Beta blockers and nightmares?

Is anyone else on beta blockers (propranolol, metoprolol, ect.) and experiencing the weirdest and most visual dreams and nightmares? My GP has recently prescribed me bisoprolol since I asked him for beta blockers due my physical anxiety and as I recently started my A-Levels (“Abitur” in Germany) I really wanted to make sure that I do everything I can to prevent panic attacks. He only had bisoprolol in his office, and although I know that bisoprolol is usually only taken by patients with generally high blood pressure, we both agreed that I still try them first as he had nothing else available at the moment (I just love the shortage of medication). Although bisoprolol is quite different from propranolol (higher potency, therefore harder to dose, only blocking one receptor) it does seem to help at least a little bit, but the dreams I experience are actually insane. I dream almost immediately as I drift into sleep, even if I’m still half awake I feel like I already start dreaming. I frequently wake up because of it, though most of my dreams are not really “brutal” or morbid by any means, they all seem to center around my friend that I recently had a really bad argument-situation (don’t know how to explain it) with. So although I’m calm throughout the day, I constantly wake up in fear and total distress and I instantly start ruminating once I’m awake, but since I also happen to have a sleep disorder, I already don’t sleep the way I’m supposed to and my sleep schedule basically nonexistent. I really appreciate the medication in itself, but I do think that this whole dream situation is a side effect from bisoprolol since I never remember my dreams on the days on which I don’t take it. Does anyone experience something similar?

Anonymous

Date posted: 13w

I have this with propranolol. It truly helps with extreme anxiety or panic for me, but when I try to sleep I’ll have an hour of loud, vivid semi-dreams and will often hear/think in vivid hallucinations while not asleep yet. It’s very stressful.

sarah.ek

Date posted: 13w

@Anonymous Good to know I’m not alone, since I’m a very tired person I usually get hallucinations that sort of wake me up again, and then this cycle repeats until I’m so tired that I just immediately jump into the most vivid and disturbing dreams and I wake up all stressed

EvnInArcadia

Date posted: 13w

I'm on propranolol and if I don't fall asleep right away, I stay up panicking and get stuck on the thought that I'm going to die (I get major palpitations). I sometimes have the lucid dreams with it, and they do wake me up. I think it happens more when I take it on an empty stomach.

sarah.ek

Date posted: 13w

@EvnInArcadia Ahh I also always feel like I might die but not bc I get palpitations but because my blood pressure itself is actually slightly lower when I’m not in flight or fight (so anywhere where there are no exams lol) and I always think that bisoprolol is going to slow it down too much in my sleep. I already only take them in the morning as it is more potent than propranolol but it’s effects seem to last more than 24h on me

mhassan0117

Date posted: 13w

Hmm maybe I need to quit this.

sarah.ek

Date posted: 13w

@mhassan0117 Quit what?

Cairam84

Date posted: 25w

I need help!!!!!

I have bad dreams, weird dreams, normal dreams. I dream about everything I can think of, watch or read. I wake up with panic attacks from the dreams every night and it’s hard to go back to sleep. I’ve talked to my psychiatrist, I may start a medication to help with it anxiety and depression but I just can’t stop thinking negative and I’m terrified of falling asleep. This has been going on for a month now. A month without any good sleep. I feel so tired and afraid of this. I don’t know how to make my brain stop. I’ve seen my cardiologist and even a sleep specialist the past few days and they said it’s more likely anxiety. I’m losing my mind. How do I shut my mind off? Am I going crazy? What is this? I want to sleep. Psychiatrist thinks I have a combination of everything. This is affecting my life in ways I didn’t know it was possible. I can’t stop crying. What can I do?

Vangogh00021

Date posted: 14w

Help please

I was trying to sleep in an aunt house and I’m suffering from nightmares or when I take naps or sleep I dream horrible things, and I took a little nap and I was about to start having a nightmare and I woke up. There’s a person that lives here and he’s not even here but I was about to have a dream with him it’s so scary he’s not even my family member or anything. And like it’s a delicate topic. But it’s the feeling that I can’t even sleep sometimes without dreaming this things that are so scary . And the groinal responses are about to kill me ! This is truly destroying my life I don’t know what to do I don’t want to be like this but I’m too tired to stay awake and too tired to sleep

Dutchie2020

Date posted: 14w

Vivid dreams & medication

Hi all, Im taking Lexpro now for several weeks and I feel like it helps a bit while still waiting on therapy but I notice that my dreams became more vivid. Like they feel so real sometimes and I can even think in my dreams. Sometimes it is also around OCD but most of the time other stuff. It makes me so tired sometimes during the day because I do not feel rested with this dreams. At first I took my medication in the evening and then I also had a lot of scary vivid dreams so I switched to the morning but it is not helping enough. Does someone has tips please?

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