Nightmares Are Back

[Senecia]

I went through a long period of not really dreaming or anything. Even having positive dreams sometimes. However now, it seems that my nightmares have returned..and some are slightly different than others. I of course have the typical ones I've always experienced, strange life or death situations where I have to make a decision and am fighting for my life... Also about my abusive ex. But these newer ones, are just regular situations accompanied by feelings of panic and terror. Situations such as walking out the front door, and running into my neighbor who's waving to me, yet I'm terrified of something. I've also been waking up frantic, tense and in a panic. Do you guys experience that too??? The pattern of dreaming seems to have changed. I'm just confused. I don't feel all that stressed during the day, yet I've been noticing that I've dissociated more, and been much more hypervigilant.

In the last couple weeks I've woken up and freaked out about where I was, like I was expecting the layout of the room to be different. I was also napping on my fiance, but was expecting him to be my ex. It's like my brain is trying to take a trip to the past or something. Sigh

 

[sun seeker]

Senecia, I know you've posted about how well Prozac is working for you and it's been a while you've been on it so I don't know if I am off base with this, but when I took Prozac I had the most horrible nightmares. They were nothing connected with anything I'd experienced in real life. I wonder if it's possible the new kind of nightmares you are having could be a side effect. You might want to ask your doctor about this.

 

[Senecia]

I'm not sure, @sun seeker. I've been on it for over a couple months now but this is very recent, like within the past couple of weeks. It couldn't be from the Prozac, could it??

 

[Ed Norton]

I used to have very frequent nightmares until I started on prazosin. I still have them occasionally now, as well as regular dreams but very rarely. I've also noticed that when I skip a dose, by accident, I have very strange dreams but I haven't had a nightmare with a missed dose. There are a few contraindications for prazosin but most people can take it. Initially I started off with 1 mg and it was increased to 2mgs.
I really love my prazosin!

 

[sun seeker]

It couldn't be from the Prozac, could it??

I don't know whether new side effects can develop after that length of time. It just seemed like something worth checking out. I'd suggest bringing it up with your doctor.

 

[Senecia]

I'll talk about it next time I'm in... which is fairly soon. I feel like because I've started a new job, all that stress is affecting other areas of my life too. If it doesn't improve within a week I'll start being a bit more suspicious methinks.

 

[Gadgie]

I never knew that there was pills available to help stop nightmares? I asked my doctor if there was any medication to help stop my nightmares, and he told me that there wasn't any?

Although, I must admit I'm not having them so frequent recently, (touch wood) but when I do they really scare me, so much so that I'm too frightened to try and sleep again, in case I have another one, which has happened in the past.

I've really missed the support I used to get from my wife, as she used to wipe my back with a cold water flannel, after I had done my face and front.

As I used to wake up screaming, and in a cold sweat, hard to describe properly, I think I covered that feeling in the poem I wrote called PTSD.