10 Side Effects of Beta Blockers
Side Effect #10: Hallucinations and Nightmares
Hallucinations refer to perceptions despite the absence of external stimulus. Hallucinations are usually vivid and occur during consciousness. They should be distinguished from an illusion, which is a misinterpretation of a real perception.
Hallucinations can occur in any modality such as olfactory, visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, proprioceptive, nociceptive, and thermoceptive. Most hallucinations due to beta blockers usually resolve after several hours of drug discontinuation. Nightmares or bad dreams are an unpleasant dream where there is usually anxiety, fear, sadness, and despair. Nightmares and hallucinations are more likely to occur in patients who receive lipophilic beta blockers such as metoprolol and propranolol. These episodes are much lower in patients receiving hydrophilic beta blockers.
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