If a giant dinosaur is chasing you in your dreams, or you are punching out your boss, it might be the result of prescription medication.
In a fascinating article in today’s Wall Street Journal, columnist Melinda Beck explains that the weird dreams may be the side effects of “certain antidepressants, antibiotics, beta blockers, blood-pressure medications, statins for lowering cholesterol and drugs for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”
“A wide array of drugs can cause nightmares. The list includes Some drugs tend to cause bad dreams when they are first taken; others bring nightmares when they’re stopped. Alcohol, over-the-counter antihistamines and some dietary supplements have the same effect,” she writes.
“This is a very common complaint,” says Andres San Martin, a psychiatrist in New York City. “You put a patient on an antidepressant and routinely, they’ll say, ‘You know I’m feeling better, but I’m having very vivid dreams.’ The emotion and passion can be quite overwhelming.”
So while knowing this information will not make the scary dreams go away, at least it gives you some insight as to why you might be having them.
