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Nightmares


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I have no idea if this is POTS/dysautonomia related or not, but does anyone else suffer from nightmares? I started having them earlier this year and over the past couple of months I've been having them weekly, sometimes multiple times per week - it's very unsettling!! They're vivid and violent and usually leave me absolutely exhausted for the rest of the day, probably due to the sleep disturbance. I can fall asleep pretty well at night and get a solid 4-5 hours, and then the nightmares start (I would assume REM sleep at this stage) and then I'm either woken and stay awake, or fall back asleep but continue to have the nightmare.

I do take clonidine for my blood pressure, and I read that a rare side effect can be nightmares, but I've been on this medication for at least a year so I'm not sure if this is the cause. 

Anyone else suffer from nightmares or have any ideas on what I can do to reduce the frequency?

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Der @jklass44 - I took Clonidine for a short while and had to stop b/c it caused me to have night time hypertension and sheer panic attacks while sleeping. I know that it can cause supine hypertension - which can cause night time terrors or nightmares. You are right - when your body goes into REM the adrenaline is supposed to drop. If it does not you will wake up or have very vivid dreams. I usually wake up wide awake after 3-4 hours of sleep if I am in a hyperadrenergic flare, right around the time normally the levels should drop. --- Personally I had to stop the Clonidine due to the night time side effects. As far as I know these can occur even after long term use - check with your doctor. I truly thought I was dying when I went to sleep on Clonidine and the symptoms stopped after stopping it. I am sorry you are going through this!!!!

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