Prescription Drugs

[greySoaringEagle]

Can prescription drugs effect having dreams and/or effect the ability to recall them as well?

[Placebo]

Definitely! Usually for the worse.. fortunately/unfortunately I'm not sure of the reason for the question though - if you are already using them, and they are helping you, then yes its possible. Usually it makes things worse in my experience However everyone seems to have slightly different reactions to different things, so there are always exceptions. If you plan on using prescription drugs for your dreams, I can't stress enough how careful you need to be! Your dreams should never have to impact on your health and life [EDIT] PS: You're questions might be answered better if you posted them under a non-newbie section like 'General Discussion' (No you don't have to post in newbie zone just cos you're new to the site. Splash out! )

[greySoaringEagle]

I'm not taking prescription drugs to induce lucid dreams, I'm taking them for ADD and depression, but I was wondering if the drugs could interfere with my dreaming experience. Clarity

[Placebo]

Ah.. ok. Thats alright then Do you mind telling us the name of the drugs? Perhaps someone else on the site will have some experience with it ... O'nus seems to be quite clued up on the brain and medicinal effects on it... Unfortunately, I won't know myself, since I haven't experienced any effects with antidepressants or ADD myself.

[greySoaringEagle]

I'm taking Adderall XR for ADD (This I don't like much since it keeps me up too late, usually fall asleep around 1-2AM). And Welbutrin as an anti-depressant, I don't think this effects my sleep much tho. If anybody knows anything about these drugs and their impact on sleeping/dreaming, I'd love to know!

[Placebo]

Although I don't know the medicine personally, the part about keeping you up is already a warning bell. Firstly, if you are sleeping on or less than about 5/6 hours, then you are going to have problems with dreams to start with. The reason is that your longest REM (dream) cycles only start around 5/6 hours into your sleep. Assuming you sleep well anyway. So any less than that and your changes of dreaming drop dramatically (since they simply wont happen) Besides that effect, the other consideration is the chemical effects in yor head and general sleeping habits. If the drug is causing irregular sleeping behaviour, then your sleep cycles are going to get pretty ragged. Basically because your body wont know what to expect from one day to the next Hope that might at least help a bit. About the specific medicines, hopefully someone else might be able to help

[O'nus]

I did a little bit of research before replying to this post on the drugs you specified. Bupropion HCl (Welbutrin), an antidepressant of the aminoketone class and a non-nicotine aid to smoking cessation, is chemically unrelated to tricyclic, tetracyclic, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, or other known antidepressant agents. Its structure closely resembles that of diethylpropion; it is related to phenylethylamines. As for Adderall... adderall is an amphetamine stimulant.. When you take the drug, after it enters the bloodstream within seconds, it is carried to the brain. The basis for increased pleasure occurs at the synapses in which the amphetamine stimulant comes to. Dopamine-containing neurons normally relay their signals by releasing dopamine into many synapses. Dopamine crosses the synapse and fits into its receptors on the surface of the receiving cell. This triggers an elecrical signal that is relayed through the receiver. Then, to end the signal, dopamine molecules break away from the receptors and are pumped back into the nerve terminals that released them. Amphetamine molecules block the pump or "transporter," causing more dopamone to accumulate in the synapse. Pleasure circuits are stimulate again and again, producing euphoria. This euphoria is what will keep you awake and conscious of your surroundings as well as the increased amount of serotonin and norepinephrine, which are excitatory neurotransmitters, inhibit the gradual transition to slow wave sleep. Curious; what symptons do you suffer that entailed these prescriptions? ADD? Smoking..? How old are you..? As long as you take the Adderall before sleep, you will have trouble falling asleep regardless of anything else you take with it (or it might kill you in some cases..). I'll give more details once I know more about yah. Hope I've been enlightening.

[greySoaringEagle]

I'm 18 years old, and I've been prescribed Adderall for "ADD", my excuse to get it without publicly announcing that I'm a stoner. It does keep me up later than I'd like, and it hardly produces a state of 'euphoria', more along the lines of a constant anxious jitteriness. Good for when I have work to get done, bad when I'm trying to relax (sleeping for example). The Welbutrin as far as I can tell does not negetively effect my dreaming state, and does seem to calm my urges to smoke cigarettes, thankfully. any other more specific information would be much appreciated

[O'nus]

Looked up more details upon Adderall: Adderall XRa is a once daily extended-release, single-entity amphetamine product Adderall XRa combines the neutral sulfate salts of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, with the dextro isomer of amphetamine saccharate and d,l-amphetaming aspartate monatiydrate. The Adderall XRa capsule contains two types of drug-containing beads designed to give a double-pulsed delivery of amphetamines, which prolongs the release of amphetamine from Adderall XRa compared to the conventional Adderalla [immediate-release] tablet formulation. These drugs you speak of are easily abused and often develop drug dependance. "I can't sleep without my pills!" may be a thought that could come to mind later in life. Insomnia would be pre-emptive symtpons to this possible drug dependance and other hysterical symptons that follow, such as depression. What kind of information are you seeking..? Hope I have been enlightening anyway.

[greySoaringEagle]

I was wondering generally if it could effect my ability to recall dreams as well, or even effect my ability to gain control during dreams. I doubt they have any documented information on it, was hoping more along the lines of someone speaking from experience, who is a LDer and has been on these medications. Your help is much appreciated though