Question:
Do other people have constant nightmares?

Every night - some type of horrible, real vivid dream that deals with people being murdered, occult, etc. Anyone else have that problem?    — Shari H. (posted on June 20, 2003)


June 20, 2003
I read in your profile that you are still a very new postie (Congrats!!). Are you still on pain meds? I remember that they did a number on my dreams. Even after I stopped taking morphine, I still had nightmares for another few days while it got out of my system.
   — Yolanda J.

June 20, 2003
I am 9 days out - had a bad reaction to medication at hospital, resulting in my having an episode I can only describe as surreal. Thought I needed to escape, so I tried. tore off my hospital bracelets, tore out my IV, and tried to sneak down the hallway in my underwear, a a t-shirt and my binder -- dripping blood the whole way. I hate those drugs!
   — Shari H.

June 20, 2003
OMG, YES! I had nightmares so bad I was SCARED to go to sleep. I wish my brain had a recorder in it. I would be very rich by selling the best books and movies out there. Stephen King couldn't even touch them. I tell ya my nightmares where so scary. it was awful. The doc told me it was the anesthesia and other meds withdrawing from my body.
   — Naes Wls J.

June 20, 2003
I am 30 days post op, and had nightmares everytime I went to sleep for the first 2 weeks. I went off ALL pain medication by 6 pm the day of my surgery, and have never had any pain meds since then, but the nightmares continued. I asked my doctor and he had no explaination (I thought maybe the pain meds or the anethesia). The nightmares have tapered off, I still have a couple a week, but it is much better. I can relate to you - it was (is) very unsettling! - Good Luck - Jill
   — J G.

June 20, 2003
Were you given large amounds of morphine post-op? Morphine can take a little while to get out of your system good and it is also a known culprit of causing bad reactions and bad dreams. I've been there done that.
   — Happy I.

June 20, 2003
Yes, I too had nightmares for about two weeks after surgery. Good news is that they went away as quickly as they came. I had a terrible reaction to morphine so think that was the culprit and I didn't take any pain meds post-op. This is very normal.
   — Deanna C.

June 20, 2003
Sounds like a typical morphine side-effect (I had it too). Some people also get this as a reaction to Dilaudid - which is chemically related to morphine (I didn't - I was fine once I was off the morphine in the PCA). Talk to your surgeon and tell him your symptoms and see if he will order something different for you...JR
   — John Rushton

June 20, 2003
Hi! I just read your post and can see that I'm in for an interesting week next week. My surgery is scheduled for 6/23. I'm already having "strange" dreams, probably due to stress. But in the past, I've taken cough syrup for bronchitis that had codeine in it. I had horrible nightmares in vivid, living color. Awful stuff. But it does pass.
   — Patti S.

June 20, 2003
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THE KIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO THIS. IT IS SO REASSURING TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL AND THAT IT WILL PASS. NOW, IF I COULD ALSO GET THE 3:00 A.M. PITSTOP TO GO AWAY TOO! IT MAKES ME HAVE DOUBLE FEATURES!!
   — Shari H.




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