# Does everyone dream vividly on SSRI's?



## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

On every SSRI I've been on my dreams are so vivid, and its never in a good way. For instance the dream I had last night was sitting in one of my old school hallways filled with oil and my friend trying to light a match for hours.
They're vivid and borderline nightmare.

Another was me working as a Bestbuy salesman (never have) on my first shift and I had been sleep deprived for 2 days and falling asleep at work while people asking me questions and was like paralyzed kind of.

I'm going to stay on Zoloft for 10 weeks to see if it even works and if the SE's go away like this, but I hate it. TCA's I don't believe do this to me, and MAOI's NEVER do this, I love MAOI's for non-dreaming. 

Should I go for a sleep study or something? I definitely am in REM stage way too long.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

BTW, been talking with my mom about all these SE's and the lack of efficacy and she wants me to possibly try coming off them and seeing how it goes. 

I told her that all the SE's would go away but I'd be a 10 on depression most likely and become a complete anxious mess again. I just don't think it'd be a good idea.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

I had cool vivid dreams on Effexor
They were like being in some kind of epic movie
But sometimes they turned into nightmares and even thought I knew I was dreaming I couldn't wake myself up and was still terrified lol
I attributed the dreams to Norepinephrine levels changing because I never got the side effect on SSRI


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

I had a sex dream the other day put me in a good mood all day.


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

Not really. I dreamt vividly when I was taking a sleeping aid with my SSRI. Zopiclone was the stuff. When I quit taking zopiclone I dream normally now. Sometimes I remember sometimes I don't. I think it's more noticeable if you are closer to waking up during your dream state or not fully asleep because of the way the sleeping aids change your sleep cycles. I know Zopiclone was known to decrease Slow wave sleep cycles. Last night I had some pretty vivid nightmares.

Oh and SSRI's can change sleeping cycles in some people so it's quite possible if you aren't on a sleeping aid that it's purely based on the SSRI. However, it's also something that your body adapts to after a few months.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

kehcorpz said:


> Not really. I dreamt vividly when I was taking a sleeping aid with my SSRI. Zopiclone was the stuff. When I quit taking zopiclone I dream normally now. Sometimes I remember sometimes I don't. I think it's more noticeable if you are closer to waking up during your dream state or not fully asleep because of the way the sleeping aids change your sleep cycles. I know Zopiclone was known to decrease Slow wave sleep cycles. Last night I had some pretty vivid nightmares.
> 
> Oh and SSRI's can change sleeping cycles in some people so it's quite possible if you aren't on a sleeping aid that it's purely based on the SSRI. However, it's also something that your body adapts to after a few months.


I'm on ambien/sublinox which is a Z drug sleep aid. Maybe thats the cause, but I remember I had vivid dreams without it also. Maybe I should stop taking it, but then I don't get much sleep :/ Been on drugs for 16 months


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

gilmourr said:


> I'm on ambien/sublinox which is a Z drug sleep aid. Maybe thats the cause, but I remember I had vivid dreams without it also. Maybe I should stop taking it, but then I don't get much sleep :/ Been on drugs for 16 months


If you want tell your doc you'd like to try 15mg remeron for helping you sleep so you can get off the sleeping aids, at least to test. The Z drugs are not as safe as they claim and are just as addictive as benzos.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

kehcorpz said:


> If you want tell your doc you'd like to try 15mg remeron for helping you sleep so you can get off the sleeping aids, at least to test. The Z drugs are not as safe as they claim and are just as addictive as benzos.


Can't use remeron, too sedating and causes my acne to come out. So does seroquel I believe.

and the Z drugs are better than benzos right? They don't seem addictive, was never addicted to benzos and I do get 8 hrs of sleep and wake up on time. Are they really that bad and why? Because of GABA reuptake being inhibited or something?>


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## WhoDey85 (Sep 6, 2006)

I woke up this morning trying to tackle someone in my dream. I actually jumped up and grasped at air.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Yeah the dreaming/nightmares are very uncomfortable. I wake up and kind of feel rattled. Side effects are a *****, and zoloft isn't doing ****. **** all of this.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

GotAnxiety said:


> I had a sex dream the other day put me in a good mood all day.


Life is so unfair -- why don't I get goodies like that!?!

A sex dream would be pretty useless anyhow, seeing how I'm now on Celexa which has killed sex drive & made orgasm impossible. This is now my 6th SSRI & my foot ought to be up my pdoc's *** for being the "expert" who demands I try such crap.

Seems he's in love with Celexa as 3 of his patients with OCD had just dandy results with it. One was a little girl -- perhaps she's too young to know WTF anorgasmia even is!

I wonder if any of those who had good results with Celexa had previously failed every other SSRI on the market in the US? I tend to suspect not.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

kehcorpz said:


> The Z drugs are not as safe as they claim and are just as addictive as benzos.


As soon as big pharma manages to come up with a new brand name sleep aid that's not part of the z-drug class, Ambien will become the new Valium: a stigmatized pill that's "highly addictive."

The safety of a pill appears to have vastly more to do with finance (my degree) than pharmacology. The more money it earns the safer it is. Who knew a guy with a finance degree could explain how medicine really works?


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

UltraShy said:


> As soon as big pharma manages to come up with a new brand name sleep aid that's not part of the z-drug class, Ambien will become the new Valium: a stigmatized pill that's "highly addictive."
> 
> The safety of a pill appears to have vastly more to do with finance (my degree) than pharmacology. The more money it earns the safer it is. Who knew a guy with a finance degree could explain how medicine really works?


Maybe, but like with any new drug new studies start emerging, sometimes drugs are even pulled. But new studies are showing Z-drugs being just as addictive. I have a **** load of zopiclone left over as I kept filling prescription for a while but not using it. If i use it while anxious or panicky it calms me right down. It feels just like a benzo. If something makes you feel like alcohol you best believe it has addiction potential.


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

gilmourr said:


> Can't use remeron, too sedating and causes my acne to come out. So does seroquel I believe.
> 
> and the Z drugs are better than benzos right? They don't seem addictive, was never addicted to benzos and I do get 8 hrs of sleep and wake up on time. Are they really that bad and why? Because of GABA reuptake being inhibited or something?>


From wiki:



> Both zopiclone and benzodiazepines act indiscriminately at the benzodiazepine binding site on α1, α2, α3 and α5 GABAA containing receptors as full agonists causing an enhancement of the actions of GABA to produce the therapeutic and adverse effects of zopiclone. The metabolite of zopiclone called desmethylzopiclone is also pharmacologically active although it has predominately anxiolytic properties. Like benzodiazepines zopiclone and its active metabolite desmethylzopiclone also inhibit N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and nicotinic acetylcholine (nAChRs) receptors which might play a role in the addictive properties of these drugs.[68][69] One study however, found some slight selectivity for zopiclone on α1 and α5 subunits.[70] Although it is regarded as being unselective in its binding to α1, α2, α3 and α5 GABAA benzodiazepine receptor complexes. Desmethylzopiclone has been found to have partial agonist properties unlike the parent drug zopiclone which is a full agonist.[71] The mechanism of action of zopiclone is similar to benzodiazepines, with similar effects on locomotor activity and on dopamine and serotonin turnover.[72][73] A meta-analysis of randomised controlled clinical trials which compared benzodiazepines to zopiclone or other Z Drugs such as zolpidem, zaleplon has found that there are few clear and consistent differences between zopiclone and the benzodiazepines in terms of sleep onset latency, total sleep duration, number of awakenings, quality of sleep, adverse events, tolerance, rebound insomnia and daytime alertness.[74] Zopiclone is in the cyclopyrrolone family of drugs. Other cyclopyrrolone drugs include suriclone. Zopiclone although molecularly different from benzodiazepines, shares an almost identical pharmacological profile as benzodiazepines including anxiolytic properties. Its mechanism of action is via binding to the benzodiazepine site and acting as a full agonist which in turn positively modulates benzodiazepine sensitive GABAA receptors and enhances GABA binding at the GABAA receptors to produce zopiclone's pharmacological properties.[75][76][77] In addition to zopiclone's benzodiazepine pharmacological properties it also has some barbiturate like properties.[78][79]


Once you've used it for months and try to go off of it, you will know it's addictive.


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Just cross taper with seroquel boom bang done wish i had these pills years ago. Zopiclone can be used like ativan just chop them up into wee little pieces. still nothing comes close too natural sleep you will feel better if you get that. Z drugs are kinda like a dirty benzo they taste decusting.


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## Jollygoggles (Mar 3, 2011)

SSRI dreams are the best.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Jollygoggles said:


> SSRI dreams are the best.


There's no way in hell we're having the same dreams.


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## rockyraccoon (Dec 13, 2010)

The only medication that gave me intense dreams was trimiptrimine. Major intense dreams. I don't recall having dreams one way or the other with SSRI's. But one drug that prevented me from dreaming was Seroquel. I never dream on Seroquel, never.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Remeron and Seroquel both gave me vivid and intense dreams, can't recall if SSRIs did or not.


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Seroquel been giving me dreams as well same with SSRI when i was on them dreams or nightmares none the less i love them all lol. The ones where your getting killed are the best when you wake up shaking from being burned alived or getting limbs cut off from circulur saws.


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## Julie1980 (Sep 22, 2013)

*Positives vs. Negatives*

I've had moderate to severe social anxieties for most of my life. I've been in therapy several times before but I don't feel like I've gained any benefits from it. I've been taking Zoloft for about 4 months now. I'm up to 200mg a day. I have to say, the ONLY side I'm still experiencing is vivid/bad dreams.

I've always had very vivid dreams anyway; without any help from medication. When I was a kid I had night terrors. I grind me teeth as well. But ever since my dosage was increased to 200 mg a day I've been experiencing extremely vivid dreams. They feel real. I've even had a couple nightmares. One was so bad I called into work the next day. I was so shaken. I've even started crying and talking in my sleep.

I have to say though, even with this unfortunate side effect I feel that the benefits outweigh the negatives. I have such horrible constant social anxiety and I feel so much better on my current does. I feel like I can actually relax and be myself now. I haven't felt that way in years. I've only been taking this higher dosage for about a week or two, so I'm hoping the bad dreams will decrease. But even if they don't, I will almost 100% keep taking the Zoloft at my current dosage.

I hope that sharing my experience has helped!

~Julie


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

It's a strange phenomenon. SSRIs should theoretically reduce REM (dream sleep), so much so that they are used to treat abnormal REM-related phenomena associated with narcolepsy. Regardless, they seem to cause vivid dreams for some people. I suppose it may be due to the drug wearing off too quickly & causing REM rebound at night (if this is the case then Prozac may cause the least vivid dreaming), otherwise I'm not sure.


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## Aalim (Sep 19, 2013)

I did at first, but now dream the same as was before taking my SSRI.


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## Ben12 (Jul 8, 2009)

Seroquel for me causes some really intense dreams. I dream every night on that stuff. SSRIs however seem to prevent me from dreaming or at least remembering what I dreamed if I was dreaming. Which sucks. Benzodiazepines seem to do this as well. Dreaming is amazing. The emotional intensity from them just can't be replicated during the day. Just not the same.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

I've decided to just put up with the vivid dreaming/borderline nightmares because the AD response of Zoloft is too much to pass up given that there are no SE's (except that one).

I guess it's a reminder to how bad my depression was for one to take daily nightmares.

Still happy to be on it


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## Ben12 (Jul 8, 2009)

Gilmourr, have you tried taking a benzodiazepine with the seroquel that you take for sleep? I've found that a benzodiazepine helps calm me down and prevents nighttime anxiety. I've also found it to reduce dreaming too.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

jim_morrison said:


> It's a strange phenomenon. SSRIs should theoretically reduce REM (dream sleep), so much so that they are used to treat abnormal REM-related phenomena associated with narcolepsy. Regardless, they seem to cause vivid dreams for some people. I suppose it may be due to the drug wearing off too quickly & causing REM rebound at night (if this is the case then Prozac may cause the least vivid dreaming), otherwise I'm not sure.


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2869.2001.00249.x/full

interesting article that implicates cholinergic rebound via serotonergic suppression as the culprit of subjective ssri-induced vivid dreams both during treatment and upon acute withdrawal compared to baseline levels. while cholinergic rebound is pointed at, i'm sure the increased intensity also has something to do with serotonergic disruption upon acute discontinuation if not during treatment (compared to baseline conditions).


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