Medications & Dreams

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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DWilkins1916
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Medications & Dreams

Post by DWilkins1916 »

I am new to the forum, and I recently found that I am APOE 4/4. My maternal grandmother died of Alzheimer disease and my mother was in deep dementia (she refused to accept that she could be in Alzheimers even though one doctor said she was and one said she wasn't - she preferred to believe the latter). My Neurologist has ordered a PET scan for me (second time; this go around with a "diagnosis" of AD). I can easily pass the PCP doctor's memory test, however I have difficulties with names, lists, and often go into a room (or pantry, garage, etc) and can't remember why I went in.

The doctor also prescribed Donepezil and Memantine for me. I started the Donepezil on Wednesday of last week (today is Monday), and Memantine on Friday. I normally do not recall any dreams I have (or rarely anyway), however on Thursday night I had one "weird" dream that I mostly remembered at the time and woke up. I went back to sleep and a bit later had a frightening dream where I was in our master bathroom facing a door that opens up to the back patio. That door has a window with an inset blind that is routinely closed (for obvious reasons). I felt/saw a shadow outside the door and opened the blind and saw a man standing nose to the glass with wild hair and scary eyes staring in. I reflexively kicked at the glass, and in real life kicked up from under the covers scaring both my wife and our poor dog.

The next evening - Friday night - I didn't have any significant or scary dreams, however on Saturday night, I had a series of dreams that while not scary, were disturbing in that I could not remember things such has how to get out of a building, where my home was, the names of plant, nor could I hear my wife when she spoke to me, angering her (in my dream) where she shouted at me. I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Sunday night was peaceful - few if any dreams - nothing to remember.

My question is whether anyone else has had similar experiences with these medications, and if so, do they go away over time?

I take Donepezil at bedtime and one dose of Memantine in the AM and one at bedtime. I have read where Donepezil can create vivid dreams, however it doesn't say whether they eventually go away or decrease.

While some won't give credit to this, a nighttime prayer for good or no dreams seems to be the only thing that has helped - my nighttime praying is going to get more consistent!

I am at the start of this journey. If the PET scan comes back negative, I will likely continue on some form of medication due to the 4/4 gene state. I am also working on other brain and memory related activities, which I am hoping will help. I am 67 and my doctor states that I will likely go into Alzheimers by 75 if I don't already have some impact from the disease. As a male, I know that my chances are less than if I were female, however I don't want to wait to find out I am in that relatively low percentage to get started.

I do exercise (having a German Shepard Dog - GSD - creates a lot of need to walk and get her exercise). I don't smoke, rarely drink alcohol, and have a pretty good diet. I am down about 35 lbs from my weight 2 years ago and am working on the next 5-10 lbs (without a lot of success). I read lots and I am always trying to learn new things.

Any thoughts on the medications and dream activities is very much appreciated. I look forward to learning more on this forum over the next few weeks, months, and years.

Dale Wilkins
Andrea Hamilton
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Re: Medications & Dreams

Post by Andrea Hamilton »

DWilkins1916 wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2025 2:05 pm I am new to the forum, and I recently found that I am APOE 4/4. My maternal grandmother died of Alzheimer disease and my mother was in deep dementia (she refused to accept that she could be in Alzheimers even though one doctor said she was and one said she wasn't - she preferred to believe the latter). My Neurologist has ordered a PET scan for me (second time; this go around with a "diagnosis" of AD). I can easily pass the PCP doctor's memory test, however I have difficulties with names, lists, and often go into a room (or pantry, garage, etc) and can't remember why I went in.

The doctor also prescribed Donepezil and Memantine for me. I started the Donepezil on Wednesday of last week (today is Monday), and Memantine on Friday. I normally do not recall any dreams I have (or rarely anyway), however on Thursday night I had one "weird" dream that I mostly remembered at the time and woke up. I went back to sleep and a bit later had a frightening dream where I was in our master bathroom facing a door that opens up to the back patio. That door has a window with an inset blind that is routinely closed (for obvious reasons). I felt/saw a shadow outside the door and opened the blind and saw a man standing nose to the glass with wild hair and scary eyes staring in. I reflexively kicked at the glass, and in real life kicked up from under the covers scaring both my wife and our poor dog.

The next evening - Friday night - I didn't have any significant or scary dreams, however on Saturday night, I had a series of dreams that while not scary, were disturbing in that I could not remember things such has how to get out of a building, where my home was, the names of plant, nor could I hear my wife when she spoke to me, angering her (in my dream) where she shouted at me. I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Sunday night was peaceful - few if any dreams - nothing to remember.

My question is whether anyone else has had similar experiences with these medications, and if so, do they go away over time?

I take Donepezil at bedtime and one dose of Memantine in the AM and one at bedtime. I have read where Donepezil can create vivid dreams, however it doesn't say whether they eventually go away or decrease.

While some won't give credit to this, a nighttime prayer for good or no dreams seems to be the only thing that has helped - my nighttime praying is going to get more consistent!

I am at the start of this journey. If the PET scan comes back negative, I will likely continue on some form of medication due to the 4/4 gene state. I am also working on other brain and memory related activities, which I am hoping will help. I am 67 and my doctor states that I will likely go into Alzheimers by 75 if I don't already have some impact from the disease. As a male, I know that my chances are less than if I were female, however I don't want to wait to find out I am in that relatively low percentage to get started.

I do exercise (having a German Shepard Dog - GSD - creates a lot of need to walk and get her exercise). I don't smoke, rarely drink alcohol, and have a pretty good diet. I am down about 35 lbs from my weight 2 years ago and am working on the next 5-10 lbs (without a lot of success). I read lots and I am always trying to learn new things.

Any thoughts on the medications and dream activities is very much appreciated. I look forward to learning more on this forum over the next few weeks, months, and years.

Dale Wilkins
Hi Dale

I am a member of the support team here at apoe4.info and I first want to welcome you to the site. It is wonderful that you found us, and are already sharing your expertise with your post on using a CPAP machine for sleep apnea. It is exactly this sort of sharing of information that makes this website such a great resource for its users.

I am so sorry to hear that your family has been so affected by Alzheimer's disease, and that you may be facing a diagnosis yourself. What is so hopeful however is that you are clearly proactive about your health, as evidenced by the way you have been treating your sleep apnea for 15-20 years now, and by some of the other lifestyle choices you are making. Losing 35 pounds is a huge accomplishment!

You will find the website provides a great deal of information to support you in your efforts to optimize your brain health. Many contributors are 4/4s like yourself, have seen AD's effects in their own families, but are not experiencing cognitive decline, or are managing it in ways that their parents did not know to. There have been many advancements in this field and your genes by no means determine your destiny.

If you haven't had much of a chance to explore the site, a great place to start is the Primer , which is a detailed and informative resource written by a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4.

You can also browse a wealth of information in the Wiki . If you put Bredesen Protocol in the search bar, for example, you will find quite comprehensive information about Bredesen's findings, and the ReCode protocol he created as a result of this research.

The How-To Guide includes topics such as navigating the forum, private messaging, and searching. One great tip is using the quote (") button when replying to a post. Using the button will automatically alert the member of your response.

You have already found Our Stories. , where members can read about others' experiences and post their own. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

I hope you find the information and support you need from this community. No doubt someone will have a response to your question about the connection between the medications you are on and dreams. Please reach out if you have any other questions and someone will be pleased to help you.

Andrea
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TCHC
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Re: Medications & Dreams

Post by TCHC »

Hi DWilkins,
We're not supposed to be able to move during our dreams, we're supposed to be paralysed. Look up REM sleep behaviour disorder RBD. Maybe get some testing done to see if there's anything you need to work on specifically. I do not know anything about the effects of those drugs, but I do have a client with RBD due to another condition. Please don't worry too much, have a look the Bredesen Protocol if you haven't already.
TCHC - Lindsey Byrne - The Cognitive Health Coach - UK
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC)
Certified Re:CODE 2.0 Health Coach
DWilkins1916
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Re: Medications & Dreams

Post by DWilkins1916 »

Thanks for the info! I will definitely look into it if the dreams continue. Fortunately, since last Saturday I have not had any of the same type of dreams. I'm thinking that it was a symptom of the medications taking effect in my body, and maybe now I have adjusted to the changes. Hopefully, anyway!

Thanks again.
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Re: Medications & Dreams

Post by TCHC »

DWilkins1916 wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 3:41 pm Thanks for the info! I will definitely look into it if the dreams continue. Fortunately, since last Saturday I have not had any of the same type of dreams. I'm thinking that it was a symptom of the medications taking effect in my body, and maybe now I have adjusted to the changes. Hopefully, anyway!

Thanks again.
That's good news! Let's hope that it's over.
TCHC - Lindsey Byrne - The Cognitive Health Coach - UK
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC)
Certified Re:CODE 2.0 Health Coach
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