ABSTRACT
Drug dreams are frequent in the initial period of treatment, from the first or second week up to two/three months, in those patients who remain abstinent from drugs. It has been observed that drug dreams occur mostly after cessation of drug use or during early abstinence from drugs, rather than during regular drug use. The onset of drug dreams during the early months of abstinence could be explained also by the phenomenon of "drug craving incubation", that is, by a specific increase of craving in response to drug-associated cues. The frequency of drug dreams decreases gradually after a prolonged period of abstinence. Animal studies have shown that cue-induced craving increases during the first several weeks of abstinence and remains high after withdrawal from the drug. Indeed, several abstinent patients who reported drug dreams were treated with agonist pharmacological medications that mimic the effects of the drug of abuse and prevent the onset of adverse withdrawal symptoms by replacing such drugs.
