# Sleep and Dreams > Sleep and Health >  >  Having Bad Dreams... What Herbs/vitamins Can I Take?

## Eonnn

Hey, 

I&#39;ve been having bad dreams every night now for the past month and i am wondering if there are any herbs or vitamins i can take to stop it happening? 

I believe its happening because of the medications im on. It&#39;s not really nightmares just bad dreams like getting beaten up by someone, or getting stabbed, or bitten by dogs, things like that. 

So what herbs or other sort of things can i take to prevent this from happening? 

thanks.

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## Tornado Joe

Hey Eonn, that&#39;s unfortunate about your dreams. Figuring out an herb or vitamin may be a bit difficult since you are on medication already. Even though vitamins may not interact with the medication, herbs might. But I&#39;m no expert in that area.

I can say this, though: I don&#39;t know if there is any correlation between the type of dreams you have and ingesting an herb or vitamin. I believe the root to your issue is what may be going on in your waking life. Stress, anger anxiety...e tc. I know this is probably sounding a bit cliche, but it is what directly effects our dream content.

There are drugs and supplements that can effect the vividness of dreams, but they will only enhance the content of the dreams which our minds create. If you have lots of stress, your dream will be amplified in that manner.

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## dodobird

> Hey, 
> 
> I&#39;ve been having bad dreams every night now for the past month and i am wondering if there are any herbs or vitamins i can take to stop it happening? 
> 
> I believe its happening because of the medications im on. It&#39;s not really nightmares just bad dreams like getting beaten up by someone, or getting stabbed, or bitten by dogs, things like that. 
> 
> So what herbs or other sort of things can i take to prevent this from happening? 
> 
> thanks.[/b]



Can you tell us what is the medication? If you tell us maybe we can figure out how to counter the nightmares side effect.

But anyway what can help you is being able to have lucid dreams. If you become lucid you can turn the nightmares into fun. You can also use the bad things that happen in the nightmares as dream signs. When I have a nightmare, I often try to wake myself up, I say to myself: "Such a horrible thing&#33; maybe it&#39;s a dream?" Then I try to wake myself up to get out of the dream. But these days, when I know about LD, I may catch myself at the very last instance before trying to wake myself up, and instead I do a reality check. If I reached this stage, I can continue the dream as an LD and have fun.

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## Eonnn

> Can you tell us what is the medication? If you tell us maybe we can figure out how to counter the nightmares side effect.
> 
> But anyway what can help you is being able to have lucid dreams. If you become lucid you can turn the nightmares into fun. You can also use the bad things that happen in the nightmares as dream signs. When I have a nightmare, I often try to wake myself up, I say to myself: "Such a horrible thing&#33; maybe it&#39;s a dream?" Then I try to wake myself up to get out of the dream. But these days, when I know about LD, I may catch myself at the very last instance before trying to wake myself up, and instead I do a reality check. If I reached this stage, I can continue the dream as an LD and have fun.[/b]



I am a frequent natural lucid dreamer... i learnt at a young age... my lucids are fine its just my normal dreams that bad things are happening in.

I am on antipyschotics its called Amisulpride (solian), I am also on something called Benztrop which is to help me with restlessness which is a symptom from taking the antipsychotic i mentioned. I also take a fish tablet everyday which is just to clear up my skin.

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## dodobird

First of all I&#39;m not a physician, you should talk to your physician about it.
In any case both of these affect neuro-transmitters as their mechanism of action, and this very effect is what may cause the nightmares, so there isn&#39;t so much to do excpet replace them with other drugs or try other dozes, but for this you&#39;ll need to ask your Doc.

The Amisulpride meddles with Dopamine, reducing it in some areas and possible incresing it in other areas. The increse may cause the nightmares. Benztrop reduces acetyil-cholin, and this can reduce your chances to become lucid. 
If you reduce Benztrop dose, you may have a better chance for lucidity, and this can help you cope with the nightmares, but this may cause the stiffness side-effect of Amisulpride to apear. So reducing the Benztrop to the minimum where you don&#39;t get the stiffness side effect of Amisulpride may be helpful.

In any case talk to the Doc. explein to him about lucid dreaming, and that Benztrop may reduce you&#39;r ability to become lucid because it reduced acetyil-cholin, and that lucidity helps to cope with nightmares. He may suggest to you some alternatives or dose changes. Benztrop half life elimination is long ( more than 24 hours ). Maybe there is some other drug with a shorter half life elimination.

Another suggestion: Amisulpride half life elimination is just 12 hours so if you take it in the morning it might clear up somewhat by the time you go to sleep.

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## Eonnn

Thanks Dodo bird for the excellent recap... i didn&#39;t know that about benztrop, i will definately try to get it replaced or lower the dose.

I&#39;m always going in to see my physician so I will definately talk to them about this. Last time I went in they told me they didn&#39;t know much about any medications that help dreaming... they said they are going to look into it for me and in the meantime i should try taking a bit of Seroquel to help with the sleeping.

Anyway, I would be really interested to find out what herbs are out there... i think someone in another forum suggested valerian root, i&#39;ve also heard that mugwort is good... anyone know of any others?

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## dodobird

> Thanks Dodo bird for the excellent recap... i didn&#39;t know that about benztrop, i will definately try to get it replaced or lower the dose.
> 
> I&#39;m always going in to see my physician so I will definately talk to them about this. Last time I went in they told me they didn&#39;t know much about any medications that help dreaming... they said they are going to look into it for me and in the meantime i should try taking a bit of Seroquel to help with the sleeping.
> 
> Anyway, I would be really interested to find out what herbs are out there... i think someone in another forum suggested valerian root, i&#39;ve also heard that mugwort is good... anyone know of any others?[/b]



Just one thing, remember that Benztrop represses dreams, so after you stop taking it or reduce the dose, your nightmares may become worse because they will be more vivid, and you will generaly dream more so you will have more chances of getting a nightmare.
What is good about reducing Benztrop is that this will increse your chances of becoming lucid, which is a very good way to counter nightmares.

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## Eonnn

> Just one thing, remember that Benztrop represses dreams, so after you stop taking it or reduce the dose, your nightmares may become worse because they will be more vivid, and you will generaly dream more so you will have more chances of getting a nightmare.
> What is good about reducing Benztrop is that this will increse your chances of becoming lucid, which is a very good way to counter nightmares.[/b]



Hmm...

Well i&#39;ve stopped taking the Benztrop for now just to see if it is that which is causing the bad dreams... i&#39;m sure i can last a few days feeling stiff/restless. If its the antipsychotic doing it then i will have to get it replaced with something else. I&#39;ve also got my hands on some Melatonin, Vitamin B6, Mugwort & Valerian Root Herbs which I will drink in a tea and smoke in a cigarette tonight. I&#39;ll keep ya posted   ::wink::

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## dodobird

Go easy on the Mugwort.. I don&#39;t think that anyone really knows if it&#39;s ok to take it with Amisulpride.

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## Eonnn

Thanks.

Well I&#39;ve stopped having bad dreams for now... and had quite a few interesting ND&#39;s & LD&#39;s but I think I will definately be rearranging meds with my doctor I heard theres a new type of AP thats spose to have less side effects than all the others so i&#39;d like to try that.

But yeah... herbs combined with melatonin and vitamin B4... working very well for the dreams and I haven&#39;t noticed anything bad about them  :smiley:

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