Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210 Location: state of confusion, usa
Really, Really Vivid Nightmares in an Adult Posted: 01-31-08 22:15pm
I have these super vivid nightmares
several times a week. They take place in
real time, I believe they are occurring as
I dream them. The theme is always the
same: "They" (police, government agents,
murderers, whoever) are busting down my
front door, rushing in and dragging me out
of bed (to kill me, torture me, interogate
me, put me in a concentration camp, etc).
I usually wake up at this point. Other
times I wake freaking out in the
livingroom because I'm trying to stop them
from breaking in. The scariest is when I
wake up and BELIEVE "THEY" are actually at
my bedside - - I would swear in court that
there are real people in my bedroom.
Behind these dreams is a history of abuse
and a diagnosis of post-tramatic stress
disorder, but I need to know how to break
the cycle before I have a heart attack out
of fright!
Has anyone heard of "lucid dreaming"
where, in the middle of the nightmare, you
remind yourself that you're dreaming and
change the outcome of the dream? I read
about it online but I couldn't figure out
how to put it into practice.
I practice relaxation each night before I
fall asleep. I also use a sound machine
set on the ocean setting to try to occupy
my brain.
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1881 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 02-05-08 05:25am
Recurring nightmares are common symptom of
post-traumatic stress disorder and people
with PTSD often experience the exact
replica of the traumatic event in a
nightmare.
It's important to know that the traumatic
nightmares are a normal way to work
through the memories of the traumatic
event and the more you talk and discuss
your emotions related to traumatic
nightmare, the quicker the subside of the
nightmares will take place.
What are your usual thoughts and emotions
while experiencing the nightmare?
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bakin_april
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210 Location: state of confusion, usa
Really, Really Vivid Nightmares in an Adult Posted: 02-05-08 07:45am
Thanks for the information about PTSD
nightmares.
During the nightmare I am positive that
"they" are really going to get me this
time and I'm in absolute, utter fear for
my life. Each time, I'm sure that this is
the time I will die. Also, there's no
help in sight in the dream, just like what
happened in life, so there's the
abandonment thing.
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1881 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 02-20-08 04:10am
Try to discuss how you feel the nightmare
needs to change in order to feel safer. Do
that with a sense of strength and
control.
Are you getting some treatment for PTSD?
If you don’t get treatment, PTSD can
persist for years. In fact, it never
fades for about 30% of those who aren’t
treated.
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bakin_april
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210 Location: state of confusion, usa
Posted: 02-20-08 07:30am
Yes, I'm being treated.
What technique do I use to change the
outcome/impact of the dream?
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MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1881 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Sleep disturbances occur in up to 70% of
patients with PTSD.
Have you heard about Prazosin or maybe
used it already?
I just found a site with informations from
a few studies about this med used for
nightmares and other sleep disturbances in
people who suffer from PTSD.
All of the studies have shown that
Prazosin is a promising and fairly well
tolerated agent for the management of
PTSD-related nightmares and sleep
disturbances.
Which psychotropic meds you are using?
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bakin_april
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210 Location: state of confusion, usa
Sleep disturbances occur in up to 70% of
patients with PTSD.
Have you heard about Prazosin or maybe
used it already?
I just found a site with informations from
a few studies about this med used for
nightmares and other sleep disturbances in
people who suffer from PTSD.
All of the studies have shown that
Prazosin is a promising and fairly well
tolerated agent for the management of
PTSD-related nightmares and sleep
disturbances.
Which psychotropic meds you are
using?
This link is very helpful. I currently
take lithium, geodon, wellbutrin and
cymbalta. My doctor just added primidone
for essential tremor.
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1881 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 03-20-08 06:29am
Prazosin, the drug I mentioned in my
previous post, is commonly used to treat
high blood pressure by relaxing blood
vessels. When was used for sleep
disturbances, even in children, it doses
were lower than those for control of blood
pressure.
Usage of Cymbalta can cause nightmares as
its withdrawal.
Nightmares are side effect of Wellbutrin,
too.
Did you have the tremor( I guess tremor of
your hands) before starting the usage of
lithium or it started after use of
lithium?
I don't know if your doctor took in
consideration the fact that lithium can
cause trembling of the hands or tremor as
side effect. This should subside as your
body adjusts to the medication, but, can
persist or become bothersome. Please,
inform your doctor about this.
Best wishes!
Marija
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bakin_april
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210 Location: state of confusion, usa
Posted: 03-20-08 11:04am
Are you a doctor??
Since the age of 14 or so I have had
Essential Tremor. It's now exacerbated by
Lithium. At this time I've chosen to
remain on lithium (and the rest of my
meds) because I have achieved a very high
quality of life. The primidone seems
promising in treating the tremors. Also,
I've found that I have fewer nightmares
since beginning primidone. My guess is
that it's somehow due to the phenobarbytol
in primidone.
Thanks for your onoging concern.
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1881 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 03-26-08 05:34am
No, I'm not a doctor, yet. I have 8 exams
left to become one (being mother of one
and taking care of house and family, keeps
me away from that goal )
I'm glad you find primidone very helpful,
actually, is a first line of treatment for
essential tremor.
Also, some clinical reports give
informations that primidone with lithium
has great beneficial effects for bipolar
patients (when lithium has effect only on
manic symptoms, primidone has been found
as very helpful antidepressant)
Anticonvulsants, like primidone can either
enhance or disrupt sleep. They have been
used as sleep promoting agents, decreasing
the time needed to fall asleep (also,
decreasing the amount of REM sleep)
Probably, decreased REM sleep is the
reason you have less frequent nightmares,
because, nightmares occur exclusively
during REM sleep.
Have you been informed that because of
primidone use, your CBC count and
chemistry panel should be checked every 6
months?
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307
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 1
Posted: 04-28-08 21:16pm
I am replying rather late but I just found
the article and this site tonight........I
have had dreams like these since I was
about 6, my oldest brother, Dad, and
Grandad have all had these. These ARE not
from PSTS....what a silly thought. I am
sure that it is hereditary with our
family.
I can change my dreams. No I cannot go
from hiding behind the dumpster because
the missile fire is coming in to jumping
through Daisy's but I can make it from
missile fire at the dumpster to being able
to redirect it to a few feet a way so I
can run across the street and get out of
the way( just one of my vivid nightmares).
When I was in my early 20s, I worked with
someone else that had these same types of
nightmares. He to, had found his own way
to change them. It was the first time I
ever spoke my dreams out loud do someone.
I have tried before and since but everyone
I have tried has felt like I was telling a
Steven King novel and could not
understand. In other words just giving
them a tiny bit of insight freaked them
out.
My daughter is now showing signs of this
and I am helping her learn how to change
the dreams.
If you are interested in hearing how I
worked on this please let me know. Its an
awful thing to live with.
S
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1881 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Thanked:10
Hi, 307! Posted: 05-07-08 05:20am
Can you, please, share with us your
personal experiences?
It could be of a great help for many users
of ehealth forum.
There are some studies that have shown
that one’s personality type plays a big
role in the intensity of the dream
experience and the amount of dream recall
present in our waking life. They are
talking about two types of personalities
and the one that is more prone to
experiencing nightmares, tend to have a
heightened emotional sensitivity within
their dream states (every type of emotion
this kind of person has is much more
exaggerated within their dreams, which
leads to the possibility of more
nightmares). They do not differentiate
dreams from reality.
This can give some explanation, why we can
talk about nightmares running in
families.
Susceptibility to experiencing nightmares
can be inhered if we are having similar
personality to our close ones.
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