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Wild, violent dreams and prednisone?

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Posted 1/10/2008 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
I started taking Prednisone again 2 weeks ago and finished tapering it 4 days ago.  Since I started it, I feel like I am tossing and turning all night, I have these nightmares or wild dreams all night and wake up feeling exhausted and sweaty.  I thought now that I've been off it a few days it would stop, but last night I got another lovely one.  I got to go back to my Mom's funeral and people were laughing and joking and I was screaming in their faces then choking and vomiting all over.  I've been having these horribble dreams for 2 weeks and I never feel rested when I wake up.  Do you think it's the Prednisone or am I going insane?
Posted 1/10/2008 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Princess -- it's definitely the Prednisone. I too had those terrible nightmares, the craziest dreams and lots of sweating. Also during the day I felt like my head was going to spin. I had a lot of good workout during my prednisone days though! Gave me lots of energy. Have you tried some herbal tea before you go to bed such as Camomile or Sleepytime? That might soothe things a bit.

Posted 1/10/2008 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
What a strange dream you had.

I haven't had any dreams like that since I've been on Prednisone but when I was flaring real bad I had some pretty wild and graphic dreams.

Posted 1/10/2008 2:39 PM (GMT 0)
Definitely the pred. I still have alot of crazy dreams....I think it is from the Imuran. I had a horrible one last night. I was so relieved to wake up this morning!
Posted 1/10/2008 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
i almost never dream as far as i know.
Posted 1/10/2008 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Must be nice, Bob. I have always had a big imagination and pretty crazy dreams, but since the Prednisone, they are extreme. The other night, I dreamt my son was being molested, I almost woke up screaming the other night I was chased all night by serial killers, etc. There hasn't been any new stress or anything going on in my life, so I'm hoping it's the Prednisone. I am scared to go to sleep at this point! I have tons of chamomile tea, I didn't think of it but will have some tonight and try to think happy thoughts before bed. I hate Prednisone!
Posted 1/10/2008 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
You might be surprised at how you can direct your dreams, if you are aware of them. It's at least worth a shot. Imagine yourself as super powerful or able to fly before you go to sleep, and escape from the monsters, to a beautiful meadow. It's worth a shot.

I know when I went on Effexor, I had some very disturbing dreams. Weird -- let me tell you. I'd be embarrassed to say what they involved they were so strange. I still every once in a while have a bizarre dream, but they've gotten much fewer and farther between. I'm pretty sure your nightmares will be a distant awful memory soon.

Mitz
Posted 1/10/2008 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
LOL Mitz,
A few days ago I had a dream I was on a parade float with my husband, and I am embarrassed of the rest of the details, lol... at least that one wasn't a nightmare! I just searched dream interpretations and choking & vomiting, I had 2 dreams this week where that happened. Interesting results for anyone who cares, I am wondering if it's cause I have been scared about surgery but am really considering it now:

Vomit
Vomiting in a dream may represent those things in life that cause you emotional stress, repulse you, and make you ill. This dream suggests that you are rejecting a thought, idea, feeling, or circumstance and that fast and, almost violent, cleansing is required. Examine your daily reality and try to identify matters that would cause such a strong physical reaction. While it is often associated with illness in waking life, it is appears in dreaming when our lives are most out of control. Most likely, this phenomenon has to do with the relationship between vomiting and nausea, or other common ill feelings in the gut.
Posted 1/10/2008 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
my last bad dream I had (a couple weeks ago) was there were serial killer children killing puppies. Though earlier that night I had watched "The Simpsons" and there were mechanical animals killing children........so I think it was a play on that. I had a really screwed up dream the other night, that I don't even want to talk about and it incidentally had my mom in it

I dream all the time and remember about 1/4 of them. I think that anything can kick off a dream, a smell, a sound, a tv show......it's all subconscious.

I really like the flying ones = )
Posted 1/10/2008 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hullo. I definitely think the pred causes bad dreams. I wrote about it on my blog here:

http://numbertwos.blogspot.com/2007/11/nightmare-start-to-tuesday.html

Sweet dreams.
Posted 1/10/2008 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
yup, I agree it is the pred. hang in there. I had awful dreams on pred too, and my sheets were always totally soaked. gross.

I have heard that writing down your thoughts before you go to bed can help steady the subconscious and lead to better dreams. may be worth a shot...
Posted 1/11/2008 12:39 AM (GMT 0)
When I am one that crap I get violent day dreams or thoughts.
Like standing in line at the grocery store makes me so mad I want to explode.
Posted 1/11/2008 3:01 AM (GMT 0)
Holy cow, if you guys are having bad dreams, I'm worried about going to bed tonight. I just recently started steroid enemas, and I just saw the movie "Saw 4" tonight. :)

But I agree, I have had a lot of "energy" while on prednisone. I've been working out too. Unfortunately, I feel like my sleep is unrestful and like I've been up all night and trying to stay up drinking coffee (even though I never drink coffee). Meds SUCK!
Posted 1/11/2008 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
Pred can cause nightmares (well for many being on pred is a nightmare in itself isn't it)....but for me I've found the more severe my flare is then it seems to bring on alot of bathroom/toilet dreams and anxiety dreams about bathrooms/toilets, even without being on pred this happens, as I don't recall having bad/crazy dreams while on pred, but definitely during really bad flares I do, and especially just before my flare gets really bad, almost like a warning....

I remember having a dream about public toilet stalls (there was poop in every one of them and it disgusted and angered me in the dream) just before I got sick with crohns, I woke up so disgusted of having such a dream...little did I know I was going to be living it (now that's a living nightmare).

:)
Posted 1/11/2008 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Thankfully I never had nightmares while on prednisone, but some of the craziest dreams ever...I mean, CRAZY!!!!!!! Funny dreams, one right after another...I wish I could remember at least one so I could share it, but I can't...I remember I would wake up in the mornings and tell my husband my dreams, laughing really hard...He thought I had lost my mind...They were so funny...Since I'm off the pred now, most of those are gone...I did sweat a lot during the night while taking it, and had some insomnia...I hope I never have to take that stuff again!!!
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