prozac and dreams

[cashamby]

i dont know if its the medication or something but ever since ive been taking prozac ive had scary vivid dreams, often scattering topics like religion, the end of the world, and events that ive expieranced earlier in the day all in one night. i woke up at 4:30 last night shaking because the dream felt so real. I was just wondering if this is natural with the prozac? have any of you experianced this? and i really think its a side effect from the medicine, because if i take it at night it causes me to have insomnia, so i always take it in the morning, and ive been having these dreams since about 3 or 4 weeks after taking the medicine.

[9DodgeFan]

I'm glad I saw this post; I've been taking an antidepressant for a couple months, and I've definitely been noticing more vivid/realistic dreams.  The other night I had a dream I was flying one of the planes that dropped the a-bomb on Japan!  Talk about crazy!  Although that was probably because of all the anniversary of Pearl Harbor in the news and stuff.  Sometimes I wake up sweating and fast heartbeat but I figure, it's just a dream, what can it hurt?

[ettebette]

Could be.  Mine have never faded.  They're as vivid and as detailed as ever.  However, my dreams, all my life have been very detailed, so you can't go by me. :)

[Hensley258]

Oh yes for sure. That is one common side effect of most antidepressants.

I will say that after you have been taking them for a few years that this side effect fades, but maybe it just seems like that to me because I am so used to it now.

[ettebette]

I've always experienced extremely detailed dreams my entire life, however, when I began using antidepressants, my detailed dreams took on almost another reality altogether.  Not only were they more vivid, but the dimensionality of them, their seeming reality often left me questioning what was real and what was not.  Antidepressants are powerful drugs, and can really affects your dreams.  I often wish I could tape my dreams.  How neat would that be?  How revealing!  It's one thing to try to describe your dreams verbally, it's another thing to see them visually.  Sort of like the last movie Natalie Wood starred in.  Can't remember the name.  I've gotten used to them over the years as part of my "normal" sleep routine.  

[creston1966]

Yes, vivid dreams are quite common with Prozac (and various other type medications).  When I took Prozac I would have pretty intense and bizarre dreams.  I found taking Prozac in the morning helped minimize this side effect for the same reason.  If the dreams become so bad you cannot sleep properly then you'll have to make a decision on what you can stand and what is best for you.   I eventually embraced the dreams, knowing they would come and they were not real.   They became like watching a bizarre movie.  

Hope the dreams go away for you.


Creston