Night sweats & vivid dreams

[Meg888]

I've been getting night sweats for around 18 months now (I am 40 next month), when I have them I am freezing, yet soaking. They are often accompanied by restlessness and nightmares or vivid dreams, where I'm either shouting out or complaining (as if I dont do enough when I'm awake!) or more recently I have started lashing out and hitting my partner. At these points in the dream I am starting to awake (which will be several times in a night) but I'm still in the dream if you know what I mean - therefore, I know I am doing my actions, but it's only when I'm fully awake I realise it's part of my dream. I've had a contraceptive implant put in my arm which has settled it down a bit, but I'm still getting them. I know it's a part of getting older, but the dreams are quite disturbing.

In addition to the above, I work, follow a reasonably healthy diet, drink in moderation once a week. I am more overweight than I've been before, however, I'm not obese, or even overly fat. I have been receiving treatment for depression and I am on anti-depressants, however, I've been feeling great and I am ready to start the process of coming off them. I've had the sweats for quite a while however, the dreams have probably only started in the past year or so.

Thanks in advance

[Garmard]

My wife went through a similar scenario and she had started the menopause.

[jednbutter]

Meg,,silly question but are you a bloke or a gal ?

[Meg888]

My doc has said I am not going through the menopause, but I think it is hormornal. It's the dreams I find most disturbing.

[Meg888]

Jednbutter - I'm a gal!!

[Sqad]

I am not an expert, but my guess is that your night sweats and dreams are a side effect of your antidepressant tablets.

[DEN53]

Meg - has your GP done a blood test to check your hormones - you could be perimenopausal.

[jednbutter]

Yeah i would say its the drugs doing it, have you cut down on them or are you mixing them with any other medication.

[Mamyalynne]

I agree with the medication related answers, I am on Citalopram and get the vivid and quite nasty dreams and the sweats too. Some people change when they take the pill during the day and that can help. Good luck, not nice.

[Meg888]

I've been tested for menopause, doc said I wasn't. I've been on fluxotine for almost 6 months now. I do feel great, I feel a lot better. It's 1st time i've suffered from depression/anxiety so I hoped it would be a short term process, and I feel it is. I'm not taking any other drug with it.

[Lindylou]

Have you been tested for TB? That can cause mega night sweats.

[tigerlelly]

Fluxotine is the answer, I suspect. My 90 yr old mother-in-law was on them and had hallucinations, really vivid dreams and periods of feeling hot and clammy. Our Dr took her off them and prescribed something else (can't remember what) and she is fine now.

She stayed with us for a week once and frightened us half to death by shouting in her sleep and wandering around; she was only on 20mg daily. I don't want to scare you but she had a convulsion too so I suggest you go to the Dr pronto.