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Nightmares and sleep fighting?

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Kopykat

MyPTSD Pro
I’ve been having bad nightmares for the past week and a half. They’ve escalated from things just mildly uncomfortable to people killing me. Like the other night my therapist came up behind me and stabbed me in the chest and whispered “is this what you wanted?”. Needless to say I was confused. I’ve also had dreams I’ve been getting attacked and it escalating to rape (I was never raped in rl). Anyways I’ll wake up swinging, lunging and fighting. I actually lunged myself off the bed bc in the dream someone kicked my dog and I went ape shit and lunged at them, well apparently I did that in real life and ended on the floor. I used to have dreams when I was a teenager where I’d act them out but I blame that on my older brother who would kick the crap out of me so to wake up you had to be ready to fight.

Needless to say this has been a shitty 10 or so days and I don’t know how to get the nightmares to stop. I’ve tried taking melatonin, klonopin, magnesium to fall into a deeper sleep but nothing works. This stuff sucks.
 
I'm with you @Kopykat , it sucks big time.
I very often dream of people killing/trying to kill me, too.
Unfortunately I don't have any advice, everything I've tried hasn't worked for me either. Just here to say that I understand what you're going through, and I really hope things settle down for you soon. ((hugs))
 
I did that for years before I got into therapy. I would launch out of bed and god help anyone who touched me before I was awake. It's finally gotten better - I think the EMDR was what changed it. Not an easy journey but at least it has stopped most of it
 
Have you tried prasosin before?

Hugs.
I have not, is that sleeping drug?

I did that for years before I got into therapy. I would launch out of bed and god help anyone who touch...
I’m in regular talk therapy now. I started EMDR and I was way too uncomfortable. I guess I’m not there yet, which sucks.

I'm with you @Kopykat , it sucks big time.
I very often dream of people killing/try...
Thank you, appreciate your kindness.
 
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Hmmm it’s odd that your insurance doesn’t cover it. It’s been generic for ages. Did he prescribe the XL version?

It helped me with nightmares, but mine weren’t that bad to begin with. I had to stop because I kept falling over the next day.
 
@Kopykat , have you ever tried the GoodRx app? I haven’t met my massive deductible yet, so I’m still paying out of pocket for my prescriptions, which can of course get quite pricey. The GoodRx app displays a list of the cheapest pharmacies in your area for whatever meds you’re prescribed. Right now, there’s a coupon for 30 of the 2 mg prazosin capsules at my local Walgreens for $9.99. I just click on the coupon, save it to my phone, and then show it to the pharmacist when I get my meds filled. The pharmacist writes down the code that comes up on my phone and applies the coupon to my final amount.
 
Nightmares and parasomnias do suck - they can be highly disruptive to sleep and can be distressing. I have recurring nightmares, night terrors and hallucinations (some of which involve me acting stuff out and leaping out of bed etc) so I know how shitty it can be.

But you’ve been having them for ten days and now you’re being medicated? I actually find that quite shocking!

Unless it’s severely impairing your ability to function day to day or unless you are causing harm to yourself during the acting out, I would feel inclined not to take medication to suppress the nightmares (if this is only a recent issue) but to instead see what plays out. Our psyche processes a lot as we sleep and I wonder what material is emerging - or trying to emerge - through your nighttime activities. My instinct would be to let them come and see where you might benefit from putting some attention eg in therapy before taking medication to try to stop them.
 
I had the same problem. It got pretty bad. I would try to fight back in my sleep and end up punching the wall or kicking the bed and got all bruised up because of it. My therapist got me on a medication that took care of it. Knocks me dead out for 7 hours. I'm not great with remembering med. Names so I'll post it up after I get home and doublecheck what it's called. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. It sucks. Hang in there.
 
I tried GoodRx and it actually didn’t save any money for me plus my pharmacy wouldn’t take it for that med. I looked at other pharmacies and it was the same price as the cash price. I only got 15 pills bc I see my psych doctor again soon.

I’ve been on it 3 days and still having nightmares but I know meds take time. Also w the seroquel...I’ve gone from not sleeping to sleeping way too much, like 12 hours and then a nap. So I guess I have to pick what’s more important?

I’ve talked, recorded and described at length to my therapist what my nightmares randomly are. She lets me email her so that’s helpful I guess. I can’t say there’s a theme except maybe I keep getting hurt or killed by people I know or I am trying to save someone or something and I’m always too late. I actually had a dream my therapist came up behind me and stabbed me in the heart and said “Is this what you wanted?”. I told her that and she seemed alarmed and confused lol.
 
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