Hi Ira. It's always a treat to meet another Ira. I had quintuple bypass surgery nearly four and a half years ago but I never experienced any nightmares. I did experience ICU hallucinations and delusions that were so real it took me weeks to piece together what I actually had experienced as physical reality and broadened my personal perception of what constitutes conscious experience, sort of like a Native American dream quest might do. This all occurred during and after a two week medically induced coma aimed at reducing stress to my heart after I contracted ventilator pneumonia post surgery. I've also experienced occasional PTSD like flashbacks, but nothing too severe.
I too take metoprolol, but I never have experienced any side effects to my knowledge except some lightheadedness when they first were getting my dosage right.
I would be most interested in reading that Australian study if you could provide me with a citation. There's a lot of scholarly work out there that I've reviewed, but I haven't yet come across anything about nightmares. It does seem to me, though, that dreams/nightmares are related to hallucinations as alternative forms of consciousness, possibly related to some common neural pathways.
Anyway, I hope you get past your nightmares soon and find some answers.
Best,
Ira Reid
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Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-30-2022 16:50
From: IRA NEWMAN
Subject: NIGHTMARES
Has anyone experienced nightmares after having open heart surgery? There was a paper done in Australia. They call it Cardiac Blues and involves depression as well as nightmares. I have not been depressed but having nightmares. I read that it could be a side effect of metropolol. Has anyone experienced this? As I was put on the metropolol after my surgery, the question is: Are the nightmares the result of the surgery or the drug. Interested in your responses.
Thanks in advance.
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IRA NEWMAN
MANALAPAN NJ
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