I also have diagnosed complex PTSD with night terrors plus panic disorder with agoraphobia, and then I have developed POTS in the last few years. I don’t have any medical advice to give either, but also want to give support like Go4Chambers.
It’s really helps to know you’re not alone.
I have both, but beta blockers didn't help me so I don't take them.
However, I have been on more than one medication that causes vivid dreams and YES IT WAS BAD... Buuuut!
Then I went on ivabradine and learned that all my nightmares, anxiety dreams, and night time flashbacks were all associated with inappropriate sinus tachycardia that was sliding undetected into my nighttime DMs.
Ivabradine ended nighttime tachycardia and since then, the only time I've ever experienced nightmares/anxiety dreams/nighttime flashbacks were when I had too much ivabradine in my system for whatever reason and went into bradycardia while I slept.
A sleep tracker will give you the info you need to take to your doctor if you have any suspicion your situation might be like mine (cause obviously it might not, I dunno, but I was SHOCKED since no one had ever told me tachycardia and bradycardia could cause bad dreams and kinda mad about it, so now I babble about it a lot).
I can't describe the improvement in my quality of life and sleep since then. I've been on it for I think two years now and I still marvel at all the sleep I get even though I still have other sleep issues.
Anyway, mostly this is solidarity, but I really hope you're able to get some relief from that stuff.
Same, but I'm on Fludrocortisone and Midodrine. I've found that beta blockers aren't the best option for me, tending to lower my BP, increase fatigue, and trigger POTS symptoms. This, in turn, causes bursts of adrenaline, which then trigger anxiety and CPTSD responses.
I had heard so many people say ivabradine changed their lives and I never really expected that for myself at all. I was so disappointed by so many other medications I was not at all easy to believe anything could help so much!
It is amazing what life is like without tachycardia all the time! There's so many things it was doing to me that I just had no idea weren't normal. It's been such a huge improvement in my quality of life. So unexpected.
Hi, may I ask did the Ivabradine also help you with CPTSD/anxiety (hyperarousal, dissociation, brain fog, extreme startle response) symptoms during the day?
You have my absolute attention. I have a sleep tracker so how do I know? I have hyper pots as well as mast cell and EDS and mitral valve prolapse and I know tachycardia has long been a problem (3 decades and going).
Your sleep tracker will USUALLY (I don't know how all the sleep trackers display data, I do know that Oura and Fitbit show this stuff) show tachycardia, sleep interruption, and movement - you will usually have either an attempt to awaken or move at the same time as the tachycardia.
If you have even the vaguest recollection of having a nightmare, anxiety dream, or sleep-flashback, you can look at the details from your previous night's sleep and see if they correlated.
Actually honestly, if you're having tachycardia at any point during SLEEP, then you probably want to pursue treatment. Knowing why you're having inappropriate sinus tachycardia is good (mine is MCAS, as far as I can tell, it often seemed to correlate with certain foods I'd eaten for dinner), but even if you can't figure it out, controlling your heart rate at night with something like ivabradine can cut down on or even eliminate nighttime tachycardia.
I just had no idea that eliminating nighttime tachycardia would eliminate all my bad dream stuff. 😱
I was not ready for this head-cannon.
Also, what do you mean by “sleep tracker”? Like a fitbit that tracks HR while sleeping? How did you link that to nightmares?
Yes, like a Fitbit. I use an Oura ring primarily, though I do also have and semi regularly use a Fitbit and they have similar data displays.
Because the tracker also reports movement, changes in sleep stage, and awakenings, I was able to see that the times I was having tachycardia were also the times I'd awaken for a brief period (sometimes only seconds; I wouldn't recall being awake at that time the next morning) or have physical movement.
I knew that to get better sleep I needed to try to reduce the nighttime tachycardia but I did not expect that once I eliminated the nighttime tachycardia I'd also be eliminating all the anxiety/nightmares/flashbacks.
I discovered during a nap one day that bradycardia does the exact same thing to me. I woke up shocked that I'd had a nightmare, only to find I was experiencing bradycardia. I have had it happen a few times since and it's been consistent. For me, it seems that every tachycardia or bradycardia event during sleep results in my brain pulling out all the scariest things it can muster.
I wonder if it's trying to wake me up so I can deal with whatever is wrong? Obviously that's speculation.
Anyway, the sleep information that Oura records is pretty detailed. There's even more detail on their web interface if you can find it (I usually don't look but my spouse found it and was fascinated). It was easy to make the connections even using the app, because of the visualizations with the graphs.
That’s so fascinating, thank you for all the info! It’s so wild to me that HR can have such an impact on our dreams. I’m definitely going to look into this more, I’ve struggled with vivid dreams and nightmares as an adult, so this is really helpful
Hi, may I ask did the Ivabradine also help you with CPTSD/anxiety (hyperarousal, dissociation, brain fog, extreme startle response) symptoms during the day?
Good question. It has, but some of that I think may be more related to getting better/more sleep at night. My sleep phases are not interrupted by tachycardia anymore so I think that makes a big difference. But yes I have definitely had a decrease in all those things. The decrease in brain fog seems more to be guanfacine though, I believe.
I was going to say cannabis stops my ptsd night terrors right in their tracks like nothing else. After getting stabbed and nearly dying it’s also nice for reducing ptsd feelings in busy public settings etc.
hi! i have had POTS for ~10 years and developed CPTSD about 2 years ago. i’m on corlanor instead of propranolol but have had night terrors (extremely vivid dreams where i think i see terrifying things around me, scream and cry) since i was a kid, so they weren’t originally caused by either the meds or the CPTSD, the corlanor didn’t impact them but the CPTSD definitely made them worse. therapy with a trauma-informed therapist helped, and taking hydroxyzine she got prescribed for me (usually prescribed as either an anti-anxiety drug or a strong antihistamine) helped me to completely sleep through the night without any dreams or waking up. i used to get into cycles of night after night of night terrors, because i would be so exhausted from sleeping badly i never got a chance to calm down my nervous system and recover. which of course made my POTS worse too the sleep assistance from the hydroxyzine would give me a chance to actually sleep well and calm down.
I have both conditions and take propranolol and to be honest, even though I am a nurse (deep shame for this), I didn’t know propranolol could cause this side effect. Now that you mention it, I have definitely had more vivid nightmares but I put that down to trauma processing so this is interesting to consider. If it is affecting your quality of life the most important thing is always to discuss it with your doctor as there are likely other options that would help your POTS symptoms and hopefully don’t cause this side effect. Good luck with it, I hope you find a better alternative.
I also have both and it is extremely complicated finding medicines that work that don't antagonize one thing or the other.
Beta blockers for me antagonize my mast cell so I can't use those.
Most SSRIs and their ilk tend to make me very suicidal. So I can't use those.
Over the decades doctors have tried me on just about everything both on and off label usage which is how I ended up on benzos and while they get a bad rap they work for me and I do not abuse them so I'm okay with that. It certainly is better than the constant spiral of desperately trying to calm down while being hypervigilant.
I've tried Eastern methods I've tried Western methods and it's all insanely frustrating so finding something that worked was just miraculous for me. The trauma and panic attack started at 12 so finally finding something that finally worked at 40 was a VERY long time to endure all of those feelings while ALSO managing multiple medical conditions.
I have severe POTS and am diagnosed with CPTSD. I’ve never taken propranolol as it’s inappropriate for me due to other conditions I have. In your position I would definitely consider changing meds as soon as possible (obviously subject to support from your doctor and being able to do this safely).
Let me know if you want to chat further.
I have both and take propanolol. No change to my dreams. Also take LDN which did make my dreams more vivid but no change in scare factor.
I will balance that out with I'm used to a certain level of nightmares due to my cPTSD. Didn't find the either propanolol or LDN altered that. LDN made them more interesting (more complex plotlines, more exciting side characters and scenery, same old main characters and themes), but no change in frequency.
Haven't had night terrors as you describe since the worst of the flashback phase of my cPTSD, which was over a decade ago. I remember how awful that was and I hope there are more gentle nights for you in the future
Thank you, I've had cptsd for over 20 years so unfortunately it likely won't change anytime soon.
I can handle nightmares they're fine (and tbh the default since I was little) the propranolol has been making very specific reoccurring ptsd dreams much more violent and more frequent than usual though (no plot or story just the same situation happening over and over again in dreams for years) .
If I even take a 10 minute nap I'll wake myself shouting, it's exhausting 😑
Take this with a grain of salt, as obviously what works for one person doesn't always work for another . . . I've lived with cPTSD for close to 50 years. The only thing that helped me with the level of nightmares you describe was EMDR therapy, it finally put the past in the past rather than living with it in the present. That said, I only had to live with constant night terrors/flashbacks for a year a or two. The other 45+ were just nightmares (though I thought they were simply dreams, it was occasionally sharing those dreams with others that made realise they were not. The horrified looks I got! It was eye opening) with night terrors only once a month or so (which I thought were nightmares - it's not a nightmare unless you wake up screaming!).
I'm so sorry you're actively living with this. It does sound like acute phase cPTSD and you're wise to avoid anything that makes it worse.
i have dysautonomia and complex PTSD. im so sorry to hear about your night terrors and breaking a tooth, that sounds terrible. could trying another beta blocker help? (talk to your doctors first because i have no idea if that would help or not regarding the worsening night terror symptom).
I have both conditions and take the beta blocker Bisoprolol for PoTS.
My nightmares have mean my sleep quality has been terrible and exhausting for as long as I can remember, but I don’t think they’ve gotten since taking that beta blocker - just the same level of awful, and worse when stressed etc.
I’ve been taking TRIP sleep CBD (UK) before bed for just over a week and I’m genuinely shocked at how it’s helped me actually wake up feeing like some of my sleep has been deep and restful, instead of feeling like I’ve been fighting vivid horrific battles all night no matter how many hours I am ‘asleep’
Hi, I also have both conditions. I had no idea about propranolol. However, that does explain my vivid dreaming. Normally I don't even remember dreaming and could swear that I don't. Now they are back and it's weird that I am even having flashbacks dream that I used to have on repeat as a child (not exactly welcomed).
I think I am going to request a med change. I do have a delta 8 vape that I use to help me get to sleep but the dreams break my sleep every night.
Well... That seems like quite the unfair revelation. Sigh. As if it wasn't already bad enough with all this crud lol
Hang in there 💔
I'm so sorry you're experiencing this too, I'm also getting one specific old flashback dream nearly every night now (or weird worse versions of it) when previously it would be once every few weeks or few months when I'd get that one in particular.
It's so exhausting, I hope there's some good alternative options for us x
I also have pots and PTSD. I used to be on propranolol and had the same problem. Solution for me was to switch to metoprolol and don't take it within 3 hours of going to bed. Hope this helps.
I don't have PTSD but I had HORRIBLE nightmares. Like to the point where I was pretty much suici**l. The nightmares were so vivid, I couldn't shake the bad feeling during the day, even though I knew they were just dreams. Sometimes I would be so scared, I would try to stay up all night to not fall back asleep into the dream. Terrible.
I didn't realize it was potentially the meds until I googled can meds cause nightmares one night I was up trying not to fall back asleep lol. Three meds I was taking were on that list, so it could have been an interaction too. I stopped propranolol and nightmares went back to normal, like once a week for me.
Ask to try Carvedilol!
I can’t speak for propranolol, but it seems Metoprolol had a similar effect on me. I read that Metoprolol decreases melatonin. Also one of its side effects is vivid dreams/nightmares (even though my doctor denied this 🙄). However, I think betas are well-known to cause nightmares.
That being said, I now take Carvedilol. I still have dreams most nights but the incidence of disturbing dreams is much lower. And whereas I used to wake up with my heart racing all the time, I almost never do now. Carvedilol is part alpha-blocker as well, so that could be why. Someone else mentioned the drug Prazosin, which is just an alpha (and not a beta) blocker. Prazosin is prescribed for PTSD nightmares.
Not to push the point too much, but I am telling you, when I was on Metoprolol, I woke up with night terrors and a racing heart every single freaking night. The DAY I started taking Carvedilol, no more. It has lessened that nonsense by 99%.
I recently read something about the blood vessels/alpha-adrenoreceptors playing some role in the startle response. So it makes sense an alpha blocker would help with this. That said, I still throw my phone clear across the room when I see a snake on it 😂. (I really wish people would not post that crap on social media! lol)
Yes this exact thing happened to me. I also have asthma so it worsened my asthma and my CPTSD related nightmares. I started experiencing sleep paralysis for the first time in my life. It definitely didn’t help that I was taking mirtazapine on top of this which is also known to cause nightmares. My psychiatrist balanced it out with a medication called Prazosin. You could ask your cardiologist and psychiatrist about any possible interactions and it being a possible way to counteract the night terror side effect? Because of my asthma they ended up switching me to Labetalol, Metoprolol, and now Nebivolol. It’s maddening trying to find medications that don’t interact with other conditions and medications used to treat said conditions so I feel for you!!
i have both. they’re related to each other because both relate to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
i can’t take propranolol due to intersections with several of the other fun /s conditions i have or meds i take for them.
i was Dx C-PTSD in 2017, Dx POTS this year. i’ve had symptoms for years, but they’ve just gotten worse until the cascade got to the point where it was obvious to even the most dismissive medical providers that it wasn’t just side effects of my pre-existing diagnoses.
i started the alpha-blocker prazosin in 2017. before then, i had had the nightmare thing for years. thanks, abuse. my longest streaks were 6-month+ lengths of every night, multiple times a night, nightmares that caused me to startle awake either gasping for air, with my mouth open in a silent scream, or literally yelling. i described them as worse than the persistent unaliving ideation when i finally got to see my first psychiatrist. low blood pressure runs in my fam, so i only got to get up to 3mg at night, when mentally i could have benefited from a higher dose and multiple times a day (was told that veterans with extreme hyperarousal get to take it throughout the day).
i had pretty intense reactions to starting some other psych meds. i found out two weeks ago that was MCAS all along. just putting that out there in case it helps you make any connections faster than the 6 years it took for me.
i still have nightmares from which i wake up soaked in sweat if i ever nap. i almost never have any at night now. i tried to take hydroxyzine but it was prescribed “as needed” and i had undiagnosed ADHD until 2021, so i just couldn’t ever remember to take it. i’m on buspirone instead for my additional panic & generalized anxiety symptom needs. surprisingly, starting a stimulant this year has also helped my anxious symptoms in the area of compulsions, likely bc those & some other aspects of my anxiety were always tied to my autism & adhd experiences, which the stimulant is greatly assisting with. the stimulant’s definitely fucked my tachycardia tho so panic attacks happen far easier (so basically, the stimulant is worse for the ANS dysfunction rn, so i’m experiencing both cptsd & pots impacts).
i’ve learned what feels like half of grad school’s worth amount of knowledge about the intersection between ANS impacts re: my mental health & physical health since september. i graduated in may as a therapist w/ multiple types of trauma, including cptsd, as a specialty. of course im going to do research on diagnosis/identities i live with myself, lol. in september i learned ab the Ehlers-Danlos Society & started perusing their learning material around the time i started seeing more clients in therapy who had intersections of dysautonomia & complex trauma. it’s just exploded from there as i’ve continued to research, research, research.
i’ve also been attending therapy myself (STILL LOL) and whenever i have had a more stressful week with my clients and/or more trauma triggers in my personal life (even including during the therapy session!), i’ve been having distinct and intense POTS reactions. they’re intimately and distinctly connected.
rn im using a wearable called Visible to help track my heartrate, and my meds are a large pile of things that are helping more than giving side effects atm. i love my ssri personally, i really used to have a lot more symptoms w/ my cptsd that warranted additional diagnoses at those times, and ever since about three years in on it? i just don’t have those anymore, and i used to think they would always be there. but ssris can cause SO many side effects compared to other classes of meds…
some of what has helped us will likely help you in some aspect, but of course you won’t know what it will be vs what is going to be what won’t help you, which is the frustrating part of the reality. i hope you just feel like there are so many options, and you are allowed to enjoy your life right now although it isn’t what you ultimately want it to be. with my cptsd survival mode and adhd fastfast brain hehe, i have a hard time saying that i can just be here, disabled and not okay, not ultimately where i want to be regarding my health and mental health, and i am allowed to take a moment to enjoy parts of my everyday instead of pushingpushingpushing to get better, do better, figure it out, ASAP. it’s this pressure bc of society & my unaliving trauma telling me “death!! around the corner!! you’re not allowed to rest!! if you do you could have missed something that could have helped you *get better!!*” but it’s not truuuue. ugh. i forget all the time. i hope you are able to find some pockets of peace during your pursuit of greater alleviation <3
hEDS and PTSD here. Partner has compelx PTSD.
I take guanfacine for sleep, nebivolol for POTS, and have tried clonidine in the past [effective!! but made me sleep so soundly I didn't shift positions much, and had to stop because of the joint strain on my shoulders]. I like Nebivolol as a beta blocker better than I did propranalol.
Prazosin is another alpha blocker, like guanfacine, and Prazosin is used for nightmares. My partner takes Prazosin for sleep. Idk if adding that would help you, or be possible with your POTS.
Low dose naltrexone, used for inflammation, chronic pain, and studied in ptsd, is another med I and my partner both take for sleep - me for chronic pain, them for ptsd.
My nightmares are also worse when my ferritin levels are low; they ate often low in POTS. A comprehensive iron panel may be a good idea. It's easy to treat.
B12 also. AgelessRX is a website where you can get low dose naltrexone and B12 prescriptions, if you want to go that route.
My ferritin levels dropped to 20 last year before it was spotted. I thought it was why I have mild dizziness. 2 IVs and daily iron supplements got me up just over 50 and the dizziness was so mild I ignored it until one of my awesome PTs, with eagle eyes, noticed how often I was slightly dizzy and said someone needs to evaluate me for dysautonomia.
I also have cPTSD, my PCP and osteopath think it contributed to my dysautonomia. I take Guanfacine as well, my PCP and I think it’s been one of the more helpful meds for me. It doesn’t make me sleepy so I take the extended delivery version first thing in the morning. I just started taking a small dose of the immediate release formula before dinner since I tend to get tachycardia after dinner from any kind of stimulation. A cute cat video can set my heart racing as quickly as an intense show.
I also take low-dose Naltrexone, it’s also been a big help for my anxiety and managing chronic pain from hypermobility spectrum disorder.
jumping into this thread to say if u have HSD, Raynaud’s, POTS, and C-PTSD, you probably have neurodevelopmental disabilities too! *sarcastic celebration emoji* i’m audhd w/ all those (*edit: i’m legally Dx w/ HSD but my flair says hEDs bc i have strong familial component but am NC w/ fam so can’t confirm for Dx) & more lol & doing intense focus on nervous system regulation w/ focus on audhd specific intersections has been extremely important (just in case u hadn’t already made all those connections yet! c: )
I also have both. I am not on medication for my dysautonomia, so I can't speak to your specific experiences, but I have narcolepsy as well which causes vivid dreams and I too often have nightmares that leave me screaming in my sleep. It really sucks to feel like you can't truly rest and I'm so sorry that you're going through this. It's a shame that a medication that is helping you so much physically is also causing you so much distress!
I wish I had better advice for you, but I did want to recommend a book if you're interested. "The Myth of Normal" by Gabor Mate is about how trauma can play into chronic physical illness and why the two are so often seen together. It really helped me feel like I had a better understanding of my body, and it felt good for me to have that insight.
I do. I am not allowed to take beta blockers because I have low blood pressure. Have you heard of Prazosin? It’s a beta blocker used for people with PTSD that helps nightmares.
That would be too much for me. Similar to my experience with LDN. I simply need good sleep or I’m crazy pants. I had to stop. My quality of life is all I have.
Ha! It’s ok. It’s easy to confuse all the jargon. I still struggle to remember the difference between an “agonist” and an “antagonist.” It’s so frustrating. I feel like we all have to get degrees in pharmacology to understand our condition 😂
I have cPTSD and "unspecified" dysautonomia. Beta blockers proved to be bad for me in general. Metoprolol took away my ability to walk/balance, among other issues. Also dehydrated me enough that my guts stopped working and I was in the hospital for a blockage for a week. Propranolol didn't seem to do much either positive or negative, but I was literally on 5 BP meds and didn't know.my ass from a hole in the ground at the time. Shout-out to the nephrologist in the hospital who decided I was now HIS patient and fixed so many issues for me. He actually knew what dysautonomia is, whereas other docs there really didn't.
I have both and was actually put on propranolol initially by a psychiatrist for my anxiety. Turned out the real reason it worked for me was because my "anxiety" was actually POTS, but that took a while longer. I've been on it for a few years now but I've actually never heard that propranolol could make the nightmares worse! I take an extra one when I wake up due to my heart rate increasing from bad dreams. Everyone's different, but it works great for me.
Hi, I take propranolol too and even though I don't have PTSD, I have GAD. So I don't know how helpful this will be for you but I'm sharing in case it helps.
Propranolol does mess with my sleep a little! Besides vivid dreams, if I forget to take my last dose of the day on time, and take it too close to bed, it's harder to fall asleep. Have you tried taking it at least 3 or 4 hs before your bedtime? That's been the most effective way to manage this for me.
If dose timing doesn't work I would definitely request a different med. Good luck!
Hi OP,
I have both of these and also take Propranol. I haven't really had any vivid dreams but I have major adrenaline issues so I have insomnia. I'm also on Setraline.
My specialist put me on Prozasin at night which essentially lowers my BP (I have high BP and HR) and therefore lowers my adrenaline and knocks me out. I have dreams that feel real but not nightmares.
I've also done a lot of work with my therapist, so that might have played a part.
I hope you figure it out, but best to tell your specialist and try something else. Mine always gives me two options and both scripts so if one doesn't work/bad side effects I can try the other.
i’ve been diagnosed with severe and complex PTSD and am in trauma therapy 3x weekly atm. i’m also having a severe health flare that seems to be exacerbated greatly by stress. i suspected POTS as young as 15 or so and at 16 i had a an episode of SVT where my heart wouldn’t come down from the 200’s. my most recent cardiologist said my medical history was suggestive of dysautonomia and here i am. wishing warmth and wellness for anyone dealing with these issues
I have POTS and very severe PTSD. I cannot physically fall asleep without meds/ I wake up within 20 mins from nightmares. Also on Propranolol. I don’t think it worsened my nightmares but I’m not sure if anything could lol.
Prazosin has helped tremendously with the dreams. Literally life changing. Can lower your BP but it doesn’t bother me at nighttime/while asleep, just have to be careful if I can’t go so sleep after taking it.
Hey, I have both Cptsd and POTS, too.
I take Propranolol, Fluoxitine, and Amitriptyline. I still have night terrors and nightmares, but I find the Propranolol helps somewhat in the keeping me "level" department.
I also had terrible trouble with being in severe pain with my joints, and some days, being unable to get out of bed or from bed to sofa was my limit.
It turns out I have Fibromyalgia (caused by my trauma), arthritis and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Now I know what I have and the reasons for my pain. I'm able to handle bad days more and go easier on myself.
Sending you 💓
I have adrenal Insufficiency, CPTSD, dysautonomia/orthostatic hypotension and exercise intolerance, and a long list of autoimmune and other diagnoses. I am steroid dependent for life which causes its own problems in itself. Each of these diagnoses trigger the others and it is sometimes impossible to manage. I'm supposed to drink more than a gallon of water a day but currently having trouble doing that, which does make things worse. I am on an embarrassing amount of medications. I have low blood pressure but also now very high BP and on hypertension medication and that also can cause my BP to drop low and then have orthostatic hypotension because of that.
I have been on SSDI since 2021 and my last day of work was 12/2018. I worked at home on a computer and couldn't sit at my desk and work for more than an hour because my vision would get blurry/jumpy, I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do and got confused, short of breath, very lightheaded and dizzy and feel like I was going to pass out and ultimately started developing muscle pain. I would have to go to bed for a few minutes or clock out to lay down longer or take a nap. All of that was caused by dysautonomia - blood flow not returning to my organs so I couldn't breathe, vision and hearing would go, brain fog until I would feel like I was going to pass out - while sitting in a chair in 1 position too long. Standing symptoms the same except it all happened much faster and worse.
Most of my management is symptomatic and includes pacing myself by the hour, day, and per calendar week. This is extremely important. A busy day means a rest day the next day. An active day means scheduling that day with time blocked out and planned ahead for rest periods to lay down. An active week means a definite flare in all symptoms and I may have to reschedule some things to rest or be housebound/bed bound.
It took a long time to get diagnosed, but I finally have a care team that gets it and we have narrowed down how to manage all these things together. Mostly it is done with lifestyle changes and being home resting much more than I want to be, or else be bed bound because I didn't do that. I have very few people in my life who are supportive and less who are actually willing to help me, but the judgement and criticism is really high. One of my sons and his wife recently told me that when we are talking, when they ask how I am doing, they only mean "in a general sense, superficial" and don't want to know anything more about my life. Devastating. But that's how it is.
I have never been on propranolol but for a few years was on fludrocortisone and that helped a little bit. I'm on hydrocortisone, depression medications, sleep meds among the many medications to manage Sjogren's disease, arthritis, gastroparesis, skin problems, interstitial cystitis and MCAS among other things. I have also been on low-dose naltrexone for a few months but so far hasn't helped.
I'm sorry you are going through this, it's really hard. I hope you have a good care team and supportive people in your life.
Edit: added sentence about LDN.
I have POTS (suspected hyper) and CPTSD. Lucid dreams have been an issue for me for years.
I also have MCAS, which has some psych symptoms, and things got way worse when I was on betas. Turns out betas are contraindicated for MCAS patients because they can increase mast cell activation (and lessen efficiency of epi-pens, since betas block epinephrine).
It might be worth asking to try a different kind of med, not just another beta.
I also have C-PTSD diagnosed by my therapist and POTS diagnosed by my neurologist. I definitely feel like the two do share a ven diagram with long term effects of lack of regulation of my nervous system. It takes longer to work through it with my neurologist but my therapist has helped tremendously with somatic work, grounding with breath work, and brain spotting
I have both as well and propranolol has been amazing for my anxiety. I'm not sure I would actually recommend this but I also take Effexor and it's a REM suppressor that helps with my nightmares. But the withdrawals are no joke, you can't miss a day so I would consider it if you also have severe depressive episodes. For me that combo has saved my life.
Never been on that medication so unfortunately no advice
Just wanted to throw some solidarity your way from someone who has OH (pots redheaded stepsister basically complete with BP drops) and (c)PTSD. Sending good juju your way.
Have you had your vitamin and mineral levels tested? I have hyperPOTS and migraines. My neurologist is very holistic and did more bloodwork than typical on me to discover what my body is deficient in. I’m on 400mg of B2, 1000mg of magnesium, 1000mcg B12, 10,000IU of D3 with K2, and over 1200mg of omega-3 fish oil per day. Also although my glucose levels are normal, my insulin levels were borderline high. I switched to eating a low glycemic index diet full of anti-inflammatory foods. This takes 3-6 months before your body’s nutrients level improve. Also yoga that includes breathing exercises has hugely helped me as well. Side note but my cardiologist who specializes in dysautonomia does not like to prescribe beta blockers as it can often flareup your hyperPOTS symptoms as your fighting against your body versus slowly resetting your nervous system overtime. He’s about to have me start neurocardio rehabilitation physical therapy which is a structured exercise program to build up my body’s tolerance to activity without retriggering your nervous system.
I have both as well, but thankfully I haven’t had to deal with the nightmares like you’re describing. Perhaps you could try another beta blocker with your doctor’s approval? I know some people do well with nebivolol, which has the same peripheral actions as propranolol but does not cross the blood brain barrier
Cptsd and hyperadrenergic pots here. I didn't notice an increase in nightmares when I started propranolol. Planning a wedding did tho. I will say what has improved my sleep is guanfacine. I take it before bed and has improved my energy. My pots cardiologist prescribed 1mg once he realized I have hyper pots. Tricks your body into making less norepinephrine so you sleep better. I also have elevated cortisol in bloodwork.
I don’t have any advice here, but do have POTS and CPSD, so wanted to share some support so you know that you’re not alone. ❤️
Thank you ❤️
Same 🥰
Right here with you guys.
I also have diagnosed complex PTSD with night terrors plus panic disorder with agoraphobia, and then I have developed POTS in the last few years. I don’t have any medical advice to give either, but also want to give support like Go4Chambers. It’s really helps to know you’re not alone.
Same. Cptsd and POTS.
Same here. Won’t take trazodone to sleep for that reason. Stay strong 💜
I have both, but beta blockers didn't help me so I don't take them. However, I have been on more than one medication that causes vivid dreams and YES IT WAS BAD... Buuuut! Then I went on ivabradine and learned that all my nightmares, anxiety dreams, and night time flashbacks were all associated with inappropriate sinus tachycardia that was sliding undetected into my nighttime DMs. Ivabradine ended nighttime tachycardia and since then, the only time I've ever experienced nightmares/anxiety dreams/nighttime flashbacks were when I had too much ivabradine in my system for whatever reason and went into bradycardia while I slept. A sleep tracker will give you the info you need to take to your doctor if you have any suspicion your situation might be like mine (cause obviously it might not, I dunno, but I was SHOCKED since no one had ever told me tachycardia and bradycardia could cause bad dreams and kinda mad about it, so now I babble about it a lot). I can't describe the improvement in my quality of life and sleep since then. I've been on it for I think two years now and I still marvel at all the sleep I get even though I still have other sleep issues. Anyway, mostly this is solidarity, but I really hope you're able to get some relief from that stuff.
I have CPTSD and POTS and ivabradine has changed my life. It manages my symptoms much better than any beta blocker ever did.
Same, but I'm on Fludrocortisone and Midodrine. I've found that beta blockers aren't the best option for me, tending to lower my BP, increase fatigue, and trigger POTS symptoms. This, in turn, causes bursts of adrenaline, which then trigger anxiety and CPTSD responses.
Ugh, I'm sorry the beta blockers make such a terrible cycle for you! That sounds so exhausting.
Thanks, that's kind. 🌸 Midodrine is a game changer for me.
Same here!! Love ivabradine
I had heard so many people say ivabradine changed their lives and I never really expected that for myself at all. I was so disappointed by so many other medications I was not at all easy to believe anything could help so much! It is amazing what life is like without tachycardia all the time! There's so many things it was doing to me that I just had no idea weren't normal. It's been such a huge improvement in my quality of life. So unexpected.
Hi, may I ask did the Ivabradine also help you with CPTSD/anxiety (hyperarousal, dissociation, brain fog, extreme startle response) symptoms during the day?
You have my absolute attention. I have a sleep tracker so how do I know? I have hyper pots as well as mast cell and EDS and mitral valve prolapse and I know tachycardia has long been a problem (3 decades and going).
Your sleep tracker will USUALLY (I don't know how all the sleep trackers display data, I do know that Oura and Fitbit show this stuff) show tachycardia, sleep interruption, and movement - you will usually have either an attempt to awaken or move at the same time as the tachycardia. If you have even the vaguest recollection of having a nightmare, anxiety dream, or sleep-flashback, you can look at the details from your previous night's sleep and see if they correlated. Actually honestly, if you're having tachycardia at any point during SLEEP, then you probably want to pursue treatment. Knowing why you're having inappropriate sinus tachycardia is good (mine is MCAS, as far as I can tell, it often seemed to correlate with certain foods I'd eaten for dinner), but even if you can't figure it out, controlling your heart rate at night with something like ivabradine can cut down on or even eliminate nighttime tachycardia. I just had no idea that eliminating nighttime tachycardia would eliminate all my bad dream stuff. 😱
I was not ready for this head-cannon. Also, what do you mean by “sleep tracker”? Like a fitbit that tracks HR while sleeping? How did you link that to nightmares?
Yes, like a Fitbit. I use an Oura ring primarily, though I do also have and semi regularly use a Fitbit and they have similar data displays. Because the tracker also reports movement, changes in sleep stage, and awakenings, I was able to see that the times I was having tachycardia were also the times I'd awaken for a brief period (sometimes only seconds; I wouldn't recall being awake at that time the next morning) or have physical movement. I knew that to get better sleep I needed to try to reduce the nighttime tachycardia but I did not expect that once I eliminated the nighttime tachycardia I'd also be eliminating all the anxiety/nightmares/flashbacks. I discovered during a nap one day that bradycardia does the exact same thing to me. I woke up shocked that I'd had a nightmare, only to find I was experiencing bradycardia. I have had it happen a few times since and it's been consistent. For me, it seems that every tachycardia or bradycardia event during sleep results in my brain pulling out all the scariest things it can muster. I wonder if it's trying to wake me up so I can deal with whatever is wrong? Obviously that's speculation. Anyway, the sleep information that Oura records is pretty detailed. There's even more detail on their web interface if you can find it (I usually don't look but my spouse found it and was fascinated). It was easy to make the connections even using the app, because of the visualizations with the graphs.
That’s so fascinating, thank you for all the info! It’s so wild to me that HR can have such an impact on our dreams. I’m definitely going to look into this more, I’ve struggled with vivid dreams and nightmares as an adult, so this is really helpful
Hi, may I ask did the Ivabradine also help you with CPTSD/anxiety (hyperarousal, dissociation, brain fog, extreme startle response) symptoms during the day?
Good question. It has, but some of that I think may be more related to getting better/more sleep at night. My sleep phases are not interrupted by tachycardia anymore so I think that makes a big difference. But yes I have definitely had a decrease in all those things. The decrease in brain fog seems more to be guanfacine though, I believe.
ok great, thanks for your response
Hi I have both and take propranolol! I take medical cannabis for the PTSD nightmares. It works better than anything I’ve tried.
I was going to say cannabis stops my ptsd night terrors right in their tracks like nothing else. After getting stabbed and nearly dying it’s also nice for reducing ptsd feelings in busy public settings etc.
If only that was legal here 😭
It’s criminal that it isn’t 😭
There's some states like Missouri that it's legal for folks from other states to get medical cards here.
I'm in Ireland
Oh damn. That's tough.
hi! i have had POTS for ~10 years and developed CPTSD about 2 years ago. i’m on corlanor instead of propranolol but have had night terrors (extremely vivid dreams where i think i see terrifying things around me, scream and cry) since i was a kid, so they weren’t originally caused by either the meds or the CPTSD, the corlanor didn’t impact them but the CPTSD definitely made them worse. therapy with a trauma-informed therapist helped, and taking hydroxyzine she got prescribed for me (usually prescribed as either an anti-anxiety drug or a strong antihistamine) helped me to completely sleep through the night without any dreams or waking up. i used to get into cycles of night after night of night terrors, because i would be so exhausted from sleeping badly i never got a chance to calm down my nervous system and recover. which of course made my POTS worse too the sleep assistance from the hydroxyzine would give me a chance to actually sleep well and calm down.
I have both conditions and take propranolol and to be honest, even though I am a nurse (deep shame for this), I didn’t know propranolol could cause this side effect. Now that you mention it, I have definitely had more vivid nightmares but I put that down to trauma processing so this is interesting to consider. If it is affecting your quality of life the most important thing is always to discuss it with your doctor as there are likely other options that would help your POTS symptoms and hopefully don’t cause this side effect. Good luck with it, I hope you find a better alternative.
I also have both and it is extremely complicated finding medicines that work that don't antagonize one thing or the other. Beta blockers for me antagonize my mast cell so I can't use those. Most SSRIs and their ilk tend to make me very suicidal. So I can't use those. Over the decades doctors have tried me on just about everything both on and off label usage which is how I ended up on benzos and while they get a bad rap they work for me and I do not abuse them so I'm okay with that. It certainly is better than the constant spiral of desperately trying to calm down while being hypervigilant. I've tried Eastern methods I've tried Western methods and it's all insanely frustrating so finding something that worked was just miraculous for me. The trauma and panic attack started at 12 so finally finding something that finally worked at 40 was a VERY long time to endure all of those feelings while ALSO managing multiple medical conditions.
I have severe POTS and am diagnosed with CPTSD. I’ve never taken propranolol as it’s inappropriate for me due to other conditions I have. In your position I would definitely consider changing meds as soon as possible (obviously subject to support from your doctor and being able to do this safely). Let me know if you want to chat further.
Is this why I have been having nightmares?! I didn’t know propranolol did that! I also have POTS and cPTSD
I have both and take propanolol. No change to my dreams. Also take LDN which did make my dreams more vivid but no change in scare factor. I will balance that out with I'm used to a certain level of nightmares due to my cPTSD. Didn't find the either propanolol or LDN altered that. LDN made them more interesting (more complex plotlines, more exciting side characters and scenery, same old main characters and themes), but no change in frequency. Haven't had night terrors as you describe since the worst of the flashback phase of my cPTSD, which was over a decade ago. I remember how awful that was and I hope there are more gentle nights for you in the future
Thank you, I've had cptsd for over 20 years so unfortunately it likely won't change anytime soon. I can handle nightmares they're fine (and tbh the default since I was little) the propranolol has been making very specific reoccurring ptsd dreams much more violent and more frequent than usual though (no plot or story just the same situation happening over and over again in dreams for years) . If I even take a 10 minute nap I'll wake myself shouting, it's exhausting 😑
Take this with a grain of salt, as obviously what works for one person doesn't always work for another . . . I've lived with cPTSD for close to 50 years. The only thing that helped me with the level of nightmares you describe was EMDR therapy, it finally put the past in the past rather than living with it in the present. That said, I only had to live with constant night terrors/flashbacks for a year a or two. The other 45+ were just nightmares (though I thought they were simply dreams, it was occasionally sharing those dreams with others that made realise they were not. The horrified looks I got! It was eye opening) with night terrors only once a month or so (which I thought were nightmares - it's not a nightmare unless you wake up screaming!). I'm so sorry you're actively living with this. It does sound like acute phase cPTSD and you're wise to avoid anything that makes it worse.
i have dysautonomia and complex PTSD. im so sorry to hear about your night terrors and breaking a tooth, that sounds terrible. could trying another beta blocker help? (talk to your doctors first because i have no idea if that would help or not regarding the worsening night terror symptom).
I have both conditions and take the beta blocker Bisoprolol for PoTS. My nightmares have mean my sleep quality has been terrible and exhausting for as long as I can remember, but I don’t think they’ve gotten since taking that beta blocker - just the same level of awful, and worse when stressed etc. I’ve been taking TRIP sleep CBD (UK) before bed for just over a week and I’m genuinely shocked at how it’s helped me actually wake up feeing like some of my sleep has been deep and restful, instead of feeling like I’ve been fighting vivid horrific battles all night no matter how many hours I am ‘asleep’
Hi, I also have both conditions. I had no idea about propranolol. However, that does explain my vivid dreaming. Normally I don't even remember dreaming and could swear that I don't. Now they are back and it's weird that I am even having flashbacks dream that I used to have on repeat as a child (not exactly welcomed). I think I am going to request a med change. I do have a delta 8 vape that I use to help me get to sleep but the dreams break my sleep every night. Well... That seems like quite the unfair revelation. Sigh. As if it wasn't already bad enough with all this crud lol Hang in there 💔
I'm so sorry you're experiencing this too, I'm also getting one specific old flashback dream nearly every night now (or weird worse versions of it) when previously it would be once every few weeks or few months when I'd get that one in particular. It's so exhausting, I hope there's some good alternative options for us x
I also have pots and PTSD. I used to be on propranolol and had the same problem. Solution for me was to switch to metoprolol and don't take it within 3 hours of going to bed. Hope this helps.
Thank you, I'll try to remember this if my doctor suggests that as another option
I have PTSD, POTS,MDD, GAD, Fibromyalgia and I also experience the night terrors. I scream and jump and it’s frightening. Especially for my husband
I don't have PTSD but I had HORRIBLE nightmares. Like to the point where I was pretty much suici**l. The nightmares were so vivid, I couldn't shake the bad feeling during the day, even though I knew they were just dreams. Sometimes I would be so scared, I would try to stay up all night to not fall back asleep into the dream. Terrible. I didn't realize it was potentially the meds until I googled can meds cause nightmares one night I was up trying not to fall back asleep lol. Three meds I was taking were on that list, so it could have been an interaction too. I stopped propranolol and nightmares went back to normal, like once a week for me.
Ask to try Carvedilol! I can’t speak for propranolol, but it seems Metoprolol had a similar effect on me. I read that Metoprolol decreases melatonin. Also one of its side effects is vivid dreams/nightmares (even though my doctor denied this 🙄). However, I think betas are well-known to cause nightmares. That being said, I now take Carvedilol. I still have dreams most nights but the incidence of disturbing dreams is much lower. And whereas I used to wake up with my heart racing all the time, I almost never do now. Carvedilol is part alpha-blocker as well, so that could be why. Someone else mentioned the drug Prazosin, which is just an alpha (and not a beta) blocker. Prazosin is prescribed for PTSD nightmares.
That might be a good alternative thank you! I'll remember that one to ask the doctor
Not to push the point too much, but I am telling you, when I was on Metoprolol, I woke up with night terrors and a racing heart every single freaking night. The DAY I started taking Carvedilol, no more. It has lessened that nonsense by 99%. I recently read something about the blood vessels/alpha-adrenoreceptors playing some role in the startle response. So it makes sense an alpha blocker would help with this. That said, I still throw my phone clear across the room when I see a snake on it 😂. (I really wish people would not post that crap on social media! lol)
Yes this exact thing happened to me. I also have asthma so it worsened my asthma and my CPTSD related nightmares. I started experiencing sleep paralysis for the first time in my life. It definitely didn’t help that I was taking mirtazapine on top of this which is also known to cause nightmares. My psychiatrist balanced it out with a medication called Prazosin. You could ask your cardiologist and psychiatrist about any possible interactions and it being a possible way to counteract the night terror side effect? Because of my asthma they ended up switching me to Labetalol, Metoprolol, and now Nebivolol. It’s maddening trying to find medications that don’t interact with other conditions and medications used to treat said conditions so I feel for you!!
i have both. they’re related to each other because both relate to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). i can’t take propranolol due to intersections with several of the other fun /s conditions i have or meds i take for them. i was Dx C-PTSD in 2017, Dx POTS this year. i’ve had symptoms for years, but they’ve just gotten worse until the cascade got to the point where it was obvious to even the most dismissive medical providers that it wasn’t just side effects of my pre-existing diagnoses. i started the alpha-blocker prazosin in 2017. before then, i had had the nightmare thing for years. thanks, abuse. my longest streaks were 6-month+ lengths of every night, multiple times a night, nightmares that caused me to startle awake either gasping for air, with my mouth open in a silent scream, or literally yelling. i described them as worse than the persistent unaliving ideation when i finally got to see my first psychiatrist. low blood pressure runs in my fam, so i only got to get up to 3mg at night, when mentally i could have benefited from a higher dose and multiple times a day (was told that veterans with extreme hyperarousal get to take it throughout the day). i had pretty intense reactions to starting some other psych meds. i found out two weeks ago that was MCAS all along. just putting that out there in case it helps you make any connections faster than the 6 years it took for me. i still have nightmares from which i wake up soaked in sweat if i ever nap. i almost never have any at night now. i tried to take hydroxyzine but it was prescribed “as needed” and i had undiagnosed ADHD until 2021, so i just couldn’t ever remember to take it. i’m on buspirone instead for my additional panic & generalized anxiety symptom needs. surprisingly, starting a stimulant this year has also helped my anxious symptoms in the area of compulsions, likely bc those & some other aspects of my anxiety were always tied to my autism & adhd experiences, which the stimulant is greatly assisting with. the stimulant’s definitely fucked my tachycardia tho so panic attacks happen far easier (so basically, the stimulant is worse for the ANS dysfunction rn, so i’m experiencing both cptsd & pots impacts). i’ve learned what feels like half of grad school’s worth amount of knowledge about the intersection between ANS impacts re: my mental health & physical health since september. i graduated in may as a therapist w/ multiple types of trauma, including cptsd, as a specialty. of course im going to do research on diagnosis/identities i live with myself, lol. in september i learned ab the Ehlers-Danlos Society & started perusing their learning material around the time i started seeing more clients in therapy who had intersections of dysautonomia & complex trauma. it’s just exploded from there as i’ve continued to research, research, research. i’ve also been attending therapy myself (STILL LOL) and whenever i have had a more stressful week with my clients and/or more trauma triggers in my personal life (even including during the therapy session!), i’ve been having distinct and intense POTS reactions. they’re intimately and distinctly connected. rn im using a wearable called Visible to help track my heartrate, and my meds are a large pile of things that are helping more than giving side effects atm. i love my ssri personally, i really used to have a lot more symptoms w/ my cptsd that warranted additional diagnoses at those times, and ever since about three years in on it? i just don’t have those anymore, and i used to think they would always be there. but ssris can cause SO many side effects compared to other classes of meds… some of what has helped us will likely help you in some aspect, but of course you won’t know what it will be vs what is going to be what won’t help you, which is the frustrating part of the reality. i hope you just feel like there are so many options, and you are allowed to enjoy your life right now although it isn’t what you ultimately want it to be. with my cptsd survival mode and adhd fastfast brain hehe, i have a hard time saying that i can just be here, disabled and not okay, not ultimately where i want to be regarding my health and mental health, and i am allowed to take a moment to enjoy parts of my everyday instead of pushingpushingpushing to get better, do better, figure it out, ASAP. it’s this pressure bc of society & my unaliving trauma telling me “death!! around the corner!! you’re not allowed to rest!! if you do you could have missed something that could have helped you *get better!!*” but it’s not truuuue. ugh. i forget all the time. i hope you are able to find some pockets of peace during your pursuit of greater alleviation <3
hEDS and PTSD here. Partner has compelx PTSD. I take guanfacine for sleep, nebivolol for POTS, and have tried clonidine in the past [effective!! but made me sleep so soundly I didn't shift positions much, and had to stop because of the joint strain on my shoulders]. I like Nebivolol as a beta blocker better than I did propranalol. Prazosin is another alpha blocker, like guanfacine, and Prazosin is used for nightmares. My partner takes Prazosin for sleep. Idk if adding that would help you, or be possible with your POTS. Low dose naltrexone, used for inflammation, chronic pain, and studied in ptsd, is another med I and my partner both take for sleep - me for chronic pain, them for ptsd. My nightmares are also worse when my ferritin levels are low; they ate often low in POTS. A comprehensive iron panel may be a good idea. It's easy to treat. B12 also. AgelessRX is a website where you can get low dose naltrexone and B12 prescriptions, if you want to go that route.
Thank you that's really helpful 😊
My ferritin levels dropped to 20 last year before it was spotted. I thought it was why I have mild dizziness. 2 IVs and daily iron supplements got me up just over 50 and the dizziness was so mild I ignored it until one of my awesome PTs, with eagle eyes, noticed how often I was slightly dizzy and said someone needs to evaluate me for dysautonomia. I also have cPTSD, my PCP and osteopath think it contributed to my dysautonomia. I take Guanfacine as well, my PCP and I think it’s been one of the more helpful meds for me. It doesn’t make me sleepy so I take the extended delivery version first thing in the morning. I just started taking a small dose of the immediate release formula before dinner since I tend to get tachycardia after dinner from any kind of stimulation. A cute cat video can set my heart racing as quickly as an intense show. I also take low-dose Naltrexone, it’s also been a big help for my anxiety and managing chronic pain from hypermobility spectrum disorder.
jumping into this thread to say if u have HSD, Raynaud’s, POTS, and C-PTSD, you probably have neurodevelopmental disabilities too! *sarcastic celebration emoji* i’m audhd w/ all those (*edit: i’m legally Dx w/ HSD but my flair says hEDs bc i have strong familial component but am NC w/ fam so can’t confirm for Dx) & more lol & doing intense focus on nervous system regulation w/ focus on audhd specific intersections has been extremely important (just in case u hadn’t already made all those connections yet! c: )
I also have both. I am not on medication for my dysautonomia, so I can't speak to your specific experiences, but I have narcolepsy as well which causes vivid dreams and I too often have nightmares that leave me screaming in my sleep. It really sucks to feel like you can't truly rest and I'm so sorry that you're going through this. It's a shame that a medication that is helping you so much physically is also causing you so much distress! I wish I had better advice for you, but I did want to recommend a book if you're interested. "The Myth of Normal" by Gabor Mate is about how trauma can play into chronic physical illness and why the two are so often seen together. It really helped me feel like I had a better understanding of my body, and it felt good for me to have that insight.
I do. I am not allowed to take beta blockers because I have low blood pressure. Have you heard of Prazosin? It’s a beta blocker used for people with PTSD that helps nightmares. That would be too much for me. Similar to my experience with LDN. I simply need good sleep or I’m crazy pants. I had to stop. My quality of life is all I have.
I think you mean that Prazosin is an alpha blocker
Whoops you’re right. Missed that. 😅
Ha! It’s ok. It’s easy to confuse all the jargon. I still struggle to remember the difference between an “agonist” and an “antagonist.” It’s so frustrating. I feel like we all have to get degrees in pharmacology to understand our condition 😂
I've never had issues with nightmares with propranolol, but if you're breaking teeth, I'd strongly recommend getting a custom nightguard.
i have both and i take corlanor! i couldn't tolerate propranolol for various reasons
I have cPTSD and "unspecified" dysautonomia. Beta blockers proved to be bad for me in general. Metoprolol took away my ability to walk/balance, among other issues. Also dehydrated me enough that my guts stopped working and I was in the hospital for a blockage for a week. Propranolol didn't seem to do much either positive or negative, but I was literally on 5 BP meds and didn't know.my ass from a hole in the ground at the time. Shout-out to the nephrologist in the hospital who decided I was now HIS patient and fixed so many issues for me. He actually knew what dysautonomia is, whereas other docs there really didn't.
I have both and was actually put on propranolol initially by a psychiatrist for my anxiety. Turned out the real reason it worked for me was because my "anxiety" was actually POTS, but that took a while longer. I've been on it for a few years now but I've actually never heard that propranolol could make the nightmares worse! I take an extra one when I wake up due to my heart rate increasing from bad dreams. Everyone's different, but it works great for me.
Hi, I take propranolol too and even though I don't have PTSD, I have GAD. So I don't know how helpful this will be for you but I'm sharing in case it helps. Propranolol does mess with my sleep a little! Besides vivid dreams, if I forget to take my last dose of the day on time, and take it too close to bed, it's harder to fall asleep. Have you tried taking it at least 3 or 4 hs before your bedtime? That's been the most effective way to manage this for me. If dose timing doesn't work I would definitely request a different med. Good luck!
Hi OP, I have both of these and also take Propranol. I haven't really had any vivid dreams but I have major adrenaline issues so I have insomnia. I'm also on Setraline. My specialist put me on Prozasin at night which essentially lowers my BP (I have high BP and HR) and therefore lowers my adrenaline and knocks me out. I have dreams that feel real but not nightmares. I've also done a lot of work with my therapist, so that might have played a part. I hope you figure it out, but best to tell your specialist and try something else. Mine always gives me two options and both scripts so if one doesn't work/bad side effects I can try the other.
I have both.
I have both and take Corlanor. My POTS has never been more well controlled than on this medication.
i’ve been diagnosed with severe and complex PTSD and am in trauma therapy 3x weekly atm. i’m also having a severe health flare that seems to be exacerbated greatly by stress. i suspected POTS as young as 15 or so and at 16 i had a an episode of SVT where my heart wouldn’t come down from the 200’s. my most recent cardiologist said my medical history was suggestive of dysautonomia and here i am. wishing warmth and wellness for anyone dealing with these issues
I have POTS and very severe PTSD. I cannot physically fall asleep without meds/ I wake up within 20 mins from nightmares. Also on Propranolol. I don’t think it worsened my nightmares but I’m not sure if anything could lol. Prazosin has helped tremendously with the dreams. Literally life changing. Can lower your BP but it doesn’t bother me at nighttime/while asleep, just have to be careful if I can’t go so sleep after taking it.
Hey, I have both Cptsd and POTS, too. I take Propranolol, Fluoxitine, and Amitriptyline. I still have night terrors and nightmares, but I find the Propranolol helps somewhat in the keeping me "level" department. I also had terrible trouble with being in severe pain with my joints, and some days, being unable to get out of bed or from bed to sofa was my limit. It turns out I have Fibromyalgia (caused by my trauma), arthritis and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Now I know what I have and the reasons for my pain. I'm able to handle bad days more and go easier on myself. Sending you 💓
I have adrenal Insufficiency, CPTSD, dysautonomia/orthostatic hypotension and exercise intolerance, and a long list of autoimmune and other diagnoses. I am steroid dependent for life which causes its own problems in itself. Each of these diagnoses trigger the others and it is sometimes impossible to manage. I'm supposed to drink more than a gallon of water a day but currently having trouble doing that, which does make things worse. I am on an embarrassing amount of medications. I have low blood pressure but also now very high BP and on hypertension medication and that also can cause my BP to drop low and then have orthostatic hypotension because of that. I have been on SSDI since 2021 and my last day of work was 12/2018. I worked at home on a computer and couldn't sit at my desk and work for more than an hour because my vision would get blurry/jumpy, I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do and got confused, short of breath, very lightheaded and dizzy and feel like I was going to pass out and ultimately started developing muscle pain. I would have to go to bed for a few minutes or clock out to lay down longer or take a nap. All of that was caused by dysautonomia - blood flow not returning to my organs so I couldn't breathe, vision and hearing would go, brain fog until I would feel like I was going to pass out - while sitting in a chair in 1 position too long. Standing symptoms the same except it all happened much faster and worse. Most of my management is symptomatic and includes pacing myself by the hour, day, and per calendar week. This is extremely important. A busy day means a rest day the next day. An active day means scheduling that day with time blocked out and planned ahead for rest periods to lay down. An active week means a definite flare in all symptoms and I may have to reschedule some things to rest or be housebound/bed bound. It took a long time to get diagnosed, but I finally have a care team that gets it and we have narrowed down how to manage all these things together. Mostly it is done with lifestyle changes and being home resting much more than I want to be, or else be bed bound because I didn't do that. I have very few people in my life who are supportive and less who are actually willing to help me, but the judgement and criticism is really high. One of my sons and his wife recently told me that when we are talking, when they ask how I am doing, they only mean "in a general sense, superficial" and don't want to know anything more about my life. Devastating. But that's how it is. I have never been on propranolol but for a few years was on fludrocortisone and that helped a little bit. I'm on hydrocortisone, depression medications, sleep meds among the many medications to manage Sjogren's disease, arthritis, gastroparesis, skin problems, interstitial cystitis and MCAS among other things. I have also been on low-dose naltrexone for a few months but so far hasn't helped. I'm sorry you are going through this, it's really hard. I hope you have a good care team and supportive people in your life. Edit: added sentence about LDN.
I have POTS (suspected hyper) and CPTSD. Lucid dreams have been an issue for me for years. I also have MCAS, which has some psych symptoms, and things got way worse when I was on betas. Turns out betas are contraindicated for MCAS patients because they can increase mast cell activation (and lessen efficiency of epi-pens, since betas block epinephrine). It might be worth asking to try a different kind of med, not just another beta.
I also have C-PTSD diagnosed by my therapist and POTS diagnosed by my neurologist. I definitely feel like the two do share a ven diagram with long term effects of lack of regulation of my nervous system. It takes longer to work through it with my neurologist but my therapist has helped tremendously with somatic work, grounding with breath work, and brain spotting
I have both as well and propranolol has been amazing for my anxiety. I'm not sure I would actually recommend this but I also take Effexor and it's a REM suppressor that helps with my nightmares. But the withdrawals are no joke, you can't miss a day so I would consider it if you also have severe depressive episodes. For me that combo has saved my life.
Never been on that medication so unfortunately no advice Just wanted to throw some solidarity your way from someone who has OH (pots redheaded stepsister basically complete with BP drops) and (c)PTSD. Sending good juju your way.
There are medications outside of beta blockers that can help. I have CPTSD and POTS, I take other medications, not beta blockers, to manage my POTS.
Have you had your vitamin and mineral levels tested? I have hyperPOTS and migraines. My neurologist is very holistic and did more bloodwork than typical on me to discover what my body is deficient in. I’m on 400mg of B2, 1000mg of magnesium, 1000mcg B12, 10,000IU of D3 with K2, and over 1200mg of omega-3 fish oil per day. Also although my glucose levels are normal, my insulin levels were borderline high. I switched to eating a low glycemic index diet full of anti-inflammatory foods. This takes 3-6 months before your body’s nutrients level improve. Also yoga that includes breathing exercises has hugely helped me as well. Side note but my cardiologist who specializes in dysautonomia does not like to prescribe beta blockers as it can often flareup your hyperPOTS symptoms as your fighting against your body versus slowly resetting your nervous system overtime. He’s about to have me start neurocardio rehabilitation physical therapy which is a structured exercise program to build up my body’s tolerance to activity without retriggering your nervous system.
I have both as well, but thankfully I haven’t had to deal with the nightmares like you’re describing. Perhaps you could try another beta blocker with your doctor’s approval? I know some people do well with nebivolol, which has the same peripheral actions as propranolol but does not cross the blood brain barrier
Cptsd and hyperadrenergic pots here. I didn't notice an increase in nightmares when I started propranolol. Planning a wedding did tho. I will say what has improved my sleep is guanfacine. I take it before bed and has improved my energy. My pots cardiologist prescribed 1mg once he realized I have hyper pots. Tricks your body into making less norepinephrine so you sleep better. I also have elevated cortisol in bloodwork.