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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by AnneL on July 26, 2001, at 21:40:03
I need some help. I have the strangest feelings, the strangest dreams and seem to be awake at some level all night. I am on Effexor XR 150 mg. since March (titrated up from 37.5 mg. to 150 mg. slowly), Klonopin up to 1 mg. at bedtime (since I started Effexor to help with sleep) and have been on oral contraceptives x 1 month at age 41 for control of heavy menses. Klonopin worked well for a short while, and I have tried titrating the Klonopin down and then back up to 1 mg. thinking my disturbed sleep is from the Klonopin. No luck. I'am getting deeply disturbed, almost panicky that I am not sleeping well. I am coming home from work, sleeping 2 hrs. which I'am sure dosen't help and on the weekends I take these long naps and wake up feeling dragged out.
I also had a crying attack yesterday when my 17 year old daughter flew in from AZ to visit yesterday (its a long story). Just feel like I have very little control over some admittedly difficult issues in my life and I'am sure that my lack of sleep is adding insult to injury. Is it the Klonopin, the Effexor, or the Pill? One last thing, and this is not meant to be funny, but the last 2 nights I have had overtly sexual dreams which further disturb my sleep. It's as if I am in a state of continual arousal during my sleep, but never get anywhere if you catch my drift. Very frustrating, very disturbing and embarassing to disclose to anyone. Why me? I think I'am kind of a normal person with some heavy family stressors. Could this be hormonal interference from the Pill? I recall when I was pregnant with both my girls that I had very sexually vivid dreams that were pleasant. Plain and simple, I hate going to bed at night because my sleep is so strange and I feel out of control. Any thoughts? I hope I haven't offended anyone about the dreams, but I don't know who I can tell this to. And I am going to see a new Pdoc tomorrow. I hope he can help me out. I feel like throwing out all my medications and finding out what I really feel like. . . kind of like starting over.
Posted by Zo on July 26, 2001, at 22:04:43
In reply to Medication Medley-Which one is the culprit?, posted by AnneL on July 26, 2001, at 21:40:03
> I need some help. I have the strangest feelings, the strangest dreams and seem to be awake at some level all night. I am on Effexor XR 150 mg. since March (titrated up from 37.5 mg. to 150 mg. slowly), Klonopin up to 1 mg. at bedtime (since I started Effexor to help with sleep) and have been on oral contraceptives x 1 month at age 41 for control of heavy menses. Klonopin worked well for a short while, and I have tried titrating the Klonopin down and then back up to 1 mg. thinking my disturbed sleep is from the Klonopin. No luck. I'am getting deeply disturbed, almost panicky that I am not sleeping well. I am coming home from work, sleeping 2 hrs. which I'am sure dosen't help and on the weekends I take these long naps and wake up feeling dragged out.
> I also had a crying attack yesterday when my 17 year old daughter flew in from AZ to visit yesterday (its a long story). Just feel like I have very little control over some admittedly difficult issues in my life and I'am sure that my lack of sleep is adding insult to injury. Is it the Klonopin, the Effexor, or the Pill? One last thing, and this is not meant to be funny, but the last 2 nights I have had overtly sexual dreams which further disturb my sleep. It's as if I am in a state of continual arousal during my sleep, but never get anywhere if you catch my drift. Very frustrating, very disturbing and embarassing to disclose to anyone. Why me? I think I'am kind of a normal person with some heavy family stressors. Could this be hormonal interference from the Pill? I recall when I was pregnant with both my girls that I had very sexually vivid dreams that were pleasant. Plain and simple, I hate going to bed at night because my sleep is so strange and I feel out of control. Any thoughts? I hope I haven't offended anyone about the dreams, but I don't know who I can tell this to. And I am going to see a new Pdoc tomorrow. I hope he can help me out. I feel like throwing out all my medications and finding out what I really feel like. . . kind of like starting over.I've taken both meds, and I'd blame it on the hormones, particularly the synthetic progestin in BC pills.
Zo
Posted by SalArmy4me on July 26, 2001, at 23:03:53
In reply to Medication Medley-Which one is the culprit?, posted by AnneL on July 26, 2001, at 21:40:03
http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/split/Vivid-antidepressant-dream.html
I think the Effexor is the culprit, but that the dreams won't last much longer. Mine went away.
Posted by Cindylou on July 27, 2001, at 7:35:08
In reply to Medication Medley-Which one is the culprit?, posted by AnneL on July 26, 2001, at 21:40:03
Hi Anne,
My vote is the Effexor is causing the problems -- I was on it for 8 months, and had weird sex dreams too!!! Very similar to what you describe! I never made the connection with the Effexor, but since I've been off of it, I haven't had those ...I also take Klonapin on occasion, and it HELPS me sleep, so I definitely think it's the Effexor. I was on the Pill for awhile and never had problems with it.
Also, the Effexor made me exremely drugged-out feeling, and I had to sleep during the day with it, but didn't seem to sleep as well at night (what with all that sex stuff going on in my sleep!)
Good luck! I hope you find an answer ... I think Effexor has a lot of unwanted side effects, and I am glad I am off of it now. (I'm on Prozac and Wellbutrin.)
-cindy
> I need some help. I have the strangest feelings, the strangest dreams and seem to be awake at some level all night. I am on Effexor XR 150 mg. since March (titrated up from 37.5 mg. to 150 mg. slowly), Klonopin up to 1 mg. at bedtime (since I started Effexor to help with sleep) and have been on oral contraceptives x 1 month at age 41 for control of heavy menses. Klonopin worked well for a short while, and I have tried titrating the Klonopin down and then back up to 1 mg. thinking my disturbed sleep is from the Klonopin. No luck. I'am getting deeply disturbed, almost panicky that I am not sleeping well. I am coming home from work, sleeping 2 hrs. which I'am sure dosen't help and on the weekends I take these long naps and wake up feeling dragged out.
> I also had a crying attack yesterday when my 17 year old daughter flew in from AZ to visit yesterday (its a long story). Just feel like I have very little control over some admittedly difficult issues in my life and I'am sure that my lack of sleep is adding insult to injury. Is it the Klonopin, the Effexor, or the Pill? One last thing, and this is not meant to be funny, but the last 2 nights I have had overtly sexual dreams which further disturb my sleep. It's as if I am in a state of continual arousal during my sleep, but never get anywhere if you catch my drift. Very frustrating, very disturbing and embarassing to disclose to anyone. Why me? I think I'am kind of a normal person with some heavy family stressors. Could this be hormonal interference from the Pill? I recall when I was pregnant with both my girls that I had very sexually vivid dreams that were pleasant. Plain and simple, I hate going to bed at night because my sleep is so strange and I feel out of control. Any thoughts? I hope I haven't offended anyone about the dreams, but I don't know who I can tell this to. And I am going to see a new Pdoc tomorrow. I hope he can help me out. I feel like throwing out all my medications and finding out what I really feel like. . . kind of like starting over.
Posted by AnneL on July 27, 2001, at 10:02:11
In reply to Re: Medication Medley-Which one is the culprit? » AnneL, posted by Cindylou on July 27, 2001, at 7:35:08
> Thank you Jason, Cindy and Zo for your very thoughtful responses. Zo, I think you are right about the Pill. The package insert warns women about the possibility of worsening depression and for the last 2 weeks I have had classic symptoms: lack of interest in things around me, overwhelming fatigue, sleeping during the day, and as I mentioned previously those unwanted dreams. Yes, Effexor causes me to talk in my sleep and I do dream, but nothing that is unwanted or vivid. Let's see if my theory is correct. . . Last night was night #1 without hormones, so far so good, and I woke up in a very good mood with my usual optimism. Thank you again for everyone's responses.
Posted by Milda on July 30, 2001, at 5:33:30
In reply to Medication Medley-Which one is the culprit?, posted by AnneL on July 26, 2001, at 21:40:03
Birth control pills make me feel depressed in a yuck kind of way. With Effexor, I found that I had to switch between taking it in the morning and taking it at night depending on the dose, if I wanted to be able to sleep at night. Also, I used trazodone for sleep with it, with good results; but some nights, I needed only 25 mg., and other nights, I needed as much as 200 mg. (but that could have been me, not the
Effexor, since I'm bipolar). I get hypersexual when I'm manic, I get vivid dreams if I run out of Effexor.
This is the end of the thread.
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