Last night, i dreamt i was in the middle of the ocean.......

[Sera]

- and sinking since i couldn't swim. The other night i dreamt i was in a cult and trying to escape but couldn't. It was scary.  My dreams with atripla started nice and happy,  but during the last week they have gotten darker and i wake up full of dread.  I sleep through the night after taking the pill at midnight but when i wake up at eight in the morning, i am soo tired i can barely move my body. My mood has also changed and i find myself snapping at people a lot more.

Seven weeks into Atripla, with the viral undetectable, and a little more energy than i had before starting i was getting used to it and feeling hopeful since once a day was working well for me, but i don't know whether i can take any more of these dreams. Has anyone experienced this?

[Jeff G]

I'm on atripla and have the vivid dreams . I have come to the decision that as long as atripla is working for me I'm going to stay on it . If you cant handle the side effects then by all means discuss it with your doctor , there are probably more combos for you if you want to make the change . You didn't say if you have any resistance issues that might limit you , so if you can take any of the other combos and cant adjust to atripla its your choice .

I'm sure you already know not to eat a fatty meal or snack 2 hours before taking your meds ?

[OneTampa]

I have been asleep at the movies or as I call it the "Sustiva Cinema" for over a decade.  Since I have always had vivid dreams from a child, Sustiva simply added 3-D and surround sound to the nighttime experience.

[Hideyoshi]

Yes I am on Atripla and my dreams are very vivid. It really seems like your really there much more then dreams use to.  It's actually really cool when it is a good dream. Have not had a really bad dream so far though hopefully that continues. But vivid dreams seams to be a very common side effect.

[Rev. Moon]

Sustiva can have quite a nasty effect on some people.  I never had any crazy dreams that I can blame on this particular combo.  I do have nightmares rather often, but they had occurred long before the HIV and they seem to be stress related. 

I do have a friend whose situation with Sustiva became so unbearable that he had to demand a new combo.  It wasn't a once a day kinda pill, but he regained his sleep and felt less paranoia and anxiety after he made the switch. 

After seven weeks of being on Atripla you should have experienced a decrease in side effects.  If they are as intense as you think that they are then you may need to have a conversation with your doctor.  There's no need to endure nightmares and discomfort just so that you can stay on a one-pill type of regimen. There are other options and you need be an active participant and decision maker when it comes to your treatment.

Best of luck.

[thunter34]

I know people who SWEAR by watching porn before bed.  I am not on this combo myself, so I don't know for sure.  People have told me that not only that, but soothing and uplifting music helped as did watching something very happy like Disney or something.

Just passing on what I've been told.  I know what I'd be watching from the list above, but to each his own.

[northernguy]

I'm betraying my age by saying the first thing that popped into me head seeing your thread title was "Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again"

I swtiched off Atripla due to the dreams.