old son had been taking iv gancyclovir to prevent EBV for about 2 years. I noticed his sleeping habits had a rapid change after using the drug for 6 months. First started with him constantly tossing and turning, then moved to moaning and talking, then screaming and crying from being so scared. He was hard to wake up when his nightmares were happening, and took him awhile to recover after waking up. We told his docs about this sad side effect and they told us not to worry and it would stop soon. It never stopped. we practically begged them to change to something else.
John
I have been taking Paxil for depression. Recently increased the dosage and now I regularly have sleep-disrupting dreams. Was wondering if this is common with Paxil?
G.D
I have been taking aspirin for the past 4 days right before going to bed with some juice to get blood pallets to be nice and spaced, and every night I have DEEP STRONG VIVID DREAMS like never before in my life, the aspirin is from bayer 500 mg.
BG
I’m on 0.25 MG of ropinirole per day for Restless Legs Syndrome. I’ve had RLS for 7 years, and after a sleep study two months ago, the neurologist put me on this drug. I’ve only been on it 7 days, and for 4 nights of this past week, I’ve have very vivid, violent dreams, where I am in some sort of fight with one of more men, fist-fighting/wrestling for my life. This isn’t so bad, but waking my wife up after I’ve punched her in the back of the head or the cheek, is!
This morning she told me to stop taking it or consider moving into the spare bedroom. I haven’t slept better in 7 YEARS, so this is going to be a hard decision. The other side effect I noticed is terrible fatigue (feeling tired all day and yawning all the time). What a choice: the drug with its nasty side effects, or the total lack of sleep….
Frances
I found my way here while researching what happened to me on Bactrim the first two nights I took it. The nightmares were so vivid and real, and fearful, and when finally I was able to scream myself awake, I couldn’t shake the dream state. First off, they were definitely night terrors, and secondly they were those dream within a dream things. I could not differentiate being awake from sleep, and had to be convinced what was real. With the help of alprazolam, I was able to stop the panic attack that came next. This took hours to resolve.
I took bactrim before in the fall without this happening. Nauseated and weird and feeling still today, which was the second event. Thought it might have been in interaction with my lexapro, but my doc said this was probably related to the Bactrim itself. I wondered if it could be serotonin syndrome.
Justin s
I’ve been taking lamictil (lamotragine) for a while now and I have been expirenceing nightmares now for almost a week I told my psychiatrist and she has been asking me a lot of questions to try and find a better medication for me that won’t affect my sleeping but so far no luck any suggestions? These aren’t you’re normal bad dreams either they’re nightmares that wake me up in the middle of the night then I can’t fall back asleep because of them.
I have been the most sound sleeper since I was little, until I started taking this medication I feel like my dreams started turning into nightmares. Thank you for your time for reading I hope this helps someone else too and hopefully someone might have an answer or too.
DP
My husband and I both take Lovastatin for high cholesterol and we both have vivid dreams, sometimes nightmarish! We used to take ours at night but we’re now switching to mornings and hoping that will tone it down! I’ll reply back in a couple of weeks with results. I’m like all the others here that take it, have the dream and wake up, thankfully, but can’t always get back to sleep. My hubby says he also goes back into the same dream, after awaking, sometimes.
Thanks to all who comment on here. It is a very helpful post.
MK
I’ve been taking bupropion for quite awhile for depression and hadn’t noticed an increase in bad dreams, but recently I had heart bypass surgery and of course am taking multiple meds. Among them I take the beta-blocker Metoprolol and the ARB Diovan. It wasn’t until quite recently that I associated my newly acquired nightmares to the drugs I take.
They happen very frequently and will include a wake-sleep stage when I am trying to wake up that lasts even 15-20 minutes. If I let go and go back to sleep the same dream will continue and the only way to actually get rid of the nightmare is to wake myself entirely and get out of bed and do something. Read, watch TV, something that results in being completely awake. Then I can go back to bed and sleep and not have the dream return. The beta blocker was increased recently and so have the dreams. Took awhile to catch on to the connection. Problem is that I need this drug and I was already taking the bupropion which can cause the same thing.
Reva A.
I have been taking Amoxocillin and Clavulunate Potassium (875-125 MG) for three days for a sinus infection (could be hay fever) that had moved into my left eye. I had to cut back to one-half a tablet per day as it was causing severe diarrhea. Today, I was lying back on the couch this afternoon and drifted off into a light nap. I woke up standing up, breathing hard, like I was sealed in a jar.
I was dreaming that we were in our RV and there were three men pounding on the door with automatic weapons. My husband was at the dining room table so I whispered our code word and he was slipping out the back door while I was backing out the door with the intruders, (The code word is real, we have plans for a variety of home invasions and other scenarios) backwards on purpose, so they would see the gun in my back waistband. My husband was coming around behind them while they were removing my gun, with his Glock .45 drawn towards them. It was SO REAL. I was breathing hard and was scared. An eighteen wheeler had just pulled in from Texas to buy only 100 bales of good alfalfa hay so I woke up with that sound wondering if that was part of the dream.
It was so vivid and so scary!
MP
I was taking Lunesta for three years nightly. My two different doctors told me there was no harm in this. During the last six months I began having screaming nightmares once every couple of weeks. I changed to Ambien, as it was less expensive. On the fifth night of taking it I experienced a panic attack just as I was falling off to sleep. That night I had a screaming nightmare. I went off of both of these medicines cold turkey. The first night I was only able to sleep from 3 am to 5 am and during that time I had three screaming nightmares. For this night’s sleep I took Advil pm. The next night I took Advil PM and slept thru the night. The next night I took Advil PM and an hour after I went to sleep I had a screaming nightmare. At this point, I do not know what is causing these nightmares, but am assuming it is a withdrawal type thing.
Jc
I took medicine for cholesterol problems and had crazy wild nightmares that week I was on them. At the end of the week my blood pressure went really high and muscle aches ensued. I’d say get off anything that does this to you because there’s a reaction of some sort in your body to the meds. I had a problem with an antibiotic also one time which made me feel lethargic and out of breath. Within a week I was broke out in itchy hives that required a steroid shot and oral steroids for a week because I was so allergic to it. Sometimes your body has a tolerance up to a point and then it just can’t take anymore. But it always gives you small hints that there is something wrong so you need to listen to it.
J.O.
My fifteen year old daughter was prescribed florinef and it is causing horrific dreams for her that are keeping her from sleeping also. I feel so helpless in that I can’t take them away. She has dreams that she is killing her friends and is also being killed by her friends. I am researching on how to help her cope and stop them. I am also going to call her doctor, it is effecting how she sleeps and affecting her grades now
jennifer
I’m taking Bactrim. I started taking it yesterday and I already had two bad nightmares. My Dr prescribed it to me cause he says its the only thing I can take while breastfeeding. Also my baby who was full term and 8.6pounds also had jaundice but its already cleared up. Any advice would be great! And thank you.
People’s Pharmacy response: A doctor who can check on which drugs are safe for you while breastfeeding is a treasure. You may have to endure the nightmares while you treat your infection. Hopefully you won’t have to take it too long. We’re sorry you have to deal with this while nursing.
Everlyn G.
I am taking lorazapam for bipolar depression and anxiety, and time I take it I
have horrible dreams, nightmares describes it best, then I wake and it’s hard to get back to sleep although it calms me I get this fear to go back to sleep. What should I do?
People’s Pharmacy response: Lorazepam can cause sleep disturbances. You should discuss this problem with your prescriber. It is possible that a longer-acting benzodiazepine might be a better choice for you, but that is for you and the doctor to decide.
MMR
I have Parkinson’s and have been on carbodopa/levodopa as well as Bupropion XL for approx. 6 years. My long-suffering husband has awakened me many times through the years, telling me I was yelling or screaming and thrashing around while sleeping.
Sometimes I remember having a terrible nightmare, but oftentimes I don’t remember the episode at all. When I found your website and read the comments, I knew I must call my neurologist to discuss changing my meds.
Thanks to all who shared their experiences.
A.L.
When I was going through menopause about five years ago, and suffering from chronic insomnia and mood swings and deep depression, I was prescribed Seroquel, which is an anti-psychotic, to help me sleep (an off-label use) on occasion combined with Ambien. I never felt as if I ever slept and I had extraordinary, visceral, bloody and violent dreams, which I had never experienced before.
After a 18 months of this torture, I refused to take it any more. As a result, my memory was impacted and I began to have increased anxiety for which I was then prescribed Xanax. When that had no effect, the Xanax was doubled. This lasted six months until I was hospitalized. The hospital physicians were even worse about drugging me. After another year of that (I won’t go into the list, but some of them were even life-threatening), I weaned myself by titrating down and then took nothing for a year, after which I have used meditation to defeat the anxiety, a spiritual support group, exercise and controlled caffeine and eating.
I had no job so I was eventually able to create a sleep routine. I eventually found a physician who respected my feedback and so now I am on the lowest dose of Cymbalta (30 mg, which is what is available from the company at reduced cost) for depression and I take Vistoril generic at night (25-50 mg) to help me sleep through. I have sleep apnea for which I receive no help at all. But I am finally much better! Whee!
RBG
I had been taking Lexapro 10mg since 2003, I started 9/2010 going to a new doctor, I have neuropathy, he changed me to Cymbalta, started 30mg then 60mg since starting the cymbalta I have been having terrible dreams –
wjl
I take lisnopril for high BP also singulair for allergies, I been taking these for over a year and almost every night I have bad nightmares.
Blade W.
I have taken bupropion for years for chronic depression and have had nightmares off and on. Recently I was prescribed atenolol. I now extreme nightmares all the time. It causes so much adrenalin I cant sleep afterward. I never thought it might be the meds.
Eddie
Oxycontin the new OP 40mg Also Nightquil and Benadryl
All the of these drugs give me very bad nightmares and Sleep paralysis.
If anyone else gets this please post your thoughts as I would really like to see how others feel on any of these ex specially the OP 40 (New Oxycontin)and what you have done to help stop it? I just do not take it anymore but The op40s are really needed for my back pain. I take 10mg perks but really need a longer lasting pill again but refuse to take the new OC 40s I wish they kept the old ones and do not understand why they changed it cause it was a lifesaver for me.
Eddie
anonymous
After taking provera the pill for my periods three days I got very horrible dreams, could the provera be the cause?
Susan
Add the antibiotic Bactrim to the list. Have had nightmares since day 2….can’t wait to be done with it.
KP
Clarithromyc. This antibiotic gave me nightmares the 10th day I took it. I didn’t realize it may cause nightmares until I looked at the possible side effects.
s.s
I’ve been taking melatonin for a few nights, I’ve been waking up wanting to cry they have gotten that bad. Before I started taking melatonin I never experienced bad dreams. I’m not 100% positive but I really don’t think I should not take this medicine.
Gamal M.
Do not forget Sustiva which is a non-nucleoside reverse transcreptase inhibitor used for cases of HIV infection to control the replication of HIV and so T helper lymphocytes are increased ( ie immunity ). This drug cause a lot of neurological side effects including bad dreams, depression and even suicidal thoughts.
Thank you.
r.mathew
I have been taking beta blockers and pravastatin for about three years. All theses times I have disturbed sleep, horrible nightmares. I have complained about this to my cardiologist and he changed the meds from lopressor to altace to carvedilol and finally to bystolic which is very expensive. However it did not have any effect to my nightmares.
Doctors attributed all of these to anxiety, stress what not. As I am a registered nurse I am aware of side effects of medicines but I couldn’t figure out which one is causing this problem. After the nightmares I woke up with palpitations and my pressure shoots up to 190-200 systolic and had to go to ER few times. My blood pressure always remains 160/90 and above all day with several antihepertensives.
Luckily last month my pravastain tabs were done and I did not have a prescription. I was to go and see my cardiologist in a week. So I didn’t bother to call the office for renewal. I did not take pravastain for few days. BELEIVE IT OR NOT MY NIGHTMARES BECAME FEW AND NONE AFTER A MONTH.
Whenever I questioned about statins all of drs told me it is not from statin. Now I have done some research on the web and found that recently several articles are written acknowledging this problem
AA
I too am having vivid, intense dreams on Celebrex. However, please do not flush medications (especially prescriptions) down the toilet. They taint the water supply as they cannot be filtered out. This is becoming a health threat in the U.S. and we all need to do our part to not contribute to it.
J. Philbey
So interesting to get on to this site. I take at night Simvastatin and Atenolol, both of which have been mentioned on this site as the possible cause of nightmares. I’ve been on Atenolol for many years and dreams disturbing my sleep have always been a problem (though I never actually thought it was the Atenolol). However, now I have added Simvastatin to my night time medication dreams have now become nightmares. I now dread going to bed, whatever stress I have in the daytime is nothing compared to the stress I am having whilst asleep. Like others I wake up in a sweat with my heart pounding after going through hell. So what do I do? Just give up the statins I think and take a chance.
R. VASQUEZ
This is my third day taking Celebrex and I have flushed them down the commode because I know its this medication that is causing bizarre and horrific nightmares of desperation. In my dreams I cannot wake up and I find myself paralyzed unable to wake for what seems like an eternity.
J. David A.
Mevacor (Lovastatin) is the most reliable cause of sleep disturbance through nightmares. I think the drug causes nightmares in almost everybody and results in memory loss which can look like dementia – which in this case resolves off the drug. Sleep studies were never done with this drug and it should be off the market. In my years using statins in hundreds of patients, Lipitor was a 3% offender, Zocor 1% and the hydrophilics rarely caused nightmares. Leg pain though caused additional cases of sleep problems in all the statins.
On second thought, perhaps we should not put a statin in water supplies.
k. l.
I’ve been taking fludrocortisone for two weeks now and experience horrific vivid nightmares EVERY SINGLE NIGHT EVEN A FEW TIMES IN ONE NIGHT. It’s absolutely horrible I wake up crying my heart is racing I’m looking around myself to make sure nothings attacking me, when I go to hug my husband I even have to look into his face to make sure its really him I’m hugging and not some devil monster. Last night I dreamed that I dropped my baby into shards of glass, the night before I was getting eaten alive by vultures, their razor sharp claws digging into my skin.
I can’t even go back to sleep after awaking from these nightmares, rather I don’t want to but its like I’m having nightmares wile I’m lying in my bed awake because I start having morbid thoughts of things that I think are lurking in the dark around me, all I can do is press my pace of my husbands chest, my arms wrapped around him and hope that when sleep takes me I wont be tortured once more. The description of this medicines side effects only mention insomnia, and with nightmares like these I can understand why. Please let me know if this med is effecting you the same way.
NAK
I had a seven day dose of Leviquin 500mg 1xday for an illness. The first evening I had night terrors. Day two vertigo and night terrors again! I stopped taking it. That drug is powerful! One month later I decided to try it again for some blisters on my foot, that night I had night terrors again no more Leviquin for me.
lr
Thank you so much! My Celebrex problem was similar, weird horrible things that included tortured animals, things that I hate the most. I had to go to my doc for another problem and she tut-tutted this when I told her I no longer took Celebrex, then added that ‘it might be possible’.
At any rate I have a pile of unused Celebrex for sure. For me I only took the Celebrex for 2 nights, the 2nd night was the dreams. I tried it again a week later and again, the 2nd night was the horrible dreams.
maddie
I have suffered from night terrors since I was about 6 months old. With no treatment the terrors took place less and less, eventually stopping when I hit about 7. My dreams always stayed very vivid, sometimes I would have very bad dreams, but, not to the night terror point. Now , I am 21. I have been taking PAXIL for about 4 years now. The only problem with this drug for me is the horrible dreams.
They are unbelievably vivid. I started with 50mgs and took less and less over the years, I now take 20mgs. The terrible dreams seem stronger when the dose is lower. When I dream I feel like I am living a whole different life, which ever it maybe that night… sometimes it can be bad. But I blame it on the paxil, because once you start an anti-depressant your body needs it. And when I lowered or missed a dose or was real late on a dose… the vivid bad dreams would take place.
Laura
I’ve been taking fluoxetine for about 2 months and have been having awful dreams mostly to do with my worst fears/thoughts it’s driving me nuts. Getting on average 4-5 hours of sleep a night the dreams can be so bad I wake up heart pounding sweating and crying because they seem so real. I’m on them for anxiety and was previously on them for my depression, my depression isn’t as bad as it was but these dreams are making it bad but helping my anxiety. I’ve tried all the others that apparently help but made other things wrong 1 of which made me hallucinate and talk in the 3rd person and talk about inanimate objects as people when drinking.
steve j
5 or 7 years ago I was Rxed Celebrex for shoulder stiffness. The first night I took it I had a very vivid and frightening dream involving someone being chased by a dinosaur. Whereas, usually I’d wake up when things got bad, this time I got to see the dinosaur catch its prey…. etc..
The next night I had a dream involving a murderer and a knife, which again continued beyond where I really would have wanted to wake up. These dreams were like watching a Stephen King movie. Figuring this might be somehow related to the med, I looked it up in the Physician’s Desk Reference.
I expected to see something nebulous like ‘sleep disturbance’ as a possible side effect. But listed was ‘nightmares’ which were reported to affect less than 1% of individuals. I hadn’t thought of the dreams as nightmares, but that’s what they were. I threw the bottle of pills out, had a milder bad dream that night, and afterwards slept normally.
Dennis K
I’ve been taking a bunch of drugs for the past 6 years. But 2 weeks ago I started Levadopa for RLS and haven’t had a nice dream since. Lots of creepy scary ones though.
Dennis K
Thanks. I’m going to try some D3. I’m regularly taking six drugs and haven’t had a nice dream in a long time. Lots of scary disturbing ones though.
wh
I had nightmares on Effexor. I would wake up screaming, sometimes waking my neighbors! I had never experienced that before. Yes, I’ve had nightmares, but never to the point of screaming out loud like that, and many were very bizarre. I stopped the medication and have been better since. Do all drugs alter our brain circuits?
KPB
I have been taking Cipro for a few days now for diverticulitis. Every time I sleep within 2 hours I wake up experiencing very vivid dreams, bizarre and would not classify them scary. Each time I wake my head and chest are pounding and I can remember exactly what I was dreaming about.
Narae
I have been experiencing terrible nightmares which may be caused by Propranolol.
As you tell above, that’s the reason!
But my doctor says “there may be no relationship.” How can I tell him the truth?
I am not a specialist.. so I don’t want to make him upset with my short-knowledge!
Is there any way I can escape nightmare and keep taking propranolol?
Marie M.
It was a relief to hear that other people have nightmares while taking carbidopa.
I am prescribed Carbidopa-Levo ER 50-200 tablets twice a day for Restless Leg Syndrome, as well as Ropinirole HCL 1mg(generic for Requip) four tabs a day and Gabapentin 100mg (generic for Neurontin). I also take Lexapro 10 mg once a day.
I have nightmares nightly and I have often wondered why my pleasant dreams had disappeared! I had not connected the nightmares to the possibility that they might be caused by one or more of my prescription drugs.
Thank you.
JH
I had very vivid dreams and nightmares from which I would awake in sobbing tears due to Depo Provera.
Gail D.
I just began taking Niaspan 500mg at night a few weeks ago. The very first night I noticed that I didn’t sleep very well, in spite of the fact that I take Lorazepam 1.5 mg. to help me sleep. This went on for two or three nights until I decided to start taking Niaspan after breakfast and the problem went away.
By the way, I have been taking the Niaspan for about 3 or 4 weeks, and didn’t experience any side effects except sleep disturbance until yesterday. My husband woke me very early and I was hungry but still tired. I ate breakfast then went back to sleep, only to be awakened about 2 hours after with the most horrible case of flushing and itching I have ever experienced.
My question is if I take aspirin before I take the Niaspan as directed by my pharmacist, will the flushing eventually go away as I get used to having the Niaspan in my blood stream? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: TAKING ASPIRIN BEFORE NIASPAN USUALLY LIMITS OR EVEN ELIMINATES THE FLUSHING.
hondo
The product literature for Lexapro says that a very small percentage of users may experience “disturbing dreams.” An excellent description of what plagued my sleep. Reducing the dosage still gave me the benefits of the drug without the dreams.
Mimi
As long as I have been taking Effexor I have VIVID and realistic dreams (not bad dreams) that leave me wondering if what I dreamed really did happen????? Weird!!!
Paula
My husband has bad dreams due to SINGULAIR.
He is already taking the minimum dose possible (1/2 of a child’s dose).
Not only he has bad dreams. But also an uneasy feeling AFTER he had woken up
from the dream.
The medication does make him breathe better though…
candi n.
About 8 yrs ago I had to take flexeril for a back injury. After 1 month my doctor increased the dosage. I had nightmares the 1st month & horrible nightmares the 2nd month where I was killed off every night. I decided to stop the flexeril after that because of the nightmares & the fact that it didn’t work for the injury.
MS
I began taking a daily injection of Forteo for severe osteoperosis about a year ago. Almost since the beginning I have begun to have what I call ‘voracious’ dreams just about every night. They are not ‘nightmares’, thank goodness, and I wake from then and only remember it for a moment…. I suppose if I wrote it down right away I would remember more of them. A few lately have been worse than others, but at least I does not interrupt my life or cause depression! I asked the pharmacist about these dreams and they said they had never heard of it as a side effect of this medication. I keep forgetting to ask my Doctor, but will do so in June at my next visit. This website is the first place I’ve heard about anyone having disturbing dreams from taking medications. At least I’m not crazy!
MG
I guess because I take my atenolol in the morning I don’t have nightmares, for the most part.
GRD
I had problems for sometime from taking statins. I take simvastatin but others did the same thing. They cause very vivid dreams bordering on nightmares. So odd too as they sometimes are the same dream but always have the same theme. I am trapped in a building, often the same one, or sometimes in a cave. The very odd thing is that during the dream, I am somehow aware that it is a dream and all I have to do is wake up. So I wake myself up. I don’t know how I do this but I just do. Anyway, my doctor said I needed to take vitamin D3 as I was low on this. After starting to take it, I have noticed that I no longer have these very vivid dreams. Go figure. Wonder if anyone else has had this experience with statins.
scg
My doctor prescribed two different statins for high cholesterol, both of which caused “nightmares.” Rather than try a third statin, I’m attempting to lower cholesterol through diet and exercise.
ps
I use melatonin one night for sleep and I woke up from a violent nightmare and as soon as I tried to go back to sleep I went right back into that nightmare and woke myself up again. It was awful and I’d rather use Ambien than have that reaction to melatonin.
ECC
I took clonidine for several years to help with both blood pressure and hot flashes. The dosage was taken only at night. The nightmares didn’t start right away but after they did, they became progressively more frequent until they were occurring about once every week or so to the point that I was afraid to go to bed anymore not knowing if I’d wake up in a panic from another nightmare.
I’m still not sure if that drug was the cause of the nightmares or not, but the nightmares stopped once I quit taking the clonidine. That was the only change in my routine/schedule so I attributed the nightmares to it and haven’t had any problem since then so it does make you wonder—-
Lisa
I have a problem with nightmares if I take flexeril for more than 2-3 days in a row.
EGR
My husband has Parkinson’s and is taking Levodopa. He often tells me stories that are so far fetched that I have decided he is telling me about his dreams. Yesterday he told me that he was on top of a very tall pole and could not get down. He often tells me that there are lots of people in his room and there is no one.
Often he is quite disturbed with these stories.
msc
I have found that even a slight change in my dosage of Ativan (lorazepam) will bring weird dreams for the first couple of nights.
rrichards
I wanted to comment that some herbs can give adverse reactions as well, but can vary person to person.
Such as I can take kava kava for sleeping problems without a problem, my dad however will have bad nightmares from kava kava and so takes something else like passion flower/chamomile without a problem.
lr
I was glad to see this article. With me it seemed to be the Celebrex my doctor prescribed for arthritis pain. I did not need to take it regularly, so I noticed that on night 2 I had horrible, awful nightmares like out of science fiction. Did not connect it to Celebrex until it happened again, on the second night. I’ll be sure to let my doctor know.
me
Several years ago I took St. John’s Wort for a brief time. When I took it in the evening, I had screaming nightmares. When I took it in the morning, no nightmares.
SO
Melatonin was recommended for my sleeplessness. The first two nights that I took it, it worked great. By the third night, I experienced bizarre and unsettling dreams. Not attributing it to the melatonin, I continued to take it.
My dreams turned into nightmares. When I finally realized it may be from the medication, I asked my doctor who did confirm the possibility that the melatonin was the culprit. I stopped immediately and have not suffered the nightmares since.
James K.
I take Amlodipine Besylate 10 mg , generic for Norvasc, for high blood pressure, if I take right before I go to sleep, I get vivid dreams, not quite nightmares.