Side effects - Methadone causing me to talk in my sleep

[XthisloveX]

Im sorry if this is a repost I searched for an hour and didn't find a thread relevent to my question. But swim is on methadone for pain management, and swim finds himself trying to sleep and falls asleep (but not really, at least not a deep sleep at ALL) and has vivid dreams and wakes up 20 minutes later realizing that swim has been talking in his sleep. For example swim told me he fell asleep at 3:30AM or so and had a dream he was talking to his sister on the phone, he woke up twenty minutes later because he could hear himself actually talking in his sleep. So my question...is this normal? Swim is also on effexor for anixety and topamax for migraines. Does this happen to other people on methadone? I know vivid dreams are normal, but talking in your sleep? Swim says its getting to the point it creeps him out.

Medicine layout:
Methadone 40mg's @ 7am & 7pm
Effexor 55mg's @7am (weaning off)(just started to, so this isnt the prob)
Topamax 50mg's @ 7am & 7pm

[cybergenesis]

Well I have known many people who talk in their sleep who are on no medications. I wouldn't be too scared about it because talking in your sleep is not known to be dangerous! I guess the more important issue is the overall quality of your sleep.

I was on Effexor and I had very vivid dreams and indeed absolutely hellish nightmares, such dreams are actually a known side effect of Effexor.

Also Topamax is a fairly serious drug which can effect the brain as well.

It could be a side effect which is a combination of all your medications. Although looking at your medication doses you are on fairly small doses. I didn't know Effexor came in 55mg doses? I thought the minimum was 75mg?

You could definitely be experiencing more troubling side effects from the medications you are on, so perhaps you should count yourself luck?

[XthisloveX]

It just started with the methadone, and im weaning off the effexor so thats an estimated dose (it was 75mg) When I am "sleeping" it is VERY light sleep almost like an opioid sleep (the kind where you fall asleep, but cant fall asleep...if that makes sense to anyone...) and I wake up within 20 mins

[MEKONE]

Originally Posted by XthisloveX

When I am "sleeping" it is VERY light sleep almost like an opioid sleep (the kind where you fall asleep, but cant fall asleep...if that makes sense to anyone...)

More than likely that is why SWIY is sleep talking.It has happened to SWIM numerous times.Because you are in a state of vivid dreams the entire night you can possiably be dreaming of having a conversation with someone and you actually start talking.

Another thing that SWIM experienced while on Meth is sitting up in bed and just nodding.SWIM would be "asleep" and then just sit up,and nod almost to the point of falling face first off the bed.SWIM would stay that way the rest of the night until morning.

Perhaps SWIY can talk to your DR. to see if he can prescribe a sleep aid that should help SWIY a bit.

[XthisloveX]

Originally Posted by MEKONE

More than likely that is why SWIY is sleep talking.It has happened to SWIM numerous times.Because you are in a state of vivid dreams the entire night you can possiably be dreaming of having a conversation with someone and you actually start talking.

Another thing that SWIM experienced while on Meth is sitting up in bed and just nodding.SWIM would be "asleep" and then just sit up,and nod almost to the point of falling face first off the bed.SWIM would stay that way the rest of the night until morning.

Perhaps SWIY can talk to your DR. to see if he can prescribe a sleep aid that should help SWIY a bit.

Oh dear! I hope that doesnt happen to me! The first time this happened to me was the first day I took it and I had a nightmare of someone kidnapping me...It scared me shitless! Hopefully it will go away with time, but I will consider talking to my doctor about a sleep aid. Thank you!

[MEKONE]

Yea man,something light like "Ambien" or "Ambien CR" would probably do you some justice.Just try to stay away from anything crazy.

[doublezero]

swim used to sleep walk as a kid, once when he gave up opiates when he was 25/26yrs old he started sleep walking again, only happened twice. But it's scary, luckily swim never went out of the house.

[cybergenesis]

I agree with the above post, a sleep aid of some sort might put you into a deeper sleep and alleviate the effect. Of course you must be VERY careful combining other sedating drugs with opiates, so you would want strict medical supervision.

[Solinari]

I get sleep paralysis all the time and even although i know i can't move a muscle or speak a word, every time i think i am able to nudge myself off the bed so i fall and wake up, or shout out and call for help. Every time i think i can hear myself speaking but in reality i can't make a sound.

I get very vivid dreams and i often know when i am dreaming, i do a 'reality test' where i hold my nose in the dream and if i can breath through it, i know i am dreaming. When we sleep we are paralysed so we don't act out our dreams so while you're holding your nose in the dream, you're not holding it in reality, so you can still breath through it. Anyway, what i am getting at is, you may think you can speak when you are in this semi awakened state but unless someone else has actually heard you, then you might not be saying a word at all, even although you think you can hear yourself, it happens to me all the time.

As i said, even although i know i can't speak or move every time i think i can either make some sort of sound or slowly nudge myself off the bed so i fall off and wake up but in reality i can't.