Do you experience bad dreams or nightmares?
Imagine slipping into a peaceful slumber, only to be jolted awake by vivid and unsettling nightmares. For many people, this nightmarish scenario is not just a work of fiction but a haunting reality linked to the medications they rely on for health and well-being.
In the realm of sleep disturbances, nightmares stand as the unsettling villains, disrupting our peaceful dreamscape and warm comfy bed!
Statistics about bad dreams
And here’s a startling statistic: Studies suggest that approximately 10% of medication users experience nightmares as a side effect of their treatment. These bad dreams can range from eerie scenarios to downright terrifying experiences, leaving those affected yearning for restful nights.
Sleep aids notoriously disrupt your dreams! Ironic, huh?!
And it’s not just medications! Did you know that the world’s favorite sleep aid “melatonin” can cause bad dreams? Sure enough, this natural over-the-counter remedy may induce problems with sleep, and also, melatonin is naturally found in plants!
Read my other article, 10 Popular Plants and Food that Contain Melatonin.
But how do medications, designed to alleviate our ailments, become the unexpected architects of these unsettling nocturnal visions? It’s a good question and one that drug makers don’t study a whole lot.
The connection between medications and nightmares is a complex web that needs more understanding.
For now, here are the medications most often associated with nightmares. My hope is that if you find a medication on this list that you take, you’ll speak to your doctor about either discontinuing it (if it’s no longer necessary) or switching to a different medication that allows you to have a restful night’s sleep.
The most common drugs that cause bad dreams or nightmares:
• Albuterol
• Aliskiren; Amlodipine
• Aliskiren; Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
• Almotriptan
• Alprazolam
• Amantadine
• Amitriptyline
• Amlodipine
• Atenolol
• Atenolol; Chlorthalidone
• Atorvastatin
• Atropine; Hyoscyamine; Phenobarbital; Scopolamine
• Belladonna Alkaloids; Ergotamine; Phenobarbital
• Bendroflumethiazide; Nadolol
• Bisoprolol
• Bisoprolol; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
• Bromocriptine
• Buspirone
• Carbidopa; Levodopa
• Carbidopa; Levodopa; Entacapone
• Carteolol
• Carvedilol
• Cefpodoxime
• Cephalothin
• Cetirizine
• Chloral Hydrate
• Cinoxacin
• Ciprofloxacin
• Citalopram
• Clarithromycin
• Clonazepam
• Clonidine
• Clorazepate
• Clozapine
• Cysteamine
• Darunavir
• Diazepam
• Doxepin
• Dronabinol, THC
• Droperidol
• Duloxetine
• Efavirenz
• Efavirenz; Emtricitabine; Tenofovir
• Enalapril, Enalaprilat
• Escitalopram
• Estazolam
• Ethosuximide
• Etravirine
• Fenfluramine
• Flurazepam
• Gatifloxacin
• Gemifloxacin
• Grepafloxacin
• Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Methyldopa
• Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Metoprolol
• Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Propranolol
• Hydroxychloroquine
• Ketamine
• Latanoprost; Timolol
• Levobetaxolol
• Levobunolol
• Levodopa
• Levofloxacin
• Lorazepam
• Mefloquine
• Melatonin
• Mephobarbital
• Methyldopa
• Metoprolol
• Midazolam
• Moxifloxacin
• Nadolol
• Naltrexone, here’s an article about LOW DOSE NALTREXONE and autoimmunity
• Oseltamivir
• Oxazepam
• Paliperidone
• Penbutolol
• Pentobarbital
• Peramivir
• Phenobarbital
• Pindolol
• Pramipexole
• Prazepam
• Primidone
• Procarbazine
• Promethazine
• Propafenone
• Propranolol
• Quetiapine
• Quinacrine
• Rasagiline
• Rosuvastatin
• Sertraline
• Sibutramine
• Sodium Oxybate
• Sparfloxacin
• Temazepam
• Timolol
• Trazodone
• Triazolam
• Trimipramine
• Trovafloxacin, Alatrofloxacin
• Varenicline
• Zanamivir
• Zolpidem
Suzy Cohen, RPh, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years, blending conventional medicine with natural approaches to help people feel better and live healthier. She is the founder of Script Essentials, a supplement company known for targeted, custom-formulated products, some with patented innovations.
With a special focus on thyroid health, functional medicine, and drug-induced nutrient depletion (what she calls “drug muggers”), Suzy is the author of several books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, and Diabetes Without Drugs. She also writes a nationally syndicated health column and shares practical, easy-to-understand guidance with readers around the world.
