In the Land of Dreamy Dreams....NOT!

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams is a 1981 book of short stories by Ellen Gilchrist -- an excellent read -- but this post is not about the book.  It’s about the tricks medication can play on the mind! The dreams I’ve had during the past few days are decidedly bazaar.

 My common cold turned into a rip-roaring sinus infection, and I have been under the influence of antibiotics and a hyrdocone-based cough suppressant for three days. I'm taking only half the recommended dosage of 1 teaspoon every 12 hours. And while  the cough syrup has definitely stopped my cough while antibiotics heal me, it has produced some really wild and weird dreams -- of the variety that I believe psychedelic dreams would consist.

My dreams are ordinarily quite mundane. When I recall them the next day I usually can establish a connection to a recent event or small tidbit of conversation. But these recent dreams have no connection to…..anything insofar as I can tell.

For instance, yesterday I saw coffee cups dancing around on the kitchen counter. They really weren’t my coffee cups; they were bright yellow, green, red and blue. But it was my kitchen and I stood and watched them for a period of time, enjoying the show.

Today’s long afternoon sleep produced the following:

I was outside with the watering hose, spraying my flowers with a much-needed drink of water. I looked down and the nozzle was a pair of scissors.

I opened my 90-year-old mother’s refrigerator door and found an unfamiliar bottle of medicine. When I asked where it came from and what it was for, she replied, “I asked the home health to get me a bottle of it to prevent my becoming a homosexual."

I walked into my local drugstore, pulled a toy gun out and held up the lady at the cash register. After she gave me the money, I fled out the door and found myself in a magical garden filled with beautiful rocks, waterfalls, trees and flowers.

There were others. Tonight I don't know whether to dread falling asleep or look forward to it!

Now perhaps someone who’s into dream analysis could shed light on the meaning of these weird dreams. All I know is that the medicine must have caused them. I will be very happy when I no longer have to take it and can return to my normal dreams!

Do you ever have strange dreams? Have you ever thought medication caused them? I'd love to have your input on this subject.

Goodnight and Sweet Dreams!