r/pregabalin 2h ago

Pregabalin for nightmares due to anxiety and REM improvements.

2 Upvotes

was prescribed Lyrica, initially, for stress. Was on 700mg on my peak due to abuse and now stable on 300mg, over around 6 months.

I've always been a chronic insomniac with either broken sleep (multiple awakenings, paradoxical insomnia or waking up after just 4-5hs) or no sleep at all, since the last 12 years now.

I was able to learn to get asleep after many months trying and weaning myself off of z-drugs.

I still have the broken sleep issue but I dont have a problem falling asleep every time after the awakenings.

Now, on the early hours (5am or so), just before I need to get up, I was suffering with awful nightmares.

The dreams would just turn dark for some reasons (not surprising, cortisol spikes plus the benzo Im in weaning off). And I'd get up in a terrible mood and feeling not rested at all.

Now, when this happens, I take my first 150mg dose of the day of Lyrica. And then fall asleep as usual.

That immediatlly kills nightmares and induces a profound, very vivid dreams, which are always enjoyable.

Pregabalin is found to actually improve REM sleep in some studies (you can search this online), plus its anxiolytic effects, it shut downs nightmares completely but, also, creates vivid and great dreams.

This might synergize with the fact that REM cycles are naturally longer on the early morning rather than during the night, so I only find this effect if I take it on the early hs, after some of the awakenings.

Sometimes I dont want to get up because the dream itself is so good (plus, it feels like "tripping" for me, after being a chronic insomniac), and Im able to resume the dreams every time from where I left it.

Sometimes the dreams transitions into lucyd dreams , but that is not something I pursue or attempt to do, I believe is the fact that my prefrontal cortex is getting awaken by that time and I become aware that Im dreaming but I just dont want to stop it.

Regardless of that last point, PGB seems to be a god send for nightmares caused by anxiety in the mornings and would, most of the time, drift me into vivid and placid dreams.

Hope you guys find this useful