Doxazosin for the treatment of nightmare disorder: A diary-based case study.
Ståle Pallesen, Hilde Sofie Hamre, Nina Lang, Bjørn Bjorvatn
SAGE open medical case reports 2020 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x20936079 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Randomized Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Patient with severe nightmares following erroneous medical administration of adrenaline |
| Intervention | Doxazosin |
| Dose | 0, 4, or 8 mg |
| Duration | 280 days |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Doxazosin Nightmare disorder Treatment Α1-adrenergic antagonist |
| Key findings | 8 mg doxazosin was associated with 55.2% nightmare-free nights compared to 4.3% without the drug. |
Abstract
The α1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin has showed good effect against posttraumatic stress disorder-related nightmares in several randomized controlled trials. The α1-adrenergic antagonist doxazosin, which has a longer half-live than prazosin, has received far less attention in the treatment of such nightmares. Here, we report a case of a patient suffering from severe nightmares following an erroneous medical administration of adrenaline (causing severe physiological hyper-activation) who was treated with doxazosin. Over a period of 280 days, the patient kept a nightmare diary and took 0, 4, or 8 mg doxazosin. The analyses showed that 8 mg doxazosin (55.2% nightmare-free nights) worked better (odds ratio = 28.2; 95% confidence interval = 3.7-213.9) compared to nights without doxazosin (4.3% nightmare-free nights). Except dizziness, which was not regarded as particularly bothersome by the patient, doxazosin was well tolerated. It is concluded that doxazosin may be indicated as a pharmacological treatment for patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder-related nightmares.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study The author | 1980 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares People with recurrent nightmares | 2010 | Case study | n = 5 |
| Treating Chronic Nightmares of Sexual Assault Survivors with an Intellectual Disability – Two Descriptive Case Studies Adults with learning disabilities suffering from post-traumatic nightmares | 2006 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Lucid dreaming: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during rem sleep A lucid dreamer | 1984 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: A series of cases. Participants with nightmares | 2003 | Case series | n = 8 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Sleep Quality Improvements After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress August 1, 2021
- Effects of Prazosin and Other Alpha-1 Adrenergic Antagonist Drugs on Nightmares and Sleep Disturbances in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology March 12, 2026
- The Effects of Pharmacological Treatment of Nightmares: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health December 31, 2022