Zanaflex or Gabapentin? Take a wild guess, use knowledge, flip a coin, or do eenie meanie miny mo. (That looks spelled incorrectly)
I seem to get two hours of sleep and WHAM, some weird dream/nightmare awakens me, so now I have the oh so fun problem of insomnia again!
Thank you for any opinions, guesses or just chatter!!
Lara
Anonymous Out of these two medications, what possibly could be causing vivid dreams or nightmares?
- Posted:
- 12 Jan 2012 by Anonymous
- Topics:
- zanaflex, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle spasm, nightmares, fibromyalgia, sleep disorders, gabapentin, medication
Details:
Added 12 Jan 2012:
P.S. 'Tis now 2:14am and I shall watch some bad telly and go to bed at 5:00am, ya know, old reruns of Saturday Night Live, or Divorce Court. Maybe a good old slasher film will be on tonight? One can only hope!
Thank you all !!
Responses (15)
LiverLips12 Jan 2012
Hey Lara girl! I'll vote for Zanaflex because one of the infrequent side effects is abnormal dreams.
Also, it's at the end of the alphabet. HA HA HA HA
Perhaps you might want to challenge me to a game on Pogo right now?
A warm bath with epsom salts could help to make you relaxed enough to sleep.
Love your friend, Wendy :)
LaurieShay12 Jan 2012
Yeppers, I vote for Zanaflex as well. According to the prescribing info, I found the following:
Nervous System:
Frequent: Depression, anxiety, paresthesia
Infrequent: Tremor, emotional lability, convulsion, paralysis, thinking abnormal, vertigo, abnormal dreams, agitation, depersonalization, euphoria, migraine, stupor, dysautonomia, neuralgia
Rare: Dementia, hemiplegia, neuropathy
Sweets, just be aware that you have to taper off Zanaflex if you are going to stop taking it.
Laurie
Anonymous 12 Jan 2012
A taper it shall be Laurie, thank you! I don't think I like any of those side effects! SCARY!!
Delila12 Jan 2012
Hi, if you have started the gabapentin recently it is likely that this could be the cause. I have cut and pasted some of the possible side effects which could be contributing to your lack of sleep and vivid dreams;
behavior changes; confusion; memory problems; new or worsening mental or mood changes (eg, depression, agitation, anxiety, restlessness, inability to sit still); new or worsening trouble sleeping; suicidal thoughts or actions;
There is a slight interaction risk between the gabapentin and zanaflex so if these symptoms continue it might be something to look at? It's not something to be majorly worried about though.
Hopefully the symptoms will wear off with time!
Anonymous 29 Jan 2012
Hi Delila,
I forgot to thank you!! Sorry bout that my friend, so... thank you!!
Lara
CandbeseenAnonymous 15 Jan 2012
Hi C,
I'd love to know who gave you the TD!! GRRR! Maybe it was an accident?
Hope so!
Love,
Lara
Candbeseen
15 Jan 2012
Hi sweetie,just saw that... it's my first!let's celebrate! Xo
Mary63200912 Jan 2012
Good morning gang! My hubby takes gabepentin & he doesn't dream at all, but every one is different . I would also vote for the Zanaflex, but who knows for sure. you may have to stop one at a time to see which is the culprit. You have received good advice so far, & I'll bet you are in bed snoring away right now! Oh & it's eenie meenie minnie mo, for future reference! Ha! Sleep well my friend, Lord knows you need it. If you are up email me kiddo. Love ya, Mary
Anonymous 12 Jan 2012
Hey nutball, thanks for the spelling correction!! I think it's the zanaflex too, gonna taper off of it, after reading Laurie's post, who would want to take that stuff? How do I miss these side effects in the pharmacy print outs? I've no idea!!!
Thank you all !!
Lara
Mary632009
12 Jan 2012
I always look them up here on the site first!
LiverLips
navygirl1
babyr0423Anonymous 12 Jan 2012
Right back at you Ruthie!!
outsidesueAnonymous 13 Jan 2012
Hi outsidesue,
Yes, I can be amusing, or funny... but as my brother's always said "Lara, you are funny, but don't worry, looks aren't everything"! The nerve of those boys!!
Hi all, I didn't do a slow taper as I said I would, just switched back to a couple flexeril a day. Not having any WD issues off of Zanaflex.
SO disappointed, as Zanaflex afforded great pain relief, along with my other meds! But I shall prevail, and keep being a guinea pig! Trying what I can try to mitigate the pain. (Mary, I dug around and found my flexeril, yay!!)
Hope everyone has a great friday the 13th, tis a day for good luck!!
Lara
xx
Mary632009
13 Jan 2012
Good for you, but did you have to remind me it was Friday the 13th! Now I'll have to stay in all day or slip on the ice & break something again... Mary
(and it won't be my toilet tank this time)
Anonymous 14 Jan 2012
Hi RG,
Well thank God I didn't have any of those side effects!! Just nightmares.
Take care my friend, and thank you for the info!!
SL
x
Rajive Goel
14 Jan 2012
Hi Lara,
Great, I guess nightmares are tolerable as long as they are pleasant, take care, have a nice week end!
Rajive
HrmneeAnonymous 15 Jan 2012
Hi Harmony,
Have you taken Zanaflex before? I ask because I'm wondering if you indeed took it and had no problems at all.
Lara
xoxo
Hrmnee
15 Jan 2012
Nope, but I have taken gababentin! I never took the Z med. I called them stress dreams. Very vivid, very stressful because, no matter what it was that I WANTED to do in the dream, I could not achieve it. It felt like some sort of endless torture! Whether I was looking for something, lost, hungry, trying to find a child, safety whatever. I would wake up wanting to cry and literally feeling sick and shaky.
chipmaster121 Jan 2012
When I used to have Neuropathy before I got it cured I took 2400 Mg of Gabapentin every day and never had vivid dreams or nightmares. It only helped my neuropathy about 50% but other than that it seemed to do nothing else. As for the Zanaflel I have never had to try it.
My Bride takes 900 Mg. of Gabapenten every night 3-300's only for Fibromyalgia and other than having to sleep it out ( Approximately 6 to 8 ) hours she says it has given her the best pain free sleep in years.
Your friend,
.O •.♫.Bobby.♫.• O.
Anonymous 21 Jan 2012
Thank you Bobby, it is the zanaflex. I went off it to see, and voila, went back on (because it works great!) and more nightmares.
I too take gab, and it helps with my fibro as well.
Again, thank you,
sweet lemon
pickles503
28 Jan 2012
I totally agree, chipmaster. I've never had one bad dream with Gabepentin. It's pretty amazing that one med is good for both pain relief and an anti-depressant. I also take Lamictal and Klonopin. What a great combination for me. pickles503
28 Jan 2012
i was perscribed zanaflex and had to quit taking it as well i was having same problems only i would get up in my sleep and end up in diff. rooms of my home without any knowledge of it what so ever the next morning. I started taking phenobarbitol and belladonna which helped greatly with insomnia and muscle pain plus no crazy dreams. maybe ask ur doc guess every ones diff. good luck
Anonymous 28 Jan 2012
Hi Steve,
Your doc prescribed phenobarb and belladonna? Those sound like serious meds to me, with loads of side effects. I didn't know that belladonna was even still prescribed! I will ask my doc about them though, and I appreciate your answer very much, thank you.
sweet lemon
lola102231 Mar 2012
I can almost definitely tell you that it is the gabapentin (neurotin) causing the vivid dreams and nightmares. My Mom takes one in the morning and one at night for a damaged nerve in her back, and is awakened almost every night with a nightmare. They are so real to her that she awakens me and asks me to sit with her until she "gets over" her scare. This has been happening for some time now and they are very much real to her. She goes back to the doctor in two weeks and I am going to ask him to take her off it and hope her nightmares stop. Gabapentin is most definitely the culprit in her case. Talk to your doctor about it and ask to be put on another medication or ask if it is safe to stop this one. Good luck!
1 Apr 2012
These are the side effects for Zanaflex:
Zanaflex
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Zanaflex:
Constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; flushing; tiredness; weakness.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Zanaflex:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); change in emotions, mood, or behavior; hallucinations; increased muscle spasms; muscle weakness; slow heartbeat; trouble urinating or lack of bladder control; urinary tract infection; yellowing of the skin or eyes.
These are the side effects for Gabapentin:
Gabapentin
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W, you are on a roll this morning!! I MUST seek out some sleep, perchance to dream, perchance to nightmare, but the Pogo sounds like fun!!
Yet if we got involved in that, you KNOW we'd be up all night/morning long, don't you agree?
Love,
Lara (You are a scream gurl !!)
Ihave no personal knowledge of either drug. Unless they specifically require taking at supper or betime swith to morning.
As a general statement anti-depressants and opiates have caused me serious sleep problems.
Best wishes,
Gabapentin effects brain function, so it is probably your culprit.