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#1
Nov 19, 2009, 02:30 PM
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Ever since last week when I had to go for an MRI and was given 25mg of valium, I have been having the MOST lucid dreams and states where I feel like I'm hallucinating right before I fall asleep... and when I DO fall asleep, I have the most intense REAL dreams that I can't seem to wake out of (which I always have been to before)... It's really starting to freak me out. I feel like every night now before I go to sleep (right before the process of falling asleep but still being 'semi' awake)... I start to what I can only describe as 'hallucinate' and start seeing things in '3D'.. if that makes any sense. Last night I was freaked out because I felt like I had an outter body experience... and it felt SO real... I've never EVER had these types of experiences before... And it has only happened since I took the valium that one day. But I just took it for that one day, I haven't had any valium since (and this was over a week ago)...
I'm scared to go to sleep now! These freaky lucid dreams/hallucinations are freaking me out so much. Any suggestions on what I should do? |
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#2
Nov 19, 2009, 05:59 PM
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Hon, are you any closer to organising that sleep study? I also have periods of time where I experience things like what you have stated, and they can be downright terrifying, I hear you. But in the absence of pathological illness, please talk to your doc or pdoc or T if you can.......
Are you anxious about the findings of the MRI and have you taken valium before? Talk to your doc about valium as it has many functions......please try not to panic. I know it is easier said than done, but ring your doc and talk abut it. They should be able to relieve some of the anxiety..... Take good care of your precious self...... Big Hugs,  Michah
__________________
For all things Light and Dark.......http://thedemonrun.wordpress.com/  The only Truth that exists..... .........Is that there is no absolute Truth. |
 Amanda_1981
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#3
Nov 19, 2009, 07:13 PM
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Thanks Michah,
That was the first time I ever had valium.. I didn't think it would have any bad side effects because I used to take high doses of other benzos in the past. I never did call the sleep clinic because now that I'm off topamax I'm sleeping MUCH better... I think it was the topamax that was causing my insomnia.. I really don't know but I seem to be able to sleep now that I'm off of it.. I'm also weaning off of remeron (which was helping me to sleep) because I don't need it anymore and it was causing weight gain. I wonder if getting off remeron has anything to do with these scary sleep like hallucination experiences? Out of my 28 years of life I've never ever hallucinated before in my entire life until I took the valium. I'm terrified to go to sleep tonight but I don't want to take anything to 'relax' me because of the experience I had with valium. I'm scared of benzos now! I will definitely call my pdoc tomorrow.. I see him Jan 6th but I"ll call and see if I can see him sooner. If I can't, I do see my family doctor Dec 14th for my yearly physical so hopefully I can wait until then. |
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#4
Nov 20, 2009, 01:17 AM
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I understand. I have always enjoyed sleeping. My mom called it lazy, but I like to dream...odd, I know. Anyhow, when I was in college I was on Celexa, and I reported to my Dr. that I was having extra-real dreams...dreams while I was still awake, in a way. Kinda like you're describing. And they were always bad, or had bad emotion/feelings associated with them. I thought it was due to the meds since I'd never had trouble with nightmares before. He said I was just having trouble "waking up" and my brain was having difficulty discerning between the waking state and sleep. Years later, I found out nightmares were a side-effect of the drug after all!! So anyhow, definately talk to your Dr about this, and if he shrugs it off, talk to another!!
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| Amanda_1981
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#5
Nov 20, 2009, 07:56 PM
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I read up on the side effects of valium. What you are describing does not seem to be one of the side effects.http://www.anxiety-and-depression-so...cal/valium.php
It says to eat acid foods to eliminate the valium from your system faster, and to avoid alkaline foods. Hope this helps. Hugs and hope for a speedy recovery. Sincerely, Sardean |
| Amanda_1981
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#6
Nov 20, 2009, 08:13 PM
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Thanks for the info, sardean! Last night, I slept a little better, my dreams weren't as lucid until the very end when I was right about to wake up. I've also noticed, I"ll wake up right away from an intense lucid dream. It's like, one minute, I'm in this intense dream like state, and two seconds later, I'm wide awake. I always thought that very lucid dreams only occurred during deep REM sleep and that there is another process of the sleep cycle, (I forget what it's called) that occurrs after REM, which is then when one is supposed to wake up? But I always find myself waking up right away from the middle of an intense lucid dream. It just seems odd to me. I don't know if this has anything to do with any of this but I also have epilepsy (temperal lobe seizures) and take clobazam for that (just started it a few weeks ago after having been weaned off topamax). I'm also fully off remeron now (my last dose of it was wed night, 15mg). My pdoc told me I did not have to wean slowly off the remeron so I gave myself a week to get off it.. maybe that was too soon though? I've been through so many med changes this past few months, I'm wondering if that also has something to do with my sleep problems.
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#7
Nov 21, 2009, 06:59 PM
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Hey Amanda, Valium can stay in your system for up to a week, but what your describing doesn't sound like a benzo related thing. In fact I have had this problem since I was a kid and only Valium or Klonopin/Rivotril stopped it for me. It might be the withdrawal of the topamax and remeron. If you've never had problems with benzos before that's the only thing I can think of unless you react badly to valium, which would be weird since most benzo's are closely related. For examlpe, temazepam and serax are from the same family as valium
__________________
Sitting here looking at the cement floor - Black Francis |
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#8
Nov 22, 2009, 11:39 AM
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Quote:
Hello Amanda, I believe what you are experiencing is called Sleep Paralysis, and can be very scary: to give you the simple version, the body alternates between R.E.M. ( Rapid Eye Movement/ Deep sleep) and a waking cycle I call regular sleep. These two cycles of sleep alternate on a 90 minute interval, meaning 90 minutes of deep sleep ( Sub-Conscious Sleep) and 90 minutes of waking sleep ( Conscious Sleep). During R.E.M. the brain produces a chemical that Paralyzes the limbs and motor functions of the body to keep from hurting one's self during a nightmare. Example if you had a nightmare that you were being attacked, then naturally you would fight back, if the brain did not paralyze the body you would hurt yourself during sleep by fighting back. What happens when in sleep paralysis is you awaken ( become conscious ) while your body is still paralyzed, you are then unable to move and can only utter moans and at times your eyes are open and you a aware of your surroundings but are helpless to react. Very scary but not potentially dangerous. The cause of why we awaken while we are asleep is still unknown and there is a lot of debate on this issue. There is a lot of good information out there on this subject and I have researched this subject and have a few theories of my own that I will not reveal until I have sufficient evidence to prove or disprove my theories and I will post my results. If you do not find any information to your liking please feel free to post back here and I will help in any way I can. Thank You Fearslayer 
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#9
Nov 24, 2009, 03:53 AM
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I'm agreeing with fearslayer re sleep paralysis. This could be a side effect of coming off remeron or stopping the topamax. I had such dreams while coming off a tricyclic antidepressant. I had them for some weeks, maybe longer, but they got further apart and then stopped. I think yours will too. Especially if they are a new phenomena for you. Blessings ~ billieJ
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