About three weeks ago my Lexapro dosage was increased from 10mg to 20mg. It's definitely had a positive impact on my depression and I don't have any other serious side effects, but since the increase in dosage, I've been having frequent, intense nightmares. My non-nightmare dreams are also more intense. Has this happened to anyone else, and does it stop?
I noticed the same thing when my doc increased my Zoloft doseage. I ended up going back to a lower dose. The nightmares were just too much to handle.
I had much more vivid dreams when my Citalopram dose upped to 40mg a few years back. I found that I'd get quite vivid dreams for the first couple of weeks after upping my dosage, but when the Serotonin levels stabilised they calmed down and I was mostly back to normal (when dreaming at least ) Are you taking any sleeping medication? I was on Zopiclone (Imovane) for a couple of weeks too when I was really struggling to sleep, and all my dreams were so vivid it was surreal.
Serotonin is one of several neurotransmitters that play a role in sleep. Many people on SSRIs complain that they sleep less and that their sleep patterns are changed. It's not completely understood but serotonin seems to be one of the primary neurotransmitters that promotes wakefulness. So, during deepest dream sleep, serotonin production is low and it increases as we wake in the morning. The theory is that by changing the uptake of serotonin (and therefore increasing serotonin levels when they are normally at their lowest), dream sleep is shorter but more intense. And that may be what you're experiencing since they've increased your dosage.
[/COLOR] That explains so very much. I never used to dream as often before I was on anti-depressants. I also have more trouble sleeping now. I have to take Ambien which can cause Me to dream while I'm still awake, or at least that's what it feels like.
