AEDs and dreams

[wonderdogs]

Do anti-epileptic drugs affect your dreams? I was one that rarely had dreams, or atleast I did not remember them when I woke up. Recently I have started having weird, sometimes disturbing, dreams and waking up disoriented and sometimes my dreams seem so real.

My dear Uncle passed away on 3/18. I started Lamictal on 3/20 or 3/21. I don't know if it was the emotional distress from my Uncle's death or the Lamictal that has been causing the dreams but they have continued.

Does anyone have any experience regarding dreams?

[skillefer]

I don't think they have...but then again, my memory is so bad, I don't remember my dreams most of the time.

[RobinN]

At least one preliminary study has found that Vitamin B6 may increase dream vividness or the ability to recall dreams.[5] It is thought that this effect may be due to the role this vitamin plays in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B6

Perhaps this is another reason to up your B6, especially when on Keppra

[BuckeyeFan]

It has been so long that I have no idea what it did to my dreams. I know that I now rarely remember dreams.

[Georgiagirl88]

Hi Kendra,

For me..I would have to say YES! I am on lamictal and I'm almost into my 5th week. I am a dreamer. I get them here and there..but I've noticed a total increase in the number of them and even their weirdness and alot of scarier dreams. I would say it has to be due to lamictal. ??? I don't know what else to attribute it to, but there is a marked increase.

Michelle

[brain]

I have had dreams - and whether being
on anti-epileptic drugs or no anti-epileptic drugs,
There were no differences.

[angel]

I use to have really vivid dreams... & I would see or dream i was seeing bright lights I no longer have many dreams at all on anti-epileptic drugs.

love,
angel

[LynnW]

I have been on Trileptal for about a month now and have not noticed any change in dream activity.

I dream just about every night. Many of them are about having to go to the bathroom in strange places or situations, probably because I really have to go to the bathroom.

[BIGMAN131307]

I would have to say yes they do. Not all anti-epileptic drugs, and not in everyone taking them. When I was still taking Lyrica with my Trileptal I had problems. I was having bad night seizures. When I started having them, they scared the crap out of me. They were like nightmares having nightmares. I'll try to explain it is clear as I can.

These seizure episodes would occur only at night. They would either happen a few minutes after I have fallen asleep or minutes before I wake up. I would be having a dreamlike activity, but it would feel very real. I could see and hear everything very clearly in my "dream". My family was in my "dream". Soon I would have a Gran Mal Seizure. This wasn't no ordinary Gran Mal Seizure. It would last several minutes. After it stopped I would have had Stroke like symptoms. My family in my "dream" would be crying and telling me my face is gone. They would say it is drooping. I would feel my face, and as I did that my teeth appeared to fall out of my mouth. Then I would wake up in a cold sweat with my whole body shaking. It would be several hours before I could get back to sleep again.

These night seizure episodes continued on and off the whole time I was on Lyrica. Since I was taken off Lyrica, I haven't had them anymore.

[alivenwell]

I've been on Lamictal and Mysoline with no side effects like that. But, I'm a deep sleeper, so if they happened, I'd probably be unaware of them. I'm a dead head in the morning.

[1096]

yeah, they're more vivid fo sure

[hawke86]

So far anti-epileptic drugs haven't effected my dreamstate. I never did have very many dreams. About the only time I have a dream is when it's PTSD related. Some people would call it nightmares. Has anyone ever have a seizure while sleeping?

[Georgiagirl88]

Hawke,
My seizures are always in my sleep. They really suck!! Do you have them in your sleep? If so..i would love to talk to you. From what the Drs. have told me..they are more unusual and I would love to talk to someone that has them. I also have small partil (like little checkouts )during the day. I get a little spacy and stare for a few seconds. I always have dreams..here nad there, but my dreams have increased with lamictal. They are more frequent and more weird I think. Alot of scary ones.
Let me know if you have them at night.I would be curious to hear what yours are like. Mine are so weird and horrible. Thanks!

Michelle

[Meetz1064]

in my sleep. But it's been a while (KNOCK ON WOOD) since I've had one. And I prefer to keep it that way, thank you. My t/c's are VIOLENT, according to witnesses, and happen in my sleep, although a few of them have happened if I've climbed out of bed too early....and not gotten enough sleep....3 hours doesn't usually cut it, 7 days in a row.

As for dreaming......I don't usually get to do it. Sometimes I do, but not often. I don't achieve dream-state sleep because I have a cyst inside the pineal gland inside my brain which is blocking production of melatonin. While I do take replacement melatonin, for me, it's just not enough to get to that dream state. And I'm so used to NOT doing so, I get SCARED when I do. Although, this summer, I am going to see about increasing the amount that I take, to see if I can dream again regularly, and perhaps some of my other health issues will ease up?

[Georgiagirl88]

Hey Meetz,

Mine aren't tonic seizures(at least I don't think so) I don't jerk around too much. Mine are complex and I am also aware it is happening..but I am fading away almost fainting. Very shallow like crossing over. Heart rate increases, yet my breathing feels really shallow as well. My head is so dizzy and on and on. So many weird symptoms. Feels awful. The next day I am so weak I cannot lift an arm. Headache and drained! They are so terrible feeling. I am so glad you haven't had them in quite a while! That is great! Keep it up!!

Michelle

[Meetz1064]

Those complex partials of yours don't sound any fun, either. Sorry for that. Thinking back, though, I wonder if I've had a few myself, and it wouldn't be too surprising, especially when I went for 3 months without meds (I had no doctor at the time). I do remember those events as being VERY draining, too.

Although, in terms of the physical violence part, I'll trade ya. I've done too much damage to myself over the years from my t/c's. GRRRRRRR. You should see my file at the neurologist's office. This is my eighth or ninth year with him, and we're on the 4th file that's 9 inches thick.

Take care!!

M

[Georgiagirl88]

M,

I am sorry to say I don't think we can trade! : ) Sorry. I can only imagine yours. It is hard to think how something else must feel when you only know what "yours" feel like, ya know? When I do have the severe post ictal draining..my arms are usually sore along with severe fatigue. I have had mine for yrs...but they were only diagnosed in the fall of 07 at my insistance/persistance..that I wasn't crazy or in need of a psychiatrist! Can you believe it? My internist was great and actually listened and said she thought something was really wrong as well. Others docs kept going the other route. I have thought about the fact that mine will evolve into worse ones..hope not. But, I figure I am not going to worry too much on something that may never happen, right? Let's hope not. Mine are just so weird. But so far the lamictal seems to be agreeing with me. I did have several in mid april just after my Mom died. I was up for 48 hrs. in a row and of course really stressed. Now I occasionally notice a quick weird feeling in my sleep and it never goes any further. Maybe it is even my meds. I can sort of predict mine in the day and then that night I will get them. I get jittery,headache, weak, dizzy tingly etc. Anyways..Nice to be able to someone that understands the night ones. So thank you! Even though they are a bit different.

Have a great day!
Michelle

[Bee91]

I use to have really vivid dreams... & I would see or dream i was seeing bright lights I no longer have many dreams at all on anti-epileptic drugs.

love,
angel

I know on Depakote, it sates vivid dreams as a side effect. I noticed that when I was on that. I thought it was really strange. But I kind of liked having those really weird dreams....Because I'm really weird. It was like a free, one of a kind movie

But I have dreams no matter what. But I do have to admit, they were definately more vivid on depakote in my opinion.

[Nenne]

Bee 91, hha i agree i kinda a like it also, i dont have clue if my dreams have to do with lamictal or not,have been on it for 4 years not and im not sure ifs worse or not But i do have funny dreams and most mornings i can rememevr at least 2-3 of them. Of course they are scary sometimes also but mostly they are funny and i laugh when i think about them. I have one that comes back alot, its about my friend who has CF and she has one them little things that looks like the air things on a boll on her tummy to get antibiotics and i have this dream that i blow air in her so i can play with her as boll! But i have to say that the last year or so they became much more colorful and real.

[speber]

....these 'bad boys' gave me some pretty wicked dreams. Mostly bizarre, but with Keppra they turned dark, even morbid....SHEEESH!

I agree with Bee91 on the 'free movie' though....it was kinda cool to have some of the just 'bizarre' dreams....they were like I was living out 'Yellow Submarine' sometimes!