Advice: Beta-blocks, intense dreams, oxycodone and melatonin - better sleep

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jyg

VR.org Supporter
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Oct 14, 2013
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Location
San Francisco, CA
Just wanted to relay my experience for getting better sleep. I hope this helps someone.

Being post-op was such a relief for me. I can finally fall asleep without all sorts of crap swimming through my head. In fact, I've had to go to sleep with, at first, music and then podcasts and talk shows for a couple of years now. But after surgery, that seems to have gotten much better. However, since I started taking beta-blocks (propranolol starting 2 months pre-op and then metoprolol since post-op) I've had intense, usually annoying frustrating, dreams. They'd wake me up or just make my sleep restless. I'd also find myself waking up an annoying 2 hours before I had to get up, completely wrecking the last 25% of my sleep time.

After surgery, the oxycodone really helped with this. I'd take 5-10mg about 2 hours before bed, and then another 5 in the middle of the night. It was for an all around effect: calming the chest soreness for more comfortable sleep and making my mood just right for sleeping and staying asleep. Eventually I weened myself off of this wonderfully pleasant drug :biggrin2: and the beta-blocker sleep issues returned. :rolleyes2:

After some suggestions to try melatonin, I went to the pharmacy, told the pharmacist my status of my being some weeks post-op and the drug history given above and he told me melatonin would be perfectly fine to take. While he told me to take it an hour or so before bed, I ended up taking it right at bed for the past two nights (when I take my statin). I haven't had sleep like this in years, since before I had kids (almost 8 years ago as of this posting). It was just solid, solid sleep. Refreshing. I did notice I was somewhat wanting to sleep, not so much groggy or tired, but feeling my body wanting to just lay down, during the first few hours of the day. I think this was because I took the capsule just before bed and not an hour or so earlier. I'm trying that tonight to see if it makes a difference and will follow up.

In fact, I think its time for bed right now ;)
 
Postop in the hospital the nurse gave me Oxy one night and I refused thereafter. Didn't like it and stayed on Tylenol for a few days.

Many of us experience "wild dreams" while taking Metoprolol, this went on with me for years because I was too scared to change meds.
These days I take Bisoprolol in the morning and again at night about 1-2 hours before bed,
and the dreaded ;) Metoprolol only one small dose in the afternoon....Usually sleep very well now :)
 
Ah, yes. . . metoprolol. I remember the first months after my surgery, when I was taking a heavy dose of metoprolol. Each night before bed I would think to myself, "I wonder what's playing tonight." Over the past couple of years we have reduced my metoprolol dosage in half, then in half again, and the dreams have just about stopped. Sometimes I miss the entertainment, but really not.
 
I had no idea metoprolol caused nasty dreams! I'm 4 weeks post op, 25 mg twice a day. I had some dreams the other night that would give Stephen King a run for his money. Holy crap! Not the kind of dream that bolts you out of sleep sitting up, gasping - the kind that wakes you up and you have to determine if you are awake or asleep of somewhere else. I couldn't get back to sleep at all that night, and most other nights it takes about 3 hours to be able to close my eyes and relax again.

The dreams that aren't frightening, are intensely vivid - bright colors, wind on my face, tastes, smells, touches. And of course, completely illogical. No sense trying to explain them to my husband. He just looks at me like I'm on acid.

Glad I'm not alone!
 
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